Mariana Islands- A group of islands located in the western Pacific Ocean, in Micronesia. Includes 15 large islands (Guam, Rota, Saipan, Tinian, etc.).

The climate is tropical. The average temperature in January is +23+26°С, in July - +27°С. The islands are located in the belt of Pacific typhoons, which usually pass here from August to December. The wettest months are July-October, the dry season is from December to May. Precipitation falls 1800-2100 mm.

Story

Ferdinand Magellan went around South America and went out to the Pacific Ocean. The hardest part of the journey lay before him. Although he didn't know it, he was about to cross the largest ocean in the world at the widest point! In the winter of 1520-1521, in four months, he swam 11 thousand kilometers in the open ocean. Supplies ran low and the crew had to boil the leather belts. Finally, Magellan's fleet reached the islands, located about 1900 kilometers south of Japan.

On the islands, Magellan replenished food supplies, but he was angry with the theft of the natives. Those, having seen the things of the Europeans, could not resist, so Magellan called the islands Ladrones, that is, the islands of Thieves.

In 1667 a group of missionaries was sent to the same islands. They were sent by the Queen of Spain, who at that time was regent for her young son. The queen's name was Mariana; upon reaching the islands, the missionaries renamed them after the queen. Since then, the islands have been called the Marianas.

In 1898, after the Spanish-American War, Spain ceded to the United States the island on which Magellan landed - Guam, the largest and southernmost island in the entire Mariana Archipelago. Spain sold the rest of the islands to Germany the following year. After World War I, defeated Germany ceded its possessions to Japan, and after World War II, defeated Japan ceded the islands to the United States.

South of the Mariana Islands is an archipelago of almost a thousand tiny islands scattered across the vast Pacific Ocean. The Portuguese were the first to discover them, but in 1686 the islands were annexed to Spain by the Spanish navigator Francisco Lazeano. He named the Caroline Islands in honor of Charles II of Spain. Charles II was the son of that very Queen Mariana. He grew up, although he was mentally retarded. The Caroline Islands also went to Germany, then to Japan, and then to the United States.

Attractions of the Mariana Islands

Saipan Island part of the Mariana archipelago. In 1521, during the first world travel The island was discovered by Fernando Magellan. At first, the island belonged to the Spanish colonizers. Then in the 19th century, the islands were ceded to Germany, which brought hired Japanese to Saipan for agricultural work. Soon the Japanese colonized the Pacific, including Saipan. Today Saipan is under the protectorate of the United States of America.

There are plenty of attractions on the island and its environs: Suisad cliff, Saint Lourdas, banzai cliff, bird island, Last command post, Calabera cave.

Saipan is the most visited island in the entire archipelago. Most interesting place on Saipan -

Grotto, a natural cave with underground lakes up to 15 meters deep. Grotto is a natural limestone cave with an underwater exit to the sapphire waters of the Pacific Ocean. Three underwater tunnels connect the cave with the open sea. The cave looks like the gaping mouth of a large whale. Underwater cave Grotto in the north of Saipan is declared by scuba diving experts (for diving) the second place in the world in terms of its beauty.

Banzai Cliff located on top of Mount Marpi in the north of Saipan. From a height of 249 m above sea level, from the cliff offers an amazing view of the plateau at the foot and the ocean. At the end of the battle for Saipan, in order not to be captured by the Americans, Japanese soldiers and the local Japanese population committed mass suicide here. People, jumping on the rocks in the boiling sea, shouted "Banzai", paying last respects to the emperor and imperial Japan. Today, a Buddhist statue and a memorial have been erected on this site in memory of the dead.

Top of Mount Tapochao is the highest point on the island. Its height is 473 m above sea level. The mountain occupies a dominant position in the center of the island. From Tapochao opens a circular panorama. From here you can see the whole island at once and feel its beauty. At the top is a statue of Jesus Christ looking down at the island. The top of the mountain is a great shooting point for photographers.

Chamoli village located in the Garapan shopping center area. Built according to the rules of the ancient Chamorra and Caroline villages, this village introduces tourists to the local life and arts. Guests can try coconut peeling, banana stamping, coconut oil production and local sweets, as well as make their own Saipan beads, weave a tropical wreath, hat or basket. For men, there is also something to do here - trim a real canoe and even try it in the lagoon of the island. Here you can also watch a Chamolin dance show, enjoy a barbecue and play local traditional games on the beach.

