10 things I wish I knew before going to Northern Mariana Islands

travel to Northern Mariana Islands? Do you want to read some interesting facts about Northern Mariana Islands? We are going to talk about what is special about the Northern Mariana Islands in this post. So, if you have ever considered going to the Northern Mariana Islands, these are the ten things you should know before going to the Northern Mariana Islands. Before starting with the interesting facts about Northern Mariana Islands and things to know before going there, we should start with where are the Northern Mariana Islands. The Northern Mariana Islands are the commonwealth of the United States of America. It consists of 14 islands and is located in the Pacific Ocean. The capital and the largest city of the Northern Mariana Islands is called Saipan. The official languages of the Northern Mariana Islands are English, Chamorro, and Carolinian. Both Chamorro and Carolinian are Austronesian languages spoken in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Northern Mariana Islands population is very ethnically diverse, and about 56,882 people are living according to the 2018th statistics. Now let's talk about Northern Mariana Islands tourism.

1. Where are the Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands is located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean and consists of 14 islands. It is officially a territory of the United States' commonwealth, and the official name of the territory is called the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The closest countries to the Northern Mariana Islands are the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea. It is also relatively close to southeast Asian countries. What is special about Northern Mariana Islands is that the location might not be the most convenient since it looks like the Northern Mariana Islands is located in the middle of nowhere. But there are a lot of island countries around where you can travel next once you are done with your travel to Northern Mariana Islands. We hope you get the answer to your question of what is special about Northern Mariana Islands? 

2. The 14 islands of the Northern Mariana Islands

One of the interesting facts about Northern Mariana Islands is that the Northern Mariana Islands' territory is located on an archipelago, which is a group of islands. The Northern Mariana Islands is on the Mariana Archipelago, and its length is about 290 km. The islands of the Northern Mariana Islands can be split into two parts: the southern island arc, which includes: Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan (& Marpi Bank), Farallon de Medinilla, and Aguijan. The second, northern part, is younger and mostly consists of the volcanic structure islands. They are Anatahan, Sarigan, Guguan, Alamagan, Pagan, Agrihan, Asuncion, Maug (with Supply Reef), and Farallon de Pajaros.

3. Northern Mariana Islands tourism

People might not know where are the Northern Mariana Islands at first since it is not one of the most known locations in the world. This fact influences the country's tourism as well. The big percentage of the tourists that visit the Northern Mariana Islands come from either Japan, South Korea, or other geographically close countries. What is special about Northern Mariana Islands is that you can somehow visit the United States in the middle of the Pacific Ocean by visiting the Northern Mariana Islands. This is one of the main factors that affect tourists from nearby countries. But suppose we have to compare Northern Mariana Islands with Commonwealth of the United States, which is Puerto Rico. In that case, we can say that the latter is much more popular among the tourists. The reasons for this might be the expensive travel cost and the distance factor. There is also no direct flight between the United States and the Northern Mariana Islands, so you have to fly either to South Korea, Japan, Guam, or China to get to the Northern Mariana Islands. This problem also prevents more people from visiting the Northern Mariana Islands.

3. Northern Mariana Islands population

According to the 2010's statistics, 53,883 people live in the Northern Mariana Islands. The great majority of them, nearly 90 per cent, live in Saipan, the largest and the capital Northern Mariana Islands. The other two best-known and populated areas of the Northern Mariana Islands are Tinian and Rota. One of the interesting facts about Northern Mariana Islands is that the people who live in the Northern Mariana Islands are qualified as United States citizens. People born in the Northern Mariana Islands are given birth-right citizenship. The Northern Mariana Islands population is very ethnically diverse. About 50 per cent of the population belongs to Asian backgrounds with different ethnicities like Filipino, Korean, Chinese, Bangladeshi, Japanese, Indonesian, and Asian ethnicities. The second majority of the population belongs to Pacific Ocean ethnicities such as Chamorro, Palauan, Carolinian. 

