Pagan is a
volcanic island
Geologically, a volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term high island can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed ...
in the
Marianas
The Mariana Islands ( ; ), also simply the Marianas, are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly Volcano#Dormant and reactivated, dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean ...
archipelago in the northwest
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
, under the jurisdiction of the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States consisting of 14 islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.Lin, Tom C.W.Amer ...
. It lies midway between
Alamagan to the south and
Agrihan to the north. The island has been largely uninhabited since the majority of the residents were evacuated due to
volcanic eruption
A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior h ...
s in 1981.
The volcano on Pagan is monitored by the
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...
, which issues weekly updates about volcanic activity. The island actually has two
stratovolcanoes
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a ...
, one on the north and another in the south.
History

Archaeological finds indicate that Pagan was settled from several centuries BC. The first European contact was in 1669, when the island was sighted by the Spanish missionary
Diego Luis de San Vitores
Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ (November 12, 1627 – April 2, 1672) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam. He is responsible for establishing the Christian presence in the Mariana Islands. H ...
who named it ''San Ignacio'' (
Saint Ignatius in Spanish). It is likely that it was previously visited in 1522 by the Spanish sailor
Gonzalo de Vigo, deserter from the
Magellan expedition
The Magellan expedition, sometimes termed the MagellanElcano expedition, was a 16th-century Spanish Empire, Spanish expedition planned and led by Portuguese Empire, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. One of the most important voyages in th ...
in 1521, and the first European castaway in the history of the Pacific. The native
Chamorro population was forcibly deported to
Saipan
Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
in 1695, and then three years later to
Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
. The Chamorros began to return to Pagan in the early 19th century, but found that the island had been colonized by freed
Kanakas
Kanakas were workers (a mix of voluntary and Blackbirding, involuntary) from various Pacific Islands employed in British Empire, British colonies, such as British Columbia (Canada), Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and Queen ...
from the
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the cen ...
. In the 1870s, the first coconut plantations were established.
After the sale of the Northern Mariana islands by Spain to the
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
in 1899, the island was administered as part of the colony of
German New Guinea
German New Guinea () consisted of the northeastern part of the island of New Guinea and several nearby island groups, and was part of the German colonial empire. The mainland part of the territory, called , became a German protectorate in 188 ...
. Together with Almagan, it was leased to a private company, the German-Japanese partnership the Pagan Society, which traded mainly
copra
Copra (from ; ; ; ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted ...
. The island was devastated by typhoons in July and September 1905, September 1907, and December 1913, which destroyed the coconut plantations and bankrupted the Pagan Society.
In 1914, during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the island was captured by the
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...
, which was awarded control by the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
as part of the
South Seas Mandate
The South Seas Mandate, officially the Mandate for the German Possessions in the Pacific Ocean Lying North of the Equator, was a League of Nations mandate in the " South Seas" given to the Empire of Japan by the League of Nations following W ...
. The island was settled by ethnic Japanese and Okinawans, who restored the coconut plantations and raised cotton and sweet potatoes for export. In addition, the Japanese developed
commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for Commerce, commercial Profit (economics), profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice ...
for
bonito
Bonitos are a tribe of medium-sized, ray-finned, predatory fish in the family Scombridae, which it shares with the mackerel, tuna, and Spanish mackerel tribes, and also the butterfly kingfish. Also called the tribe Sardini, it consists of ...
and
tuna
A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...
. An airfield,
Pagan Airstrip, was constructed in 1935, and the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...
established a garrison in 1937. By 1942 the Japanese civilian population was 413 persons with an additional 229 Chamorro residents. In June 1944 a garrison force of 2,150 men of the
Imperial Japanese Army
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
arrived, only to be cut off and isolated by the ongoing
Allied offensive. Receiving supplies only occasionally by submarine, the garrison soon faced starvation, and several hundred died of malnutrition before the
surrender of Japan
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...
.

After World War II, Pagan was occupied by the United States as part of the
UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The US Navy maintained a small establishment on Pagan and during the 1950s built public institutions, including a church, a copra warehouse, an infirmary and a school house. However the civilian population was under 100 people by the end of the 1970s, many of whom were seasonally present from Saipan.
On May 15, 1981, Mount Pagan erupted, with lava flows covering a large part of the island's arable land and part of the airfield runway; the island's inhabitants were evacuated to Saipan. The eruption continued until 1985, with further small eruptions in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2021. Repeated petitions by the islanders to return have been rejected by US authorities, due to the continuing threat posed by the volcano. Efforts are underway by the Northern Islands Mayor's Office and concerned citizens to assist the approximately 300 displaced residents of the Northern Islands who wish to return and resettle in Anatahan, Alamagan, Pagan and Agrigan.
On November 4, 1986, the Northern Marianas including Pagan became a part of the United States, and the people of Pagan U.S. Citizens.
Pagan Island was included during Operation
Christmas Drop 2006.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
C-130
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...
aircrew observed cattle and a small cluster of buildings, including a grass airstrip, located on the island.
Plans by a Japanese investor group to use Pagan as a dumping ground for debris and rubble from the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
in Japan were provisionally shelved after protests in June 2012.
Politically, Pagan remains part of the
Northern Islands Municipality.
In 2021, 14 residents of Pagan were evacuated due to volcanic activity.
Eruptions and activity
After many years of dormancy Pagan volcano erupted between May 1981 and 1985. Thereafter it had eruptions in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2021.
Although it may have erupted in 1930, the last confirmed eruption prior to the 1980s was in 1925, and before that 1923, 1917, and 1909.
In the 19th century it erupted in the 1870s, 1864, and 1820s. Other suspected eruptions include around 1800, 1669, and sometime between 1240 and 1440.
Geography