Bird Island got its name because of the sea birds that build their nests here. From the observation deck of this reserve, a charming view of a small bay with a sandy beach, a habitat for the white sea swallow, kingfisher and sea turtles opens up.

American Memorial Park was opened in 1994 in honor of 3,000 American soldiers who died fighting for Saipan and Tinian during World War II. But it's not only memorial Complex. The park has also become a venue for island holidays and outdoor activities. Here you can swim, surf, softball, run and tennis.

Saipan Botanical Garden covers an area of ​​30,000 m 2 It contains about 2,000 species of tropical plants - from fruits to rare exotic flowers. Here, while visiting, you can taste coconut, papaya, mango, avocado, guava, star apple, citrus fruits. Flower lovers will be inspired by the plants and trees that bloom all year round. One of the attractions of the garden are green iguanas and tropical lizards.

Sanctuary of Our Lady. Legend claims that this place was revealed to a German priest in a divine vision during the Spanish rule. Later, Christians who came here to pray erected a statue of Our Lady. Next to the open-air altar is Saipan's only fresh water spring, called "Holy Water of Our Lady". Indigenous people believe in miraculous medicinal properties water from this spring. During the Second World War, this place was the only one that escaped the bombing.

Cuisine of the Mariana Islands

The cuisine of the Mariana Islands combines French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Thai culinary traditions.

The locals' favorite drink is coconut wine. tuba".

Among the national dishes it is worth noting: all kinds of cakes; fried bananas; "lemai" - small slices of breadfruit fried in oil; all kinds of legumes; various salads; pies (especially good options with shellfish and shrimp); pancakes stuffed with meat and seafood; rolls.

The hallmark of the cuisine of the Mariana Islands are sauces and seasonings that can change the taste of any product beyond recognition.

Sauce " kelagen"- a mixture of well-chopped coconut with vinegar, palm oil, various spices and other ingredients. Meat with this sauce is baked, stewed, grilled or barbecued.

Many local dishes are not complete without sauce " finadeni"- a mixture of soy sauce, green onions, lemon juice and red pepper. This sauce is especially good in combination with soups and rice. In it, cooks marinate beef, poultry and pork, which are then roasted over a fire.

Simple but very hearty soups deserve special attention: "sutang-hu" - a hearty soup made from poultry and rice; "atolin-mais" - a thick stew; "chalakilis" - a soup made from poultry, onions, cloves, rice and coconut milk.

As for meat dishes, they are quite traditional, and mouth-watering sauces give them a local flavor. Popular dishes are: fried beef or lamb ribs; " haole"- fried beef; baked chicken; venison with sauce; pork chops with young taro leaves and many other colorful dishes.

A lot on the local table and different seafood. Be sure to try such dishes as: "la-jo" - mussels with beans; white fish in vinegar; "capricorn-fish"; the favorite dish of the islanders "a la Chamorro" - spicy fish; pies with oysters and shrimps; shark fins.

The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, a state in Micronesia - the western part of the Pacific Ocean, occupies most of the islands of the Mariana archipelago (14 of the 15 islands. The 15th island of the chain is Guam, a US overseas territory).
The islands form two chains - northern and southern, stretching almost strictly from north to south for 736 km (460 miles). Most of the islands of the northern chain - rising above the water - volcanic cones (up to 965 m high), some of which are still active. Southern chain - coral and volcanic islands. The largest islands are Saipan (120 sq. km), Tinian and Rota, the smallest is Farallon de Medinilla, with an area of ​​about 0.5 sq. km. km.
The northernmost (uninhabited) island of the archipelago, Mogue, was ranked first in National Geographic magazine's "Best Wildlife Destination" rating.
Mariana Islands mark the dividing line between the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea. To the east of the archipelago lies the Mariana Trench, which reaches a depth of 11,775 m.
The total area of ​​the Northern Mariana Islands is 480 sq. km.

Administrative center- Saipan island

Time: Time, relative to Moscow: ahead of Moscow by 6 hours in summer and by 7 hours - in winter.

