Northern Islands Municipality is one of the four main political divisions of the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonwea ...

. It consists of a long string of the northernmost

islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

of the Northern Marianas, including (from north to south)

Farallon de Pajaros Farallón de Pájaros (from Spanish ''Farallón de Pájaros'', meaning "Birds' Sea Stack", see Stack (geology)), also known as Uracus or Urracas (from Spanish ''Urracas'', meaning "Magpies"), is a small (2.3 km2) uninhabited volcanic island, ...

, the

Maug Islands Maug (from the Chamorro name for the islands, Ma'ok, meaning "steadfast" or "everlasting") consists of a group of three small uninhabited islands. This island group is part of the Northern Islands Municipality of the Commonwealth of the Northern ...

, Asuncion,

Agrihan Agrihan (also spelled Agrigan) is an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The island is currently uninhabited. Agrihan is located to the north of Pagan. History The first European to discover the island was Gonzalo G� ...

Pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

, Alamagan,

Guguan Guguan is an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The island is currently uninhabited. Guguan is located south from Alamagan and north from Saipan, and is northeast from Sarigan. History Guguan was discovered in 1668 b ...

Zealandia Bank Zealandia Bank, also known as Farallon de Torres or Piedras de Torres in Spanish, or Papaungan in Chamorro, consists of two rocky pinnacles about 1.5 kilometers apart, in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. One reaches a height ...

Sarigan Sarigan is an uninhabited volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory. Sarigan is located northeast of Anatahan island, south of Guguan and north of Saipan, the largest island in the Nor ...

Anatahan Anatahan is an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and has one of the most active volcanoes of the archipelago. Although formerly inhabited, the island is currently uninhabited due to the constant danger of volcanic er ...

, and

Farallon de Medinilla Farallon de Medinilla (also known as No'os) is an uninhabited small island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is located north of Saipan, and is the smallest island in the archipelago (not counting the Zealandia Bank). Pol ...

. The total land area of the islands, including offshore islets and rocks, is 154.755 km² (59.75 sq mi).

Population

As of the 2010 census, the municipality is reported to be uninhabited. Pagan and Agrihan are known to have seasonal populations. Many Northern Island inhabitants have secondary residences on

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

due to economic, educational or other needs. Some islands had also been evacuated due to volcanic activities such as in the case of Anatahan (2003) and Pagan (early 1980s). The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

's office and municipality administration, traditionally in the

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

of Shomushon on

, is now "in exile" on

. In 2005 there were 99 votes cast in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

. For the NMI House of Representatives, Northern Islands voters are grouped with one of the Saipan districts.

Transportation and communications

Most of the Northern Islands can be reached only by boat, except for an airstrip that serves Pagan. There are no electricity or telephone systems, and residents rely on generators for electricity and radio for communications.

Economy

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

and fishing are essentially the only economic activities, although on Pagan

pozzolan Pozzolans are a broad class of Silicon_dioxide, siliceous and aluminium oxide, aluminous materials which, in themselves, possess little or no cementitious value but which will, in finely divided form and in the presence of water, react chemically ...

mining became a small industry after the early-1980s volcanic eruptions.

Education

Previously

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System (CNMI PSS) is a school district serving the Northern Mariana Islands, a United States territory. Its headquarters are in Susupe, Saipan. Schools 7–12 schools Rota * Dr. Ri ...

operated an elementary school on

prior to the 1981 eruptions. In 1977 the school had 13 students. Students from Pagan attending secondary school did so on Saipan.''Northern Mariana Islands Coastal Resources Management: Environmental Impact Statement''.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

, 1980. p
37

References

Northern Mariana Islands and constituent municipalities, United States Census Bureau

External links

* ttp://www.cnminorthernislands.com/ Official site of the Northern Islands Former German colonies Municipalities of the Northern Mariana Islands

Government of the Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka ...

{{NorthernMarianas-geo-stub