Compare Northern Mariana Islands (2003) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

Compare Northern Mariana Islands (2003) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

	Northern Mariana Islands (2003)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2003)

Administrative divisions	none (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four municipalities at the second order; Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian	-
Age structure	0-14 years: 23.3% (male 9,483; female 9,168) 15-64 years: 74.8% (male 27,839; female 32,041) 65 years and over: 1.8% (male 748; female 727) (2003 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle	-
Airports	6 (2002)	1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002)	-
Area	total: 477 sq km land: 477 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative	2.5 times the size of Washington, DC	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate	19.97 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $193 million expenditures: $223 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY 01/02 est.)	-
Capital	Saipan	-
Climate	tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	1,482 km	698 km
Constitution	Covenant Agreement effective 4 November 1986 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978	-
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands former: Mariana Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Currency	US dollar (USD)	-
Death rate	2.44 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Debt - external	$NA	-
Dependency status	commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	-	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	none	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient	extensive funding from US	-
Economy - overview	The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated government revenues have grown. The key tourist industry employs about 50% of the work force and accounts for roughly one-fourth of GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual tourist entries have exceeded one-half million in recent years, but financial difficulties in Japan have caused a temporary slowdown. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment production is by far the most important industry with employment of 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US under duty and quota exemptions.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh	-
Electricity - production	NA kWh	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Environment - current issues	contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development	NA
Ethnic groups	Chamorro, Carolinians and other Micronesians, Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean	-
Exchange rates	the US dollar is used	-
Executive branch	chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Juan N. BABAUTA (since NA January 2002); Lieutenant Governor Diego T. BENEVENTE (since NA January 2002) cabinet: NA elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held NA November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: Juan N. BABAUTA elected governor in a four-way race; percent of vote - Juan N. BABAUTA (Republican Party) 49%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports	$NA	-
Exports - commodities	garments	-
Exports - partners	US (2000)	-
Fiscal year	1 October - 30 September	-
Flag description	blue, with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP	purchasing power parity - $900 million note: $900 million $900 million GDP estimate includes US subsidy (2000 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%	-
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $12,500 (2000 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	NA%	-
Geographic coordinates	15 12 N, 145 45 E	6 00 S, 71 30 E
Geography - note	strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Heliports	1 (2002)	-
Highways	total: 362 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1991)	total: NA km paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	-
Imports	$NA	-
Imports - commodities	food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products	-
Imports - partners	US, Japan (2000)	-
Independence	none (commonwealth in political union with the US)	-
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	-
Industries	tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 5.52 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.2% (1997 est.)	-
International organization participation	ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), SPC	-
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2001)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court	-
Labor force	6,006 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign workers	-
Labor force - by occupation	NA	-
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 15.22% permanent crops: 6.52% other: 78.26% (1998 est.)	arable land: NEGL permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Languages	English, Chamorro, Carolinian note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home	-
Legal system	based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch	bicameral Legislature consists of the Senate (9 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year staggered terms) and the House of Representatives (18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2003); House of Representatives - last held 1 November 2003 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 4, Democratic Party 3, Reform Party 1, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 9, Republican Party 7, Democratic Party 1, independent 1 note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or "resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party - Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO)	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 76.16 years male: 73.06 years female: 79.44 years (2003 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.)	-
Location	Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	Oceania	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	-
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the US	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
National holiday	Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)	-
Nationality	noun: NA adjective: NA	-
Natural hazards	active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November)	NA
Natural resources	arable land, fish	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate	16.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO]; Republican Party [Benigno R. FITIAL]	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	-
Population	80,006 (July 2003 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960's and 1970's, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	-
Population growth rate	3.37% (2003 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	Saipan, Tinian	Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	0 km	-
Religions	Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)	-
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	-
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections	-
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	21,000 (1996)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	1,200 (1995)	-
Television broadcast stations	1 (on Saipan and one station planned for Rota; in addition, two cable services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (1997)	1 (1997)
Terrain	southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	1.75 children born/woman (2003 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	NA%	-
Waterways	none	none

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