Nature: Most of the islands of the northern chain are actually volcanic cones rising above the water (up to 965 m high), some of which are still active. Southern chain - coral and volcanic islands. The largest islands are Saipan (120 sq. km), Tinian and Rota, the smallest is Farallon de Medinilla, with an area of ​​​​less than half a square kilometer. The Mariana Islands mark the dividing line between the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea. To the east of the chain of islands lies the world's deepest Mariana Trench, up to 11,775 meters deep.

Climate: Tropical, trade wind. Typhoons are frequent and tend to pass over the islands between August and December. Precipitation falls 1800-2000 mm. per year, the rainy season is from July to October. The best time to visit the Northern Mariana Islands is during the dry months of December to March.

Political system: The head of state and executive power is the governor, elected by the people. The Legislative Assembly consists of two chambers: the Senate (9 members) and the House of Representatives (18 deputies), which are re-elected every two years.

Population: The population is about 45.4 thousand people (1993), mainly Chamorro Micronesians, as well as immigrants from the Caroline Islands and the Philippines.

Language: English (official), Chamorro and Caroline are also widely used, Japanese and Korean are spoken in most hotels and some shops.

Religion: Roman Catholic Christianity, local religions and cults.

Economy: The basis of the economy of the Northern Mariana Islands is foreign tourism (233,300 tourists in 1988, mainly from Japan) and agriculture. Heat-resistant cereals, coconut palms, sugar cane, breadfruit, coffee, bananas, tomatoes, cotton, citrus fruits are grown on the islands; breed cattle, pigs, goats; catch and process fish (mainly tuna). There are deposits of phosphorites, sulfur, iron and manganese ores. The export of the islands is agricultural products.
The main foreign trade partners are Japan and the USA.

Currency: U.S. dollar.

Main attractions: The Northern Marianas are often referred to as "America's Best-Kept Mystery", meaning enough untouched nature, abundance historical sites(especially associated with the period of the "Battle of the Pacific" in World War II) and the easy accessibility of the islands from both Southeast Asia and America. Coral reefs, sea fishing, surfing and excellent conditions for passive recreation attract more than 240 thousand tourists a year to these tiny islands.

The island of Saipan for some guests can turn into a nightmare for a package holiday, as it is literally crowded with tourists from Japan, moving in "organized columns" and constantly clicking the shutters of their cameras, the recreation infrastructure is relatively poorly developed here and is more focused on lovers of an active lifestyle, than a spoiled "shop tourist", but this island is still famous for its charm - turquoise waters, white sands and excellent conditions for diving, swimming, snorkeling and hiking are still abundant here. Saipan is the most popular "historical tourism" destination among citizens Japanese islands. In the recent past, this has enabled the island to achieve the fastest growth rate in Micronesia in terms of tourism and population growth, with new golf courses being built and numerous resorts sprouting up around the island. Tourists and foreign workers now outnumber the natives, and the island has lost many of its Micronesian character. However, Saipan still has everything that attracts tourists here - beautiful beaches on the western and southern coasts, many scenic spots on stormy and rocky east coast, hilly hinterland and majestic cliffs on the north coast. The island itself has 23 km. long and 8 km. in width.

Garapan, the most Big city in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, is the fastest growing city in the region. Virtually destroyed during the fighting of the Second World War and relocated in the 1960s, Garapan has now been completely restored and is completely built up with sushi bars, karaoke clubs and other establishments that are clearly aimed at tourists from Japan. The white sands and turquoise waters of the city beach Micro are considered the most beautiful on the islands. North of the beach, the American Memorial Park stretches along the coast, which protects the habitat of forest and wading birds, and also serves as a favorite place for picnics and commemorative events dedicated to the memory of American soldiers who died during the US invasion of Saipan and Tinian. Also here is the Museum of the Second World War with an exposition of weapons, uniforms, ammunition, photographs and other military attributes of that time. Tinian is this sleepy island with a single village, just 2 km away. south of Saipan, has "happily" escaped the main influx of tourists and therefore serves as a good place to "escape from the blessings of civilization" if the hustle and bustle of Saipan seems too intrusive. It's hard to imagine that such a peaceful place could be involved in one of the most tragic events in history: Tinian "became famous" as the runway for the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. San Jose, main locality islands, is the territory ancient village Chamorro. Those early settlers created the finest facilities that today are the main attraction for visitors. The main attraction of San Jose is the House of Tag, which served as a place of large meetings and the residence of Tag the Great, the legendary king of the ancient Chamorro state.

