Tropical paradise on the edge of the Mariana Trench. Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands or Northern Mariana Islands Community- small Island state in Micronesia, in the western part of the Pacific Ocean in the archipelago of the Mariana Islands. It has the status of a non-aligned territory freely associated with the United States. Territory - 477 km². The capital is Saipan on the island of the same name.

The Mariana Islands archipelago consists of 15 islands. volcanic origin, the largest of which are Saipan, Tinian and Rota. However, only 14 islands belong to the Northern Mariana Islands, and the fifteenth - the island of Guam, the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands, is considered a separate territory belonging to the United States.

The Mariana Islands are an island arc located in a tectonically active region in the western Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is located 2500 km east of the Philippines and at the same distance north of Papua New Guinea. The islands are stretched for about 800 km.

Geologically, the islands can be divided into two groups: the older southern one (Rota, Tinian, Agihan, Farallon de Medinilla, Saipan) and the young northern one (the rest of the islands of the archipelago). All islands of the northern group are stratovolcanoes. Most of the islands are surrounded coral reefs. The reefs of the southern islands are older and better developed. There are about 50 underwater volcanoes and 11 volcanoes form islands.

To the east of the islands is perhaps the most famous local geographical attraction - the Mariana Trench, 11,775 meters deep.

Climate of the Northern Mariana Islands

Climate of the Northern Mariana Islands- tropical, trade wind.

The rainy season lasts from July to December, the average temperature at this time is +33..+35°C. Tropical storms and typhoons occur in the Pacific Ocean from August to November. The “dry” months on the islands are from December to June, due to the sea breeze, the average temperature at this time is +27..+29°C. Average annual temperature sea ​​water+25°C.

Best time to visit the Northern Mariana Islands - from December to March, and the tourist season on the island of Saipan lasts all year.

Population

Population of the Northern Mariana Islands- 88.6 thousand people (2009). The average life expectancy is 74 years for men, 79 years for women.

Ethnic composition: Asians (Filipinos, Chinese, etc.) 56.3%, peoples of Oceania (including Chamorros) 36.3%, mixed origin 4.8%, whites 1.8%, other 0.8%.

The majority of believers on the islands are Catholics (Roman Catholic Christianity). Part of the population considers itself to be of East Asian origin.

official languages: English, Chamorro, Caroline.

Currency

Currency unit: United States dollar (USD), 1 USD = 100 cents. In circulation are denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars, coins - penny (1 cent), nickel (5 cents), dime (10 cents), quarter (25 cents), half dollar (50 cents), as well as 2 and 1 dollars.

Almost everywhere they accept Japanese yen and Korean won.

Bank branches are open from Monday to Thursday, from 10.00 to 15.00, on Fridays - from 10.00 to 18.00. Some banking offices on the outlying islands may operate on their own schedule.

Most hotels, restaurants, car rentals and diving centers in Saipan, Tinian and Rota accept credit cards. ATMs can be found in branches of banks and large shopping malls. On remote islands, you may encounter problems when trying to pay for something with a plastic card, because often small private shops simply do not accept card payments.

Traveler's checks in US dollars are accepted everywhere for payment, and it is not necessary to visit a bank branch at all, since most hotels, restaurants and large stores cash them on the spot. If during your trip you intend to visit small islands However, we recommend that you stock up on the necessary amount of cash in advance.

VAT and Tax-Free

When paying for services in hotels, a hotel tax of 10% is charged. There are no other commercial taxes, including VAT.

Communication and communications

Telephone code: 1 - 670

Internet domain: .mp

Ambulance, police, fire department: 911

How to call

To call from Russia to the Northern Mariana Islands, you need to dial: 8 - beep - 10 - 1 - 670 - subscriber's number.

To call from the Northern Mariana Islands to Russia, you need to dial: 011 - 7 - area code - subscriber number.

