Northern Mariana Islands
 

to 12 Feb 1899                  12 Feb 1899 - 14 Oct 1914               14 Oct 1914 - 19 Jun 1944                         Adopted 19 Jun 1944      18 Jul 1947 - 19 Aug 1965 Pacific Is.Trust Terr.       19 Aug 1965 - 31 Mar 1972 Pacific Is.Trust Terr.                      31 Mar 1972 - 1 Jul 1989                           1 Jul 1989 - 1991                            1991 - 4 Jul 1995                           Adopted 4 Jul 1995   Map of the Northern Mariana Islands Hear National Anthem  "Star Spangled Banner" Text of Local Anthem "Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi"/ "Satil Matawal Pacifico" (In the Middle of the Sea) Adopted 3 Oct 1996 Constitution (1 Jan 1978) Capital: Saipan Currency: US Dollar (USD) National Holiday: 4 Jul (1776) U.S. Independence Day -------------------------------------- Local  Holiday: 24 Mar (1976) Commonwealth Covenant Day Population: 86,616 (2008) GDP: $716 million (2009) Exports: $219 million (2009) Imports: $387 million (2009) Ethnic groups: Filipino 26.2%, Chinese 22.1%, Chamorro 21.3%, Carolinians 3.8%, Korean, Japanese, and other Asian 7.6%, other Pacific Islander 6.6%, white 1.8%, multi-ethnic and other 10.7% (2000) Total Police Forces: N/A Defense is the Responsibility of the U.S. Merchant marine: None (2008)  Religions: Roman Catholic 59.6%, Protestant 18.7%, other Christian 1.4%, other 20.3% (1995) International Organizations/Treaties:  Interpol (subbureau), PC, UPU Northern Mariana Islands Chronology  6 Mar 1521                Discovered by Ferdinand Magellan and claimed for                              Spain, named Las Isles de las Velas                               Latinas [Islands of the Latine Sails]).  9 Mar 1521                Renamed Las Islas de los Ladrones (Islands of                               the Thieves).  22 Jan 1565                Island reclaimed as a Spanish possession by                              Miguel López de Legazpi. 14 Jun 1668                Settlement begins, named Islas de las Marianas                              (see Guam); subordinated to New Spain (Mexico). 1817                       Subordinated to the Philippines. 21 Jun 1898                Northern Marianas separated from Guam when it                              becomes U.S. territory. 12 Feb 1899                Sold to Germany by Spain (Marianen Inseln)                              from 1907 part of German New Guinea                               ([see under Papua New Guinea]; subordinated                              to district officers in Caroline Islands). 14 Oct 1914                Japanese occupation (see under Marshall Islands;                              from 28 Dec 1914 see under Palau). 17 Dec 1920                League of Nations mandate (from 1 Apr 1922 part                               of South Seas Agency [see under Palau]).  9 Jul 1944                U.S. occupation of Saipan (Tinian from 1 Aug 1944,                               Rota from 2 Sep 1945)(see under Micronesia).  9 Jul 1944 -  7 May 1962  Administered by U.S. Navy (briefly by the U.S.                              Department of Interior 1 Jul 1951 - 1 Jan 1953). 18 Jul 1947                Japanese mandate formally revoked; part of the UN                              Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (see                              under Micronesia)(Marianas District [named                              10 Mar 1955 - 1 Jul 1962 Saipan District] and                              separate Rota district 10 Mar 1955 - 1 Jul 1962).  7 May 1962 -  9 Jan 1978  Administered by U.S. Department of Interior.  9 Nov 1969                Northern Marianas vote for reintegration with Guam,                              but voters on Guam reject it.  9 Jan 1978                Commonwealth status.  4 Nov 1986                Trust territory dissolved. 22 Dec 1990                Security Council ratifies termination of                               trusteeship.  Rota (1955-1978)  Saipan Mayors

