Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
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Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

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Northern Mariana Islands Travel Guide

Key Facts

457 sq km (176 sq miles).


55,389 (UN estimate 2016).

Population density

114.5 per sq km.




Self-governing US Commonwealth Territory (incorporated).

Head of state

President Barack Obama since 2009.

Head of government

Governor Ralph Torres since 2015.


120 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style plugs with two flat pins (with or without grounding pin) are standard.


Because of the islands' location they played a significant part in World War II, having been tussled over by the US and Japan, and the many shipwrecks around the coast bear witness to this. Diving in the clear waters is popular, both for exploring the numerous coral reefs and the the jaw-dropping wrecks on the ocean floor. It was also from here – namely the tiny island of Tinian – that the US sent B-29s to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.

There are quite stark contrasts on the island. The capital of Saipan is overly commercialised for the tastes of many, full of tourbuses and characterless modern buildings. But it is also busily adjusting to ongoing economic woes, largely linked to the near-disappearance of what was once a thriving Japanese-tourism market.

Beyond Saipan, traditional Chamorro culture endures, if not completely intact. These islands were settled by émigrés from South East Asia as long as six thousand years ago, with the islanders' ancestors are known to have built a network of giant megaliths, little of which has survived. In 2013, archaeologists theorised that the first settlers of the Marianas made the longest uninterrupted ocean-crossing voyage in the history of humanity. Archaeological evidence also points to Tinian being the first Pacific island outside Asia to have hosted settlers.

Beyond the history, both wondrous and grim, the Northern Mariana Islands enjoy white beaches, azure waters and stunning flame trees. Hiking and snorkelling count as the main leisure activities here, and both are highly rewarding. The incredible sunsets are also not to be missed.

Travel Advice

Most visits to the Northern Mariana Islands are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: (0845) 850 2829.

US Department of State