Fixed line

You can find pay phones everywhere. All of them work with phone cards, which are sold in post offices, newspaper and tobacco kiosks. You can make local, as well as long-distance and international calls from any pay phone. Some phones accept credit cards.

mobile connection

cellular covers almost all the southern islands and part of the northern ones. Roaming with local networks (GSM 850/1900 standards) is available to subscribers of the largest Russian cellular companies through the networks of other operators in the region.

Internet

Internet cafes are few and mostly concentrated in Saipan, but almost all large hotels and business centers have their own access points, including those equipped with Wi-Fi equipment.

Where to stay

Hotel prices on the island of Saipan are quite high, especially during the Japanese holiday season (up to 0.5 million tourists visit the Northern Mariana Islands a year, mainly from Japan). There are few cheap hotels on the islands, there are no hostels.

Sea and beaches

On the islands of the Southern Group ( Saipan, Tinian and Rota)- Beaches with fine white sand. Islands northern group- beaches here with black volcanic sand.

Story

The Mariana Islands were discovered by the expedition of Magellan on March 6, 1521. Chamorro natives, who lived at the stage of the primitive communal system, stole a boat from the Spaniards, and Magellan called these Las islands Islas de los Ladrones - that is, the islands of Thieves or Rogue Islands.

Although these islands were declared possession of Spain in the 16th century, the Spaniards began to establish practical control over them only from 1668. Spanish Jesuit monks landed there, renaming the islands the Marianas, "Las Islas Marianas" or "Las Marianas" in honor of Marianne of Austria, and began the conversion of the natives to Christian faith. This caused fierce resistance from the natives, and as a result, almost the entire male population of the islands was destroyed by the Spanish soldiers who accompanied the monks. Subsequently, the population of the Mariana Islands increased again due to the offspring of aboriginal women from Spanish soldiers and monks.

The Spanish colonialists practically did not develop the islands, and at the end of the 19th century, Germany became very interested in the Pacific territories. As a result, under an agreement dated February 12, 1899, Germany bought the Mariana Islands from Spain for an amount equivalent to $ 4.5 million (except for Guam, annexed by the United States - the largest and southernmost island of the Mariana Archipelago).

The Germans began to create plantations on the islands, but their rule was short-lived - in the First world war The Mariana Islands (like the neighboring Caroline and Marshall Islands, also bought by Germany from Spain in 1899) were occupied by Japan, which, under the Treaty of Versailles, received them as a mandate of the League of Nations.

The Japanese actively developed plantations of sugar cane, as well as coconut palms, tobacco and citrus fruits on the islands, and pursued a targeted policy of settling the islands by the Japanese and forcibly assimilated the natives (including the method of forced physical mixing of natives with Japanese settlers).

During World War II, American troops captured the Mariana and other Pacific Islands, after the war, Japanese settlers were deported to Japan, and the Caroline, Marshall and Mariana Islands were transferred to the United States in 1947 by decision of the UN.

Community Nordic Mariana Islands was created in 1976 during the division of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Unlike the Marshall and Caroline Islands, the Marianas decided to abandon state independence, preferring only internal self-government.

On November 4, 1986, the final agreement on the political union of the Northern Mariana Islands with the United States came into force.

In 2007-08, changes were made to the agreement on political union between the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States, bringing the laws of the commonwealth closer to US requirements. Including the gradual increase in the minimum wage to the size established in the United States, the election of a delegate to the House of Representatives in the US Congress and changes in immigration laws (the last changes came into effect on November 28, 2009).

Entertainment

Popular in the Northern Mariana Islands are - diving, snorkeling, trekking, windsurfing And golf.

Diving- the main dive site of Saipan "Grotto" (underwater access to the ocean through underwater grottoes) - is the most unique in the world in terms of the beauty of underwater architecture. The water temperature in the coastal waters of the islands is comfortable all year round and does not change depending on the time of day. Perfect transparency allows you to see all the beauty underwater world.

Snorkeling- the best places for snorkeling: Saipan - Managaha island, Tinian - Tachona beach, Rota - Corell Gardens in Sasanaya Bay.

