Northern Mariana Islands
Oceania Β· Capital: Saipan
How it is run: Northern Mariana Islands is a territory or observer, so some decisions about it are made elsewhere. The research links below explain who is in charge.
Northern Mariana Islands is home to 43,541 people in Micronesia, where people speak Carolinian, Chamorro, English.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
43,541 people
That is about 5 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
464 kmΒ²
Smaller than most big cities β you could cross it in an afternoon.
ποΈ How crowded
About 94 people per square kilometre β a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
π Size in its region
15th most people in Oceania
14th largest by land in Oceania.
π£οΈ Official languages
Carolinian, Chamorro, English
More than one language is used for official business.
π° Money
United States dollar ($)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
78.9 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$23,786
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
92.2% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
21.2% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+1670
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.mp
π§ People here are called
American
π·οΈ Name at home
Northern Mariana Islands Β· Na Islas MariΓ₯nas
Also written: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Sankattan Siha Na Islas MariΓ₯nas.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Not a UN member
Neighbours & borders π€
Northern Mariana Islands has no land borders at all. It is surrounded by water, so boats and planes are the way in and out.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Islas Marianas del Norte
French
Γles Mariannes du Nord
Arabic
Ψ¬Ψ²Ψ± Ω Ψ§Ψ±ΩΨ§ΩΨ§ Ψ§ΩΨ΄Ω Ψ§ΩΩΨ©
Chinese
ε马ιδΊηΊ³ηΎ€ε²
Japanese
εγγͺγ’γθ«Έε³Ά
Russian
Π‘Π΅Π²Π΅ΡΠ½ΡΠ΅ ΠΠ°ΡΠΈΠ°Π½ΡΠΊΠΈΠ΅ ΠΎΡΡΡΠΎΠ²Π°
Portuguese
Marianas Setentrionais
German
NΓΆrdliche Marianen
Put it in perspective π
- Australia β the most populated country in Oceania β has about 634.2Γ as many people as Northern Mariana Islands.
- All of Northern Mariana Islands would fit inside one large national park in many other countries.
- If everyone in Northern Mariana Islands lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 22 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Northern Mariana Islands is a territory linked to another country, so some decisions are made elsewhere.
π·οΈ Official name
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
ποΈ Capital
Saipan
π Region
Oceania Β· Micronesia
π€ Country code
MP
ποΈ UN status
Not a UN member state
π© Independence
Linked territory
More about Northern Mariana Islands π
π§ Where on the map
15.2Β° N, 145.8Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+10 β when it is noon in London it is about 22:00 in Saipan.
- The capital of Northern Mariana Islands is Saipan β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- Because of where Northern Mariana Islands sits, the school day there starts many hours before or after yours does.
- Northern Mariana Islands is not a full UN member state, so it doesn't get its own vote in the General Assembly.
- Northern Mariana Islands sits in Micronesia, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
- Northern Mariana Islands lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Northern Mariana Islands has 3 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Northern Mariana Islands can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Northern Mariana Islands spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Northern Mariana Islands?
Saipan
Which money do people spend in Northern Mariana Islands?
United States dollar ($)
How many countries share a land border with Northern Mariana Islands?
None β no land neighbours at all.
Roughly how many people live in Northern Mariana Islands?
43,541 people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.