5. The History of Northern Mariana Islands

If you want to travel to Northern Mariana Islands, you might want to learn about its history as well. The trader Ferdinand Magellan discovered the island and claimed it for Spain in the 16th century. In the 19th century, Spain sold the islands to Germany. It remained under German authority until 1914 and then became Japanese territory in the first world war. The early population of the Northern Mariana Islands is from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. They were called Chamorro people, and they were the native inhabitants of the island. But after Magellan's discovery, Spanish colonists nearly wiped the Chamorro people out of the islands. During the 1800s, many migrants came from the Micronesian islands to the Northern Mariana Islands. They were called Carolinians since the majority of them came from the Caroline Islands. The Northern Mariana Islands became the Commonwealth of the United States in 1944, after the Battle of Saipan with Japan.

6. The culture of Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands' complex history and unusual structure make its culture even more colourful and interesting. There are a lot of immigrants who migrated here in ancient times, and immigrants are coming from the new territories. These immigrants had contributed immensely to the diverse and unique culture of the islands. There are two main distinct cultures called Chamorro and Carolinian cultures, which took its name from the Chamorro and Carolinian people. Chamorro culture is heavily influenced by the Spanish since the Northern Mariana Islands was a Spanish colony in the 16th century. If you travel to the Northern Mariana Islands one day, you can easily see the Spanish-influenced architecture around the islands.

7. Places to see in the Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands tourism is heavily dependent on its beautiful white beaches, scuba diving, and other water sports activities. The main vacation destination in the Northern Mariana Islands is definitely its capital city, Saipan. You can do many sports activities, or you can enjoy the beautiful, white beaches of Saipan.  There are several places and attractions to see in the Northern Mariana Islands that you should consider visiting. If you love hiking and outdoor activities, Saipan's Forbidden Island might be the perfect place for you. The road there might be difficult, but the end result is beautiful more than ever. There is a heaven-like scenery in front of your eyes. You should also visit Micro beach, American Memorial Park, Puntan Sabaneta, Mount Tapochao, The Grotto, and Managaha Island when you are in Saipan.

8. The cuisine of Northern Mariana Islands

The cuisine of the Northern Mariana Islands, also called Chamorro cuisine, is heavily influenced by many different cultures, such as Asian, American, and of course, Spanish. Rice is very famous on the island. The special dish called red rice is especially common for fancy days like holidays, parties, etc. There are many exotic local fruits and vegetables consumed in the islands. Since Saipan and the Northern Mariana Islands have a very diverse Asian population, you can see the different Asian countries' influences in the Northern Mariana Islands' culture. There are many local unique dishes. If you like trying new meals in other countries, you should definitely find some local restaurants and try them out. However, if you are a bit sceptical of changing your plate, don't worry. Since the Northern Mariana Islands is a territory of the Commonwealth of the United States, there are many American food brands such as Pizza Hut, Hard Rock Cafe, etc. You should consider tasting the wonderful and tasty dishes of the Northern Mariana Islands if you decide to travel to this beautiful island.

9. Religion in the Northern Mariana Islands

The Spanish have influenced the Northern Mariana Islands' religion. The biggest part of the Chamorro and Carolinian population practice Roman Catholicism. The Japanese influence shows itself in the form of the Buddhism community since the territory was under Japanese control. There are also a significant number of protestant people. The Northern Mariana Islands is one of the very complex and diverse places globally, and you can see it clearly from the religious groups of the island. There are mostly different groups of Christians with a small amount of Muslims and Jews.

10. Three different languages spoken in the Northern Mariana Islands

It is not any surprise that there is more than one language spoken on the island. Chamorro, Carolinian, and English are the three official languages in the Northern Mariana Islands, but there are also Chinese, Spanish and some Pacific Ocean languages spoken in the country. As you have read from this blog, the Northern Mariana Islands is one of the unique places you can visit on Earth. Hopefully, after reading all this information about the islands, you will consider making it your next travel destination!