Trekking– all three main islands of the archipelago are good for hiking. The main route in Saipan is the Laderana-Tangka trail through the Marpi Commonwealth forest. Tinian has an excellent route along the banks of the Cummer and Taga south of San José.

Windsurfing – the best place for surfing - Micro Beach on Saipan.

Golf- Several golf clubs are open on Saipan: Kingfisher Golf Links ("Kingfisher Golf Club"), Coral Ocean Point ("Coral Ocean Point"), Lao Lao Bay Golf Resort(“Lau Lay Bay Golf Club”), Marianas Country Club (“Marianas Country Golf Club”).

The golf courses of the island are very different from each other technically, but they are similar in one thing - beautiful views of the ocean and chic tropical nature. The local clubs require the same punctuality as most clubs in other countries of the world. All clubs require you to dress appropriately for golf. Tops and slippers are not welcome.

The Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean attract travelers with the beauty of a tropical paradise. A chain of 15 tiny landmasses is located north of the equator, bordering eastern part Philippine Sea. There are two independent state formations on the territory of the archipelago. One of them is called the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or simply the Northern Mariana Islands (CMO), the second is Guam.

tropical paradise

The Mariana Islands offer a warm climate, evergreen forests and picturesque lagoons. The archipelago is surrounded by fantastically beautiful and vibrant underwater world promises exciting adventures. In this part of Micronesia, it is warm in summer throughout the year, the atmosphere of cordial hospitality and celebration reigns. Tourists like to go snorkeling, diving, surfing on the islands. Many come to soak up the white sandy beaches. The hotels on the large islands have a high level of service, there are golf clubs, gourmet restaurants.

Where is the archipelago located, how to get there?

The Mariana Islands on the map stretched between the parallels 12 and 21º, they form an arc along 145 ° E. sh. with a total length of about 810 km. In the south, the archipelago borders on the Carolines, and in the north - on the territory. In this territory, the time difference with Moscow is +6 hours. To travel to the Mariana Islands, Russian citizens do not need to apply for a visa if the stay does not exceed 45 days. You can get to the archipelago by plane with one change in cities in the southeast of the mainland. You will need an amount of 1200-1300 US dollars for a flight with 1-2 transfers on the route "Moscow - Mariana Islands". Rest, prices in hotels depend on the city where the tourist chooses. Air transport, ferries, boats and inflatable boats run between the islands of the archipelago.

When is the best time to go? Climate and seasons

Tours to the Mariana Islands are organized all year round, because in all parts of the archipelago summer lasts 12 months a year. The climate is due to the favorable location of the islands between the Tropic of the North and the equator. Tourist season open all year round, but travelers need to be aware of the differences between dry and wet periods. Temperature conditions during the year are not very diverse - +27 ... +29 ° С (maximum +33 ° С). Precipitation falls on the order of 2000 mm/year. There is a dry period, its duration is 8 months - from December to July. Then comes the wet season, which lasts until November. The trade winds at this time bring an abundance of moisture from the ocean, and most of the precipitation falls. In August-November, there is a high probability of typhoons and storms. The water temperature on the beaches almost all year round is +28...+29 °С, only in February and March it drops to +27 °С. The most comfortable months for rest are December-March.

State structure and population

The Northern Mariana Islands is a territory freely associated with the United States and is self-governing. Citizens are considered subjects of the United States but do not vote in national elections. The population of the island of Guam (Marian Islands) has the same rights. Other important information for tourists about the states of the archipelago:

• the administrative center of the SMO - about. Saipan;
• the capital of Guam is the city of Hagatna;
• English is the official language, Chamorro Aboriginal language and Caroline dialects are also used;
• Catholicism is the dominant religion;
• The US dollar is the monetary unit.

The indigenous people have retained their language and traditions associated with cultivating the land, hunting and fishing. People from other territories of Micronesia and the Caroline Islands support cultural heritage their ancestors in the form of national music, dances, crafts and needlework.