There are several on Tinian good places for swimming, including Cummer Beach in San José and Taga Beach south of the village, with turquoise waters and white sand. Chulu beach on northwest coast Tiniana, is the site of fierce fighting during the Second World War, the landing of American troops on the island took place here, so massive archaeological excavations continue here. Rota Island lies halfway between Saipan and Guam and is just now beginning to "come out of the shadows" big islands, it is still a slowly developing place with poor recreational infrastructure. The main village, Songsong, still does without traffic lights or shopping centers. Situated on the southwestern coast of Roth, Songsong extends over a narrow peninsula that rises only at its tip to the foot of Mount Taipingo (210 m). The village is literally "saturated" with various stones, which serve both to strengthen the foundations of houses and to mark "streets" and as moorings and fences. The local Franciscan Church of Borgia boasts a centennial bell. You can travel from Songsong on foot or by jeep to the northeast, where the island's shores have a particularly scenic view, or visit the white coral sands of Twixberry Beach or climb to the top of Mount Taipingo for superb views of the village, harbor and Sasanaya Bay. The Northern Mariana Islands is an excellent place for an active holiday. On Saipan, the most interesting place is Grotto (Grotto), a natural cave with underground lakes up to 15 meters deep and tunnels to open sea. You can dive to WWII plane crash sites at Tanapag Harbor, caves and conger eel breeding sites at Obyan Beach, and huge coral masses just offshore at the Saipan Grand Hotel. The best place for snorkeling in Saipan is Managaha Island, on Tinian - Tachona Beach, and on Rota - Corell Gardens in Sasanaya Bay. All three islands have good conditions for hiking. In Saipan, the main route is the Laderan Tangka trail through the Marpi Commonwealth Forest. There is an excellent route along the banks of Cummer and Taga south of San José on Tinian. Other ways to relax include windsurfing, which is extremely popular here, ( the best place- Micro Beach on Saipan), tennis, golf and short underwater excursions in the lagoon between Saipan and the Managaha Islands, where you can see at the bottom of the sea, in addition to its numerous inhabitants, traces of the wrecks of Japanese ships or American "Superfortresses" B-29. Most villages hold annual celebrations in honor of their patron saint, which are the biggest events of the year. Rota and Tinian each hold one such "festival", while Saipan has six: in San Vicente in early April, in San Antonio in mid-June, at Mount Carmel Cathedral in Chalan Kanoa in mid-July, in San Rock in mid-August, Tanapag in early October and Koblerville in late October. The Tinian Festival takes place during the last weekend in April or the first weekend in May in honor of Saint José, the island's patron saint. The biggest and most popular celebration in the Northern Mariana Islands, however, is the Rota festival on the first or second weekend in October. The celebration hosted by the Franciscan Church of Borgia includes a lavish banquet featuring only traditional food and drink from the Chamorro people, religious processions, music and dance festivals.

Most events and festivals are still held in Saipan. Popular events are the half marathon and the 10 km offshore race at the end of January. The Kintetsu Buffaloes, a professional baseball team from Japan, trains and competes here in the spring, training and playing with local teams (at a fairly serious level) during the first two weeks of February. The annual Micronesian Open Regatta and the Saipan Lagoon Regatta are international windsurfing competitions, as well as the Hobie Cat competition, held in the Micro Beach area in mid-February. World-class athletes swim, cycle and run nearly 80 kilometers during the Tagaman Triathlon held in mid-May. The week-long Liberation Day Festival celebrates the liberation of the islands on July 4th, the Independence Day of the United States. The festivities include theatrical performances, a beauty pageant, a full night of varied entertainment, sports games and numerous banquets. The fishing tournament takes place in August, during the marlin season. Each island also hosts various fishing competitions, on Rota it's Labor Day for the weekend in early September, and on Tinian the Fishing Prize in early November.