Governors 
16 Jun 1668 - 21 Jun 1898  the governors of Mariana Islands 
                            (see Guam)
21 Jun 1898 -  9 May 1899  ....
 9 May 1899 - 16 Nov 1899  Eugenio Blanco y Leison             (b. 18.. - d. 1925)
16 Nov 1899 - 14 Oct 1914  the governors of German New Guinea
 1 Apr 1922 -  2 Feb 1944  the Administrators of South
                           Seas Agency (see Palau)
Bezirksamtmann (District commissioners)
16 Nov 1899 - Apr 1907     Georg Fritz (on Saipan)             (b. 1865 - d. 1944)
1904 - 1907                Volker Reichel (on Rota)
Stationsleiter (Station chiefs)
Apr 1907 - 1910            Karl Kirn (acting to 1908)
1910 - May 1911            Otto Paulisch (acting)
May 1911 - May 1914        Georg von Heynitz 
May 1914 - 14 Oct 1914     Walter Boehme (acting)
Military Governors (the Commanders of U.S. Naval Forces Mariana Islands)
1944 - 1945                Chester W. Nimitz                   (b. 1885 - d. 1966)
1945 - Aug 1945            John Howard Hoover                  (b. 1887 - d. 1970)
Aug 1945 - 1946            George Dominic Murray               (b. 1889 - d. 1956)
1946 - 18 Jul 1947         Charles A. Pownall                  (b. 1887 - d. 1975)
Deputy High Commissioners of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
(resident Saipan, Northern Marianas)
18 Jul 1947 - Jan 1948     Carleton H. Wright                  (b. 1892 - d. 1970)
Jan 1948 - Jul 1948        Dewitt C. Ramsey                    (b. 1888 - d. 1961)
24 Jul 1948 - 31 May 1951  Leon S. Fiske
 1 Jun 1951 - 23 Apr 1954  James A. McConnell
15 Aug 1954 - 26 Nov 1956  Delmas Henry Nucker                 (b. 1907 - d. 1985)
1957 - Oct 1958            Eugene R. Gilmartin
Oct 1958 - May 1961        Joseph C. Putnam
May 1961 - 1963/64         Jose "Pepe" A. Benitez              (d. ....)  
1963/64 - 1966             Richard F. Taitano
 6 Dec 1966 - 1969         Martin P. Mangan                    (b. 1920? - d. 2000)
1969 - 1977                Peter Tali Coleman                  (b. 1919 - d. 1997)  
 3 Feb 1978 - 1981         Juan A. Sablan                      (d. 1996)
Mariana Islands (1955-1962, Saipan) District Administrators (Distad)
1945 - 1947                L. Gordon Findley
Sep 1947 - Dec 1948        Ralph A. Wilhelm
Mar 1949 - Sep 1949        Fletcher L. Sheffield, Jr.
Dec 1949 - Mar 1950        James R. Gray
Jun 1950 - Sep 1950        William R. Lowades
Dec 1950 - Jun 1951        James B. Johnson
 1 Jul 1951 -  1 Jan 1953  Henry M. Hedges                     (b. 1901 – d. 1969)
1953 - 1955?               ....
1955? - 1956?              Charles E. Miller
Jul 1958? - Jan 1959?      David N. Morey
1959?                      E.C. Shy
1960?                      Leroy Hippe (acting)
1960? - Sep 1960           Ralph H. Mortensen
1960 - Jun 1962            Paul W. Bridwell
 1 Jul 1962 - 1963         Francis B. Mahoney                  (b. 1922 - d. 1981)
May 1963 - 1965            Roy Trent Gallemore                 (b. 1895 – d. 1977)  
1965 - 1969                Peter Tali Coleman                  (s.a.)  
1969 - 1976                Francisco "Frank" C. Ada            (b. 1934 - d. 2010)
Resident Commissioner
 1 Apr 1976 -  9 Jan 1978  Erwin Dain Canham                   (b. 1904 - d. 1982)
Governors
 9 Jan 1978 - 11 Jan 1982  Carlos Sablan Camacho               (b. 1937)            Dem
11 Jan 1982 -  8 Jan 1990  Pedro Pangelinan Tenorio (1st time) (b. 1934)            Rep
 8 Jan 1990 - 10 Jan 1994  Lorenzo I. De Leon Guerrero         (b. 1935 - d. 2006)  Rep
10 Jan 1994 - 12 Jan 1998  Froilan Cruz Tenorio                (b. 1939)            Dem
12 Jan 1998 - 14 Jan 2002  Pedro Pangelinan Tenorio (2nd time) (s.a.)               Rep
14 Jan 2002 -  9 Jan 2006  Juan Nekai Babauta                  (b. 1953)            Rep
 9 Jan 2006 -              Benigno "Ben" Repeki Fitial         (b. 1945)         CP;1-5-11 Rep
 4 Oct 2006 - 23 Dec 2006  Timothy Pangelinan Villagomez       (b. 1962)            CP
                             (acting for Fitial)

Party abbreviations: CP = Covenant Party (populist, est.2001); Dem = Democratic Party (liberal, center-left);  Rep = Republican Party (conservative, center-right)