History of Chamorro Land

Presumably in the III millennium BC. e. catamarans delivered the first inhabitants of the Mariana Islands to the outskirts of the Philippine Sea from the territory of modern Indonesia. From these ancient seafarers descended the Chamorro people. The name of the archipelago was given by the Spaniards in honor of the actual head of Spain, Marianne of Austria. In 1565, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi annexed the Mariana Islands to the possessions Spanish crown. Large-scale colonization began 100 years later and was associated with missionary activities. The population was converted to Christianity and taught to grow cereals and raise cattle.

At the end of the 19th century, Spain ceded Guam to the United States, along with Puerto Rico and the Philippines, and sold the other Mariana Islands to Germany. Saipan became the center of coconut cultivation for the Germans. Japan in 1914 seized control of the islands of the archipelago, held the territory until the US Navy and the US Army land landing in 1944. From the airport to about. Tinian, a plane took off, dropping an atomic bomb on japanese city Hiroshima August 6, 1945. At the same time, the UN recognized the US protectorate over Guam, and in 1947, the guardianship of the United States over northern islands archipelago.

The amazing nature of the islands

The relatively young Mariana Islands on the map represent a chain of land areas of volcanic and coral origin. They arose more than 25 million years ago. In the same part of the ocean is the most deep place in the World Ocean - the Mariana Trench with the Challenger Trough (more than 11 km). On the northern island of Agrihan is the highest active volcano in the archipelago (965 m). Soils, flora and fauna were formed under the influence of a warm, humid climate and the proximity of the ocean. Isolation from the mainland also had an impact. The richness of the nature of the large islands is:

• valleys covered with fertile lands;
• rainforests;
• sandy beaches gleaming in the sun.
• majestic cones of extinct volcanoes;
• picturesque underwater caves and grottoes.

Flora includes many types of heat-loving trees, shrubs and flowers. Banana, coconut palm, hibiscus, orchids grow here. Representatives of 40 species of birds live on the islands, giant crabs and pangolins, whose sizes reach 1 m. Among the lush tropical vegetation on the island. Sarigan find shelter wild ungulates.

Tourism on the islands

On about. Saipan is home to 90% of the Commonwealth's population and is the majority beach hotels. Inhabited picturesque islands Tinian and Rota, where many hiking trails are organized. The uninhabited parts of the archipelago are also popular due to the opportunity to get to them in one day and practice water sports sports. Travelers go to the islets to watch birds and dive to coral reefs. Saipan has golf courses, excursions around the surrounding area are offered. Tourist favorites include:

• swimming in boats with a transparent bottom;
• yacht cruises;
• windsurfing;
• jungle walks;
• mountain biking through mountains and jungles;
• flights and parachute jumps over the Saipan lagoon;
• attending courses in golf clubs.

Diving, snorkeling and fishing

The coastal waters of the archipelago are clean and transparent. Such conditions are favorable for various forms of living beings.

Dozens of species of coelenterates form the coral reefs that border the Mariana Islands. Photos of the underwater world do not leave indifferent any diver and snorkeler.

Often come across clown fish, tuna, barracuda, swordfish. Dolphins, whales and other sea creatures (octopuses, lobsters, sea turtles) are found in the waters of the ocean near the islands.

Attractions of the archipelago

An abundance of natural conditions for unforgettable holiday complements the developed tourism infrastructure on the large islands - Saipan, Tinyan, Rota and Guam. Popular with fans of water recreation, the coral reef and Lau Lau Beach are located on southeast coast O. Saipan. Grotto is a natural cave with lakes up to 15 m deep and an underwater exit to azure waters Pacific Ocean. In the Marianas, prehistoric latte structures are formed by two parallel rows of slabs. The height is about 1.5 m, the width is over 3.5 m, there are stone ceilings on top. Structures with a length of 12 m could serve as a support for religious buildings or houses. On the island of Tinian is the most famous of these artifacts, called the House of Tag. The eventful history of the Mariana Islands is reflected in museum expositions and memorial monuments.

