Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

northern-mariana-islands.htm"--> Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saipan.jpg
P. Miller


Saipan is the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. It covers 44.55 sq mi (115.38 sq km) and has a population of about 50,000 (2011 estimate). Saipan measures about 12 miles (19 km) from north to south, and about 6 miles (10 km) from east to west. Its highest peak is Mount Tapochau at 1,560 ft (480 m).

Saipan is widely regarded as the capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It certainly has the lion share of the population, accounting for over half of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands.

War relics in Mount Marpi, Saipan
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Last_Command_Post_in_Saipan1.jpg
Abasaa


Apart from the indigenous people who speak the Chamorro language, Saipan also has within its population ethnic Japanese, Chinese and Koreans, along with migrant workers who are newcomers, from China, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Saipan is believed to have been inhabited for thousands of years. The first European to land here were the Spanish. The island came under the rule of Germany from 1899 until World War I, when it made part of the Empire of Japan. The island fell into the hands of the Americans during the Second World War, after heavy fighting by the Japanese.

Today the economy of Saipan is heavily reliant on tourism, with tourists coming mainly from Asia, particularly Japan. However the Asian Economic Crisis of the mid 1990's dealt a severe blow to Saipan's fledging tourism industry, forcing it to diversify into other industries such as textile manufacturing.

Banzai Cliff cenotaphs
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Banzai_Cliff_Cenotaphs1.jpg
Abasaa

Visiting Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

Saipan International Airport (SPN) gets frights from Tokyo, Nagoya, Seoul and Guam, among others, with flights planned with Shanghai and Guangzhou. Renting a car once you are there provides the best option in exploring Saipan. There are no buses while the taxis are quite expensive.

Places of Interest in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

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