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, the Maug Islands, Asuncion, Agrihan,

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. I ...

Alamagan Alamagan is an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean, north of Guguan, north of Saipan, and south of Pagan. It is currently uninhabited. History Alamagan was once settled by the Chamorros, who left behind archaeological e ...

, Guguan, Zealandia Bank, Sarigan,

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. 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 ...

'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 ...

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 ...

. 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 ...

and fishing are essentially the only economic activities, although on Pagan pozzolan mining became a small industry after the early-1980s volcanic eruptions.

Education

Previously Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System 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 conditi ...

, 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 {{NorthernMarianas-geo-stub