8 mysteries of the Marianas

Helpful answer?

Visa to the Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands are located in the Western Pacific Ocean and are legally part of the United States. The islands have representation at all American embassies. For this reason, the presence of an American visa in the passport is automatically a pass to the territory of the islands.

For citizens of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, a visa is not needed if the purpose of the trip is tourism, and the period of stay on the territory of the islands will be no more than 30 days, taking into account the dates of arrival and departure. If these deadlines are violated, foreign tourist will have to pay a fine for each day over 30 nee according to the established tariffs, and in the future the violator customs regulations It may be difficult to get a US visa. However, before going on vacation to the Northern Mariana Islands, a tourist will need to obtain an entry permit or Visitor Entry Permit in advance. A tourist will need a permit when passing through border control at the airport of the Northern Mariana Islands. You can get a document from the Department of Immigration of the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands. The issuance of this permit is initiated by the host (hotel or official organization on the islands), the organizer of the tourist trip or the tourist:

If the permit is issued by a hotel or travel agency, the tourist must provide them with a scanned first page of the passport, purchased airline tickets, a completed application form and a declaration of financial condition.

If permission is granted...

Mariana Islands, mariana islands(English) - an archipelago in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, separating the ocean from the Philippine Sea. They are located 3 hours from Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya) and 3.5 hours from Seoul. The islands are divided between two unincorporated US territories: Guam And Northern Mariana Islands. The chain of islands stretches for 810 km, there are only 17 large islands, of which 4 islands are inhabited: Guam, Rota, Saipan, Tinian. To the east of the islands lies the world's deepest Mariana gutter depth up to 11,775 meters.

Mariana Islands formed 25-50 million years ago. This is an archipelago of volcanic origin, located in the zone of a geological fault, where the Pacific plate goes under the Philippine. East of the islands there is the Mariana Trench and the well-known Mariana Trench, about 11 km deep. The Marianas are washed by the Philippine Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
Guam, the largest and southernmost island of the Archipelago, is closest to the Mariana Trench - at a distance of 300 km.
Territory
total area land mass of the seventeen Mariana Islands 998.44 km².
The area of ​​Guam is 541.3 km².

Population
Population - 176,000 (2008 census)
Indigenous people - Chamorros make up only 37% of the population. There are also a significant number of immigrants from the Philippines (about 26%), representatives of Polynesian peoples (about 11.3%), immigrants from China, Japan and Korea, as well as about 25 thousand US Army and Navy personnel and their families.
The average life expectancy is 75.9 years for men, 82.2 years for women.

Capital
Administrative center- Hagatna. The population is 2.1 thousand people.

Time
It is 6 hours ahead of Moscow in summer and 7 hours in winter.

Currency
U.S

Official language
Languages: English 38.3%, Chamorro 22.2%, Filipino 22.2%, Oceanian 6.8%, Asian 7%, other languages ​​3.5% (2000 census).
Literacy - 99%.

TOURS
Guam lives off tourism. More than 1 million tourists visit the island every year. The tourist infrastructure here is extremely developed: Hilton, Hyatt, Westin, Marriott, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, etc. have been built; tour operators offer submarine dives, scuba diving, Micronesian dance shows, reef fish fishing and trolling, walking under water in a sealed helmet, boat trips to see dolphins, etc., etc.

Climate
Tropical wet ocean monsoon. Average daily temperatures are around 27-35° all year round. The weather is determined by the rainy season (July - September) and winds (October - June). The tourist season is open all year round.
average temperature sea ​​water: + 29 degrees.

Office hours of institutions
Banks are open from Mon.-Sat. 9.00 to 17.00
Shops are open from 09.00 to 19.00.
Some shops in tourist area open 24 hours (K-Mart).

Cars for rent
To rent a car, it is enough to have Russian driving license(with full name in English / French) and a plastic credit card.
Movement is right-handed.
The maximum speed in the city is 25 mph, outside of built-up areas it is 35 mph.

