Natural hazards:
active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August
to November)
Environment - current issues: contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development
Geography - note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean
People Northern Mariana Islands
Population:
80,362 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.9% (male 8,332/female 7,646)
15-64 years: 78.5% (male 26,121/female 36,982)
65 years and over: 1.6% (male 646/female 635) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.33 years
male: 31.54 years
female: 28.33 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.61% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
19.51 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
2.3 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)