Northern Mariana Islands
Region Profile
The capital city is Saipan. The island’s total area is nearly 464 square kilometers, located approximately 2,800 kilometers southeast of Taiwan. With a population of about 52,000, the ethnic makeup is diverse, including 35% Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and others such as Filipinos, Mainland Chinese, and Koreans. English is the official language, and the main religion is Roman Catholicism.
Development Overview
The Northern Mariana Islands were subjected to colonization by Spain, Germany, and Japan, followed by U.S. trusteeship until 1986. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) achieved self-government in 1978. While the United States oversees defense, foreign policy, and immigration, the CNMI independently manages labor affairs and receives annual federal funding from the U.S. government. It became a U.S. territory in November 1986. Subsequently, in November 2009, the U.S. Federal government took over jurisdiction of the CNMI’s immigration and border control. The economy is largely dependent on U.S. federal government aid and the tourism sector, which contributes about 25% of the GDP. Roughly half of the workforce is involved in tourism-related employment. The islands attract more than 400,000 tourists annually, predominantly from Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Guam. Other sectors include banking, construction, and handicrafts. Key agricultural products are coconut, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. To promote tourism, the CNMI opened casinos and reinstated Japanese flights starting in 2018, leading to a progressive increase in the number of tourists.
Competition Event and Participants
- Traditional Archery: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (1 Participant) /Individual Event－Open Women’s Division (2 Participants)
- Traditional Music and Dance: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (11 Participants)
- Log Sawing: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (4 Participants)
- Traditional Tug-of-War: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (16 Participants)
- Traditional Wrestling: Individual Event－Men’s Division Below 70kg (1 Participant) /Individual Event－Men’s Division 70kg and Above (1 Participant)
- Net Casting: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (4 Participants)
- Traditional Canoe Racing: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (2 Participants)
- Traditional Road Running: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (2 Participants) /Individual Event－Open Women’s Division (2 Participants)
- Weight Carrying: Group Event－Open Mixed Division (4 Participants)
- Freediving Sprint: Individual Event－Open Men’s Division (2 Participants) /Individual Event－Open Women’s Division (2 Participants)