Transport
Aviation. Guam is an important transportation hub in the Micronesian region of the world. Continental Airlines connects outlying islands(Palau, Truk, Yap) via Guam with the continent.
bus network. Paid ($3 per person) buses run through the tourist area of ​​Guam - Tumon.
Taxi. You can always rent a taxi at every hotel.
Mains voltage 110
110 V., 50-60 Hz., sockets - American, three-pin.

Useful addresses and phones
The only Russian-speaking land tour operator in Guam "GuamVoyage". Phone: 1 - 671 - 969 15 07

Embassy of the Russian Federation in San Francisco. Phone 1-1415-928-6878

Visa
A US visa is required to visit the largest of the Mariana Islands. Moreover, a visa received at the invitation from the Mariana Islands must be opened in the Marianas. Once opened, the visa can be used to travel to the continental states.

The Government of Guam is actively working on the introduction of lightweight visa regime for the Russians.

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. You only need to declare amounts over $10,000.
. When importing gold, a declaration is required.
. Items for personal use are not subject to duty; meat and meat products, vegetables, fruits, seeds, flowers, as well as weapons and drugs are prohibited for import into the country.
. Fish of any kind (except endangered species) and any fish products are allowed for import.
. The export of corals is prohibited.

Northern Mariana Islands often referred to as "America's Best Surviving Mystery", meaning a fairly untouched nature, an abundance of historical sites (especially those associated with the period of the "Battle of Pacific Ocean"in the Second World War) and the easy accessibility of the islands both from the territory of the South East Asia and from America. Coral reefs, sea fishing, surfing, diving, parachuting, sea sports, golf and excellent conditions for passive recreation attract more than 700 thousand tourists a year to these tiny islands.

Saipan- most big Island And administrative capital Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. White sandy beaches, tranquil emerald lagoons and a necklace of coral reefs frame most west coast of the island and offer a rich selection marine species sports. Consistent weather (Saipan is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the owner of the most even weather in the world - regardless of the season, the temperature on the island averages +27 C.) and sunshine all year round make the island a paradise for sun lovers. Most of the hotels, shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs are concentrated in the tourist center of the island, Garapan. Here you will find the world-famous Hard Rock Café and Duty Free shop close to local souvenir shops, car rental companies and other tourist amenities and entertainment. central part the islands are distinguished by green jungles with exotic flora and fauna, and untouched nature. Saipan witnessed some of the most intense battles of the Pacific War. The wreckage of aircraft, tanks and ships still lie on the surface of the earth, under water and in the jungle. Banzai Cliff, Suiside Cliff, and the Last Command Post are open to the public. From these historical monuments in the north of the island, the most persistent travelers can continue their adventures by following east coast islands. Here they will find unique cliffs, limestone caves and jungle trails. Mount Tapochao overlooks the whole of Saipan and neighboring island Tinian. In general, the recreation infrastructure is relatively poorly developed here and is more focused on amateurs. active image life than a spoiled "shop-tourist". Saipan - the most popular place "historical tourism"from citizens of the Japanese Islands. The island itself is 23 km long and 8 km wide.

Tinian Island- this sleepy island with a single village, only 4 km. 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 is hard to imagine that such a peaceful place could be involved in one of the most tragic events in history: Tinian "became famous" as runway for the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. San Jose, main locality island, is the territory of the ancient Chamorro village. 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.

Rota Island- lies halfway between Saipan and Guam, and is only now beginning to "come out of the shadows" big islands and develop direction ecological tourism, it is still a slowly developing place with poor recreational infrastructure.