Pagan is located about north of
Saipan
Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...
, the most populous of the Northern Mariana Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest island of the Northern Marianas.
The island is a double island consisting of two
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...
es joined by a narrow strip of land with a width of only . The southern volcano (), is high with a caldera approximately in diameter, consisting of four joined craters. Although several
fumarole
A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or another rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...
s were active in 1992, the southern volcano last erupted in 1864. The northern volcano, also known as Mount Pagan () has a height of . The volcano is in the center of a caldera with a diameter of approximately , and eruptions have been documented in the 1820s, 1872–1873, 1925 and 1981–85.
Pagan has two large lakes.
Laguna Sanhalom (also Inner Lake) had an area of and depth of in the 1970s.
Laguna Sanhiyon (also Laguna Lake) on the west coast of the northern island had an area of and depth of . Both lakes contain
brackish water
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuary ...
.
Immediately off the northern east coast are the very small and steep rock islets ''Togari Rock'' (, high) and ''Hira Rock'' (), which are listed as separate islands among those islands constituting the Northern Islands Municipality.
Demographics
As of the 1980s, Pagan’s population fluctuated seasonally, with some residents maintaining households on both Pagan and Saipan. In October 1977, seven families totaling 37 individuals were reported, with the number rising to 51 by December of that year. By 1980, nine families comprising 85 individuals were recorded, although many were not full-time residents.
[''Northern Mariana Islands Coastal Resources Management: Environmental Impact Statement''. ]National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...
, 1980. p
37
Following the major volcanic eruption of May 1981, the entire population was evacuated, and the island has remained only sporadically inhabited since. The 2010 U.S. Census recorded no permanent residents on Pagan. However, the 2020 U.S. Census documented 2 individuals residing on the island.
In July 2021, during a period of increased volcanic activity, 14 residents were temporarily evacuated, indicating a limited and unofficial resettlement by some former inhabitants or seasonal occupants.
Despite its volatile geological nature, Pagan continues to hold cultural and ancestral significance for many Northern Islanders, particularly families from Saipan who view it as their homeland. As of the mid-2020s, various efforts have persisted to support organized resettlement, although permanent habitation remains limited and subject to volcanic risk assessments.
Education
Previously
operated an elementary school (until grade 6) on Pagan prior to the 1981 eruptions. In 1977 the school had 13 students. Students from Pagan attending secondary school did so on Saipan.
[
]
Military live-fire training range plans
In 2013 the US Naval Command filed a proposal to obtain the island for a new group of live-fire and maneuver Ranges and Training Areas (RTAs).
The proposal spawned an online community called Our Islands are Sacred, a petition on Change.org, and rallies against it held by the Sierra Club, Save Pagan Island, Roots Action and Care2Make a Difference.
On April 3, 2015 (HST) the Department of Defense (DoD) released a long-awaited draft of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). According to Michael G. Hadfield, a professor of biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system and houses the main offic ...
who led an insect survey team to Pagan in 2010, "Speaking as a biologist, it's got some really unique things about it. ... It's not a wasteland, which I think some people envision because it's got an active volcano. There's a lot there that's worth preserving — a couple of endangered bird species and snail species — which I specialize in and is about to hit the U.S. endangered species list."
Jerome Aldan (died in February 2017), the mayor for CNMI's Northern Islands, which includes Pagan, told a New Zealand radio program that the U.S. military's description of the island as "uninhabited" was false. According to an article by James Cave for the Huffington Post, an article which used Hadfield as its source:
"More than 50 families in Saipan consider Pagan their home island and have plans and desires to return to homesteads," The island is occupied by two people, who live in shacks and have one flushing toilet and plumbing, electricity and small ranch.
According to an April 17, 2015, article by Wyatt Olson for Stars and Stripes military news network, "the egislature of the Northern Mariana Islandsis considering a joint resolution calling on the governor to oppose the military expansion on the 10-mile-long island. ... In wording that hints at the hornet's nest the U.S. may have stirred with the proposal, the joint resolution asserts that "throughout the CNMI's history, foreign powers and outside influences have made major decisions and have dictated the course of development" for the region and that the U.S. "once again stands poised to make some very important decisions with respect to the military utilization of the Northern Islands." "
On May 15, 2015, a map of the proposed site was made available online.
See also
Pascal Horst Lehne and Christoph Gäbler: ''Über die Marianen.'' Lehne-Verlag, Wohldorf in Germany 1972.
*
*
References
External links
Gallery of photos from a 2010 biological survey
The Northern Islands
– facts on the Northern Islands by the Northern Islands Mayor's Office
Monitoring Report of The Northern Mariana Island of Pagan
{{Authority control
Active volcanoes
Former German colonies
Islands of the Northern Mariana Islands
Stratovolcanoes of the United States
Uninhabited islands of the Northern Mariana Islands
Volcanoes of the Northern Mariana Islands
Volcanic islands
Holocene stratovolcanoes