Historical outline: Since the 17th century, the Mariana Islands have been a colony of Spain. In 1898 Spain sold the islands to Germany. In 1914, Japan captured the Mariana Islands, and in 1945 the Americans came here. After World War II, the Mariana Islands were part of Micronesia, a territory administered by the United States. In the 1970s, Micronesia was divided into four political-administrative units. One of these units was the Mariana Islands without its southern part (Guam Islands). In 1975, the inhabitants of the islands voted for the status of "freely attached" territory to the United States. In 1976, a free association agreement was signed between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States. On November 3, 1986, this agreement entered into force, which meant the emergence of a new state - the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

National domain:.MP

Entry rules: All visitors require visas valid for up to three months and proof of no immigration intent. To obtain a visa, you must provide two completed questionnaires, two photographs, a passport valid for at least 6 months, as well as evidence of the absence of immigration intentions (certificate from work about salary, certificate of real estate, etc.). Formally, an invitation is not required to obtain a visa. The consular fee is $45, in addition, you need to pay the cost of a visa ($20 - one-time). The term of registration - from a couple of days ("express") to one and a half months - depends on the documents provided and the appointment of an interview. The received visa is not a guarantee of entry into the territory of the United States and the Mariana Islands. Russian citizens are registered upon passing passport control. The immigration authorities at the first point of entry into the country put down on the insert the appropriate notes on the date of entry, the permitted period of stay in the country, the date of departure and the category of visa.

Customs regulations: Import and export of national and foreign currency is not limited. Any amount can be imported in cash, traveler's checks and payment cards. Only amounts over $10,000 are required to be declared. When importing gold, a declaration is required. Items for personal use are not subject to duty; perishable food, weapons, and drugs are prohibited for import into the country.

Citizens of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus need a visa to travel to the Northern Mariana Islands in 2020. Visa-free entry to the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as Guam and Saipan was canceled on October 3, 2019.

The Mariana Trench and Everest - most people remember these names from the school geography course. The first is the deepest point on the planet, the second is the deepest high mountain. Height and depth are measured from ocean level. In absolute value, the deepest depression overtakes the highest peak by a significant margin.

Mariana Trench on the world map, you need to look in the Pacific Ocean to the northeast of the Philippine archipelago (southeast of the Japanese islands), it is a semicircular trough with a length of about 1,500 km, directed by its convex part to the east. The deepest point of the trough is called "Challenger Abyss" and is 10,994 meters deep.

The Mariana Trench is named after the adjacent Mariana Islands, which stretch along the western part of the trench. Guam Island, the closest to the Challenger Deep, is located 340 km northeast of it. Coordinates of the deepest point of the oceans: 11°22’23.9″N, 142°35’30.1″E.

The trench is located at the junction of two tectonic plates, and its relief is a relatively flat bottom strip no wider than 5 km between two steep slopes. In places along its length, the bottom has a stepped structure and mountain ranges. The water pressure at the lowest point is approximately 108 MPa, which is 1,072 times the normal atmospheric pressure.

The hollow was first discovered by the English sailing and steam corvette Challenger during the world's first integrated oceanographic expedition in 1875. The depth was then determined twice with the results of 8,367 m and 8,184 m, which made it possible to call this depression the deepest on the planet. In 1951, the British scientific vessel Challenger II conducted an ocean survey in these places.

With the help of an echo sounder, a depth of 10,899 m was recorded. This point was given the name of the ship. Over the following years, new measurements were taken, the depth was corrected several times in both directions, the last value of 10,994 m was recorded in 2011.

The difficulty of measuring the depth of such scales with an echo sounder lies in the dependence of the speed of sound waves in water, on its properties (density, temperature, chemical composition, impurities). These properties are different depending on the depth. To obtain accurate values, it is necessary to take water samples from different depths, analyze them and take into account the data in subsequent measurements.

For the first time, the bathyscaphe Trieste sank to the bottom of the depression (10,915 m) in 1960 with two researchers on board (US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss oceanologist Jacques Picard). Then several times autonomous dives were made by unmanned vehicles, and the Japanese Kaiko probe in 1995 took the first soil samples from a depth of 10911 m.

In 2012, the famous director James Cameron for the first time in history alone made a dive to the bottom, having been there for a total of 6 hours. Subsequently, a 3D film about the history of this dive called "Challenge to the Abyss" was released. It is worth mentioning that famous traveler Fedor Konyukhov in 2020 also announced his intention to dive to the bottom of this depression.

