Dependency status: commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs
Government type: commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature
Capital: Saipan
Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four municipalities at the second order; Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian
Independence: none (commonwealth in political union with the US)
National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
Constitution: Covenant Agreement effective 4 November 1986 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978
Legal system: based on US system, except for customs, wages,
immigration laws, and taxation
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are
US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON of the US (since
20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January
1993)
head of government: Governor Pedro P. TENORIO (since NA January
1998) and Lieutenant Governor Jesus R. SABLAN (since NA January 1998)
cabinet: NA
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same
ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected
on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election
last held in NA November 1997 (next to be held NA November 2001)
election results: Pedro P. TENORIO elected governor in a three-way
race; percent of vote—Pedro P. TENORIO (Republican) 47%