, including the
Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; maritime
boundary dispute with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian drug
activities penetrate Peruvian border area

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of coca, opium poppies, and cannabis;
world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 2000 - 136,200
hectares, an 11% increase over 1999); potential production of opium
since 1995 has remained relatively stable at 66 metric tons; potential
production of heroin has averaged 6.5 metric tons; the world's largest
processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of about 90%
of the cocaine to the US and the great majority of cocaine to other
international drug markets, and an important supplier of heroin to the
US market; active aerial eradication program

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Northern Mariana Islands

Introduction

Northern Mariana Islands

Background: Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of
the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the
1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with
the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant
to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved
in 1975. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978.

Geography Northern Mariana Islands

Location: Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Geographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 477 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan,
Rota, and Tinian water: 0 sq km land: 477 sq km

Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,482 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little
seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season
July to October

Terrain: southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing
coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m

Natural resources: arable land, fish

Land use: arable land: 15% permanent crops: 7% other: 78% (1998 es