Fauna of the Mariana Trench

Sunlight cannot penetrate to a depth of more than 1000 m, eternal darkness reigns there. Along with the colossal pressure, this makes living conditions in the abyss extremely difficult. Nevertheless, the Mariana Trench is inhabited. The bottom is covered with silt, which, as the first samples showed, is saturated with shell organisms; huge armored amoebas (up to 10 cm in diameter) were also found here.

In addition to the simplest barophilic bacteria, crayfish, gastropods, holothurians, and fish live here. Even during the first visual observations from the Trieste bathyscaphe, small fish resembling a flounder were seen. The specifics of the conditions make the appearance of many local fish amazing: they have huge teeth, eyes rotating in different directions (or their absence), instead of fins there are sharp spikes.

Worms up to 2 m long, not yet identified, are also found here. There are no algae at such depths, and the food source for the protozoa is the remains falling to the bottom (detritus). Recent studies have shown that the bodies of local small crustaceans contain many heavy metals that are extremely toxic to ordinary living cells.

In general, the fauna of the Mariana Trench is poorly studied, many scientists believe that species that have long been extinct on Earth can be found there.

For example, teeth were recently found giant shark- megalodon. It is believed that these monsters, which weighed up to 100 tons, died out about 2 million years ago, while the age of the teeth found is from 11 to 24 thousand years.

Research was constantly accompanied by various mysterious stories: obscure huge shadows resembling dragons appeared on the monitors, a loud metal rattle was heard, and once, according to the team of the German deep-sea apparatus Highfish, they saw a creature on the infrared camera monitor, clinging its teeth to a bathyscaphe, it had to scare away with an electric shock.

There are 15 large islands, there are also several small rocks and reefs. The population is about 215,000 people. The nationality of the indigenous people is the Chamorro, and their language is also called. It is believed that the Chamorros are descendants of ancient settlers from the Philippines. Currently, there are practically no true representatives of this people; everyone who calls themselves Chamorro is mestizo.

The state affiliation of the Mariana Islands is not as easy to determine as it might seem. The southernmost island, Guam, has an independent status, it is an unincorporated organized territory of the United States, that is, the island is not included in the United States, but its territory is considered American, and the islanders (more than 180,000 people) have US citizenship. The capital is the city of Hagatna, located on the western coast.

The Northern Mariana Islands constitute a separate administrative entity - the Commonwealth, the state status is completely similar to Guam (freely associated with the United States). main island- Saipan, the capital is called the same.

The first Europeans to discover these lands were members of Magellan's team, who anchored here in 1521. The meeting with the natives ended in the loss of the ship's boat. Frustrated, Magellan gave the archipelago the name "Islands of Thieves" (de los Ladrones, Ladrones), which existed until the beginning of the 20th century.

The islands were immediately declared the property of Spain. A few decades later, colonialists began to come here. As was often the case, the missionaries arrived first. It was they who gave the territories a modern name in honor of the Spanish Queen Marianna, since then the Mariana Islands on the map are called that way. Colonization did not go smoothly. As a result of armed clashes and prolonged repressions, the indigenous population decreased 30 times 200 years after visiting Magellan.

In 1899, the Northern Mariana Islands were sold to Germany, and at the beginning of the First World War, Japan occupied the entire archipelago. In 1944, US troops landed on the island of Saipan, long bloody battles began with numerous casualties, only about 40,000 people died on local residents.

The Americans equipped a military base on the island of Tinian, from which bombers took off, dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the end of the war, the archipelago was for some time under the control of the UN, and in 1947 it was transferred to the custody of the United States.

US citizens do not need a visa to visit the Mariana Islands, and the presence of an American visa in the passport serves as a pass to these territories for citizens of other countries.

The monetary currency is the US dollar.

In fact, few people know anything about the island of Guam in the distant sea-ocean ... Guam is the largest and southernmost island in the Marine Islands! We don’t know much about the Mariana Islands either ... My story is about the myths and reality of this corner of the Earth!

