[Tarawa Island ]
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati. Tarawa has a large lagoon, 500 square kilometres (193 sq mi) total area, and a wide reef. The lagoon has abundant fish and shellfish of all kinds.
Tarawa Island
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Mariana – Tinian Island
[Attractions in Tinian ]
Tinian is one of the major islands in Northern Mariana. It has pristine and secluded beaches; World War II landmarks and world-class scuba diving. Most of the visitors go to Tinian for scuba diving because numerous reefs, wrecks, and caves lie under the waters surrounding the island. In Dump Cove you’ll see planes, tanks, ammunition, and Jeeps from World War II. Tinian Grotto is the most popular cavern dive. there are several other beaches that offer diverse water sports.
The prehistoric Taga stones are relics of the ancient palace built by the Chamorro Chief Taga over 3,000 years ago. The House of Taga is located on the island of Tinian.
It was believed that a mythological chief named Taga erected the pillars as a foundation for his own house. There were several such pillars but only one of which is left standing erect due to past earthquakes.
The Sand Diamond, a high-speed ferry measuring almost 50 meters in length and with the capacity to carry 290 people and more than 30 cars, will begin daily sailings between Tinian and Saipan as a means of providing better tourist access to the casino on Tinian.
Mariana – Saipan Island
[Saipan]
Saipan is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands. In 2017 Saipan’s population was 47,565. The legislative and executive branches of the Commonwealth government are located in the village of Capitol Hill on the island. But the judicial branch is located in the village of Susupe. Most publications designate Saipan as the Commonwealth’s capital.
Coconuts, papayas, and Thai hot peppers are among the fruits that grow wild, while Mango, taro root, breadfruit, and bananas are cultivated.
There are 4 local television stations in Saipan. Local music consists of Chamorro, Carolinian, Micronesian Hawaiian Reggae, and Palauan music. Asian music consists of Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Philippine music. Mainland American music consists of much of the same music that can be found on U.S. radio.
Mariana Rota Island
[Rota Island ]
This tiny, remote island in The Marianas is only 20 kilometers long and gets many more visitors each year than it has residents. Balmy weather, sensational sights, and superb scuba diving and water sports are the main attractions on this island.
A tour provider can arrange a snorkeling or scuba diving trip to any of the undersea walls, shipwrecks or vivid coral reefs surrounding the island. Popular sites include the World War II wreck of the Shoun Maru, Blue Hole, and the Grotto, a collapsed limestone cavern with underwater passageways.
Diving, windsurfing, parasailing, and banana boating are available on this island.
Mariana Islands Food
[Locally available items ]
The cuisine of the Mariana Islands is largely made up of meat dishes including pork, poultry, horse meat, and meat from other land mammals. Some popular land animals consumed include bats, mice, rats, and lizards. Most of the dishes are cooked in coconut oil. Seafood is another popular option because of the surrounding seas. Some seafood includes sea cucumbers, whale meat, and various fish.
Kelaguen is a favorite dish of the Chamorro people. The dish consists of chicken, shrimp, fish, or beef marinated in a mix of lemon juice and fresh coconut.
Buffet World Restaurant (Susupe, Saipan) is a place where you can sample all the local favorites during a single meal.
Mariana Islands Tourism
[Scuba diving in North Mariana ]
Tourists for this island nation mainly consist of Filipino, Japanese, American, Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese tourists. There are several large tour operators in Saipan that cater to Asian tourists coming into the island. By far, the majority of tourism in the Northern Marianas is in Saipan. Several flights a day land in Saipan. Tourism has grown slowly and is now a major part of the economy.
Near the Saipan beach, there are themed cafes and the American Memorial Park with a historical museum, where you can see the artifacts of World War II.
American chain establishments from Pizza Hut to the Saipan Hard Rock Café abound on the Northern Mariana Islands. There are also several independently owned restaurants whose menus include traditional island favorites like chicken kelaguen.
Karaoke and hostess bars are the most common nightlife options. But Western-style bars are also common and are safe to party to. Some bars have live music.
Mariana Islands
[ Map