Northern Mariana Islands Flag

The flag of the Northern Marianas Islands consists of a blue field with a latte stone and white, five-sided star in the centre. This arrangement is surrounded by a decorative wreath that encompasses indigenous art. This version of the flag was officially adopted in July of 1985 although a similar version had already been used from 1976 onward. The country has been a commonwealth of the United States since 1975.

The latte stone, an ancient stone pillar, is symbolic of the Chamorro people and their ancient structures. The Chamorro are one of the ancient indigenous ethnicities in the region. The white star in the centre of the flag is a symbol of the United States of America as well as the peace this association provides. The decorative wreath, known as a mwarmwar, symbolises the Carolinian people who have roots in the area tracing back 2,000 years. The blue field is a symbol of the vast Pacific Ocean as well as the Mariana Trench.

The current flag was designed and implemented by the government of the Northern Marianas Islands in 1985 after a constitutional convention. The design was heavily inspired by the national banner used from 1972-1981. The present-day flag is a source of nationalistic pride for many citizens of the country and is also seen as a symbol of a peace-loving region.

Previous flags of the Northern Marianas Islands include the flag of the United Nations which was used from 1947–1965 while the United States administered the area. The Flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was used from 1965–1972 and consists of a pale blue field with six white, five-sided stars in the centre. The current flag is an evolution of the flag used from 1972–1976 as an unofficial banner and then from 1976–1981 as the official flag. This flag does not have the wreath surrounding the latte stone and star.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Saipan
Languages	Philippine languages 32.8%, Chamorro (official) 24.1%, English (official) 17%, other Pacific island languages 10.1%, Chinese 6.8%, other Asian languages 7.3%, other 1.9% (2010 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Asian 50% (includes Filipino 35.3%, Chinese 6.8%, Korean 4.2%, and other Asian 3.7%), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 34.9% (includes Chamorro 23.9%, Carolinian 4.6%, and other Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 6.4%), other 2.5%, two or more ethnicities or races 12.7% (2010 est.)
Religion	Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)
Government	Presidential democracy; a commonwealth in political union with the US
Independance	None (commonwealth in political union with the US)
Area	464.00 km²
Land Area	464.00 km²
Population	53,467.00
Location	Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
GDP(PPP)	$682,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$13,300.00 (USD)
Export Commodities	Its main export is garments.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include food, construction equipment and materials.
Climate	Tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October
Terrain	The southern islands in this north-south trending archipelago are limestone, with fringing coral reefs; the northern islands are volcanic, with active volcanoes on several islands

Northern Mariana Islands Flag

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