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Myth I . Mariana Islands - a white spot on the world map

"White Spot" is a 3-hour flight from Tokyo or Manila, a 4-hour flight from Seoul. The Mariana Islands are located in Micronesia and conditionally separate the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea. That is, the seventeen islands of the Mariana Archipelago are washed by the waters of the ocean on one side, and the sea on the other.

Myth II. The Mariana Islands are named after the Mariana Trench

Exactly the opposite. The depression is called Mariana, because it is located relatively close to the Mariana Islands. From Guam - the largest and southernmost island of the Mariana Ridge - to the depression is only 300 km.

The islands were discovered during his round-the-world trip by Magellan. This happened in 1521. Fernand called the islands of Thieves, because the locals liked the things on the ship so much that they were not too lazy to steal them.

But already in 1568 the islands were renamed in honor of the Spanish Queen Maria Anna of Austria (wife of King Philip IV).

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Myth III. Primitive tribes live on the Mariana Islands

Marian tribes with a matriarchal way of life were described in their chronicles by Jesuit missionaries, who formed their first settlement in 1568. In 1565 Guam became a Spanish colony. In the course of numerous wars and upheavals, Japanese, Spanish and American threads were woven into the history of Guam.

Today, Guam is the most important air hub in Micronesia, an island of two American military bases and an extremely popular resort, which is visited by more than 1 million tourists annually. The aforementioned institutions are serviced by the indigenous population, including lawyers, hotel managers, and doctors. By the way, the Department of Marine Biology at the University of Guam trains some of the best specialists in this field of knowledge.

Myth IV. There are many dangerous animals in the Marianas

A tree snake can be attributed to the dangerous creatures of God. It is dangerous for birds - because it feeds on eggs that it finds in nests. Snakes live in the jungle, are afraid of all kinds of noise and are never the first to attack. AT tourist places, where the hubbub and enthusiastic exclamations, snakes are not found.

Myth V. Marianas prone to frequent typhoons

There are two seasons in the tropics, the rainy season and the windy season. The first lasts 4 months - from June to September. Typhoons are possible during this time. But the last strong typhoon passed over Guam in 2000. By the way, in the entire history of meteorological observations on Guam, not a single person died during a typhoon.

AT last years due to global warming, air masses are gathering in a tropical storm not only at the equator, but also in the tropics themselves.

For example, in September 2009, several tropical storms formed near the Mariana Islands, “twisted” into typhoons: one went to Samoa, the second to Japan. A tropical storm, by the way, is a downpour with gusts of wind. It does an excellent job of washing cars and glass, it should be noted.

The remaining 8 months of the year in Guam are the windy season. A beautiful sea breeze, a wind that drives white clouds across the sky. Of course, it rains from time to time and during the windy season, but they are short-lived. And most often it rains from just one cloud: there are clouds all around, a blue sky, the sun - and a rainbow under one small cloud!

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Official name - Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands(Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

Located in the Western Pacific Ocean. The area is 477 km2, the population of the Mariana Islands is 80 thousand people. (2003). The official language is English. The administrative center of the Mariana Islands is the island of Saipan (over 50 thousand people, 2003). Public Holiday- Commonwealth Day January 8 (1978). The monetary unit of the Mariana Islands is the US dollar.

Member of the Pacific Community (formerly UTK, since 1983).

The Mariana Islands are located between 13° and 31° north latitude and 144° and 146° east longitude on 14 islands of the Mariana archipelago, stretching for 685 km from north to south. It borders on the south with Guam (the 15th island in the Mariana ridge, turning into the deepest Mariana Trench on the planet - 10,900 m).

All islands are volcanic and mountainous. Length coastline- 1482 km. The northern islands (9) are younger. active volcanoes are preserved on Pagan and Agrihan (an unnamed peak 965 m - the highest point in Micronesia). Ma-ug and Guguan are wildlife sanctuaries where thousands of seabirds nest in the trees on the tops of the cliffs. Sarigan is rich in tropical vegetation, home to a large colony of wild goats. The southern islands (5), including the largest ones (Saipan, 125 km2, Tinian, 105 km2 and Rota, 101 km2), are older. On calcareous soils, coconut palms, heat-resistant cereals, sugar cane, etc. grow there. Saipan has 6 different landscapes, from volcanic hills to wet lowlands and sandy beaches.

Natural resources: fish stocks in the 200-mile economic zone.

The climate of the Mariana Islands is tropical, even throughout the year, the average temperature is + 30 ° C, drier than in other parts of Micronesia. The amount of precipitation is low - within 250 mm per year. Rainy season: July - November. At this time there are typhoons.

The population of the Mariana Islands is growing rapidly (3-4% per year), incl. through immigration. Most of the population is made up of Micronesian peoples (Chamorro, Carolinians, etc.), there are Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos and Koreans. Chamorro (mostly oral) and Caroline are widely spoken. Less than 15% of the population speak English in families. Most Chamorrans speak some Japanese to communicate with tourists. Competently 97% of the adult population of the Mariana Islands. Life expectancy for men is 73 years, for women - 79 years. Infant mortality 5.5 pers. per 1000 newborns.

Most of the population of the Mariana Islands is concentrated on the island of Saipan, 5 more islands are inhabited.

The Catholic religion dominates, combined with adherence to traditional legends, beliefs and taboos.

In 1521 F. Magellan discovered the Mariana Islands. Their colonization in the 17th century. was accompanied by armed clashes between the Spaniards and the indigenous people - the Chamorros, most of whom were exterminated. They got their name in honor of Marianne of Austria - the widow of the Spanish king Philip IV. In 1899 Spain sold them to Germany. After the 1st World War, under the mandate of the League of Nations, the islands came under the control of Japan. In 1947, the United States received Mariana as one of the United Nations Trust Territories. Access to the islands was restricted due to US military installations. Most of Tinian (from where the B-29 aircraft took off for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) is still reserved for the use of the US Armed Forces. In 1972, negotiations began between representatives of the islands and the US government on the future status of the Marian. In 1975, they signed an Agreement establishing the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, which are "in political union" with the United States. Since 1978, after approval by referendum, the Marian Constitution came into effect, on the basis of which the first elections of legislative and executive power were held. In 1986, the aforementioned Agreement entered into force. In 1990, the UNCT abolished the status of a mandated territory in relation to the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands.

The Marianas is a self-governing Commonwealth "in political alliance" with the United States, which controls foreign relations and defense. The head of state is the President of the United States. The indigenous population has American citizenship, but does not participate in American elections. Federal financing of the Marian economy is the responsibility of the US Department of the Interior.

The country does not have an administrative division, but there are 4 municipalities ( northern islands, Saipan, Tinian and Rota).

Executive power is exercised by the governor (Juan N. Wabauta) and the lieutenant governor (Diego T. Venevente), elected by direct universal suffrage for 4 years. The next elections are in 2005. The bicameral Legislative Assembly has 9 senators (elected for 4 years) and 18 members of the House of Representatives (for 2 years). The population of the islands also elects a "permanent representative" in the United States with residence in Washington (unlike Guam, which has its own delegate to the US House of Representatives).

Political parties: by analogy with the United States - Republican (its members are the current governor and permanent representative in Washington, 4 senators and 16 deputies of the lower house) and Democratic (3 senators and a deputy), Reform Party (senator), Agreement Party (deputy).

The Mariana Islands do not have diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation.

GDP per capita 12.5 thousand US dollars. The main sectors of the economy are the rapidly growing clothing industry and tourism. About 50% of the workforce is employed in the tourism industry (25% of GDP), another 35% (mostly Chinese) in the clothing industry. The number of foreign workers is more than 4 times higher than the number of local workers, among whom unemployment is high - 30%.

The role of agriculture is small. Coconut palm, breadfruit, vegetables and fruits are grown on small farms. Cattle are bred on the ranch. Fishing and processing of fish (mainly tuna) are of certain importance.

Length highways- about 400 km. 2 seaports - on Saipan and Tinian. Of the 6 airports, 3 have paved runways and a helipad.

From 500 thousand or more foreign tourists visit the islands per year (Japanese predominate, Marianas are the closest pacific islands and memorial places of battles of the 2nd World War).

US financial aid is important to the Marian economy, but its share of the country's budget has been declining in recent years as the local revenue base has grown.

The main export item is garments. Food, fuel, construction materials and equipment are imported. The main partners are the USA and Japan.

The school system includes public (primary and secondary schools) and private schools. You can continue your education at the Northern Marian College, as well as at educational institutions in the United States.