Religions: Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)
Languages: English, Chamorro, Carolinian note: 86% of population speaks a language other than English at home
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.)
Government Northern Mariana Islands
Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands former:
Mariana Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
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)