Guam Island, Guam (English), Guahan (in the language of the indigenous Chamorro people) is the southernmost and largest island of the Marianas archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Located between the Philippines and the Hawaiian Islands. The population has American citizenship and enjoys all rights. Poetic nickname: "Where America's Day Begins", Where America's Day Begins (English). Guam is located in the Eastern Hemisphere and the new calendar date starts there 14-15 hours earlier than in North America. According to the poetic image , Guam is the first among all US territories to celebrate the new day.
Tourism is one of the foundations of Guam's economy; up to 600,000 tourists (85% from Japan) visit the island annually, spending up to $450 million on the island. IN Lately for many residents of East Asian countries and North America, Guam has become one of the main tropical resorts. The tourist infrastructure is highly developed here, many luxury hotels, golf courses, dive clubs, restaurants and everything that accompanies the world's largest resorts have been built.
The tourist center of Guam - Tumon Bay, is separated from the capital almost only by a strip of beach. It is essentially one long coastal road lined with hotels, clubs and restaurants. The bay itself is very shallow and it is possible to get right to the reef without swimming. Ypao Beach Park is located on the southwest side of the bay and was once home to an ancient Chamorro village, later a leper colony and penal colony. Today it is a popular site for fiestas.

The Mariana Islands share the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea. This is a classic island arc of the Pacific Ring of Fire zone, formed by active subduction (dipping of the edge of relatively thin oceanic crust under the base of a thick continental-type crust) tectonic plates. To the south and east of the chain of islands lies the world's deepest Mariana Trench, up to 11,775 meters deep (according to other sources - 11,022 meters), which is precisely the visible expression of the plate collision zone. In geological terms, the Marianas are part of a chain of underwater volcanoes known as the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc, consisting of almost fifty underwater active volcanoes and 11 old volcanic peaks, whose peaks form the islands of the group.

The northern group of islands (Faralion de Pajaros (Huracas), Asuncion, Pagan, Sarigan and others) is geologically young - most of these islands formed over the past 5 million years and continue to grow today. The young cones of these islands are high and still active - volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of magnitude up to 7 on the Richter scale are not uncommon. The steep slopes of the volcanoes run down to the almost reef-free waters of the surrounding ocean, forming typical volcanic landscapes with numerous lava fields and tongues. The flora and fauna are scarce, there are also few natural sources of water (the exception is quite numerous fumaroles and mini-geysers, which annually throw thousands of tons of highly mineralized water into the ocean).

The southern chain of islands (Saipan, Tinian, Agrihan, Rota, etc.) are older volcanic formations, whose age reaches 42 million years. They are also based on the tops of underwater volcanoes that fell asleep many millions of years ago. Here is the highest point of the country - the volcano Agrihan, or Agrigan (965 m). Over the subsequent time, the underwater slopes of the once formidable volcanoes were actively "developed" by corals, multi-meter strata of which, raised by tectonic processes above sea level, formed the surface part of the islands of the southern group. Today, almost all the islands of the southern chain are powerful massifs of coral limestone lying on a volcanic base. Numerous coastal terraces and high cliffs mark the level of the ocean at different stages of island formation, and the coasts are mostly lined with young coral reefs that form marginal lagoons.

The natural vegetation of the islands is not rich. The main plant is the coconut palm. Copra and palm oil were the most important export commodity and the main source of income for many islanders. Coconut provides food and drinks (besides coconut milk itself, even flowers are used, ropes are twisted from palm fiber, wood is used for building materials, branches for weaving baskets and mats, and charcoal is made from husks of nuts and cake). Equally important is the fire tree (Brachychiton acerifolius), brought from other islands of Oceania (however, recently its role has been more decorative), as well as the coleus (Coleus), caladium (Caladium) and philodendron (Araceae). But various fruit species, introduced by man, grow here in large quantities.

The only endemic mammals on the islands are fruit bats, although they have almost disappeared due to the popularity of their meat in the cuisine of the local Chamorro people. Sambar deer can also be found on Rota, and skinks and geckos live almost everywhere. But the bird community is quite diverse - about 70 species of birds are found in the Mariana Islands, including the gray-throated fantail (Rhipidura dahli), honeyeater (Meliphaga), Australian tern (Sterna nereis) and the endangered salangan (Collocalia). And the waters around the islands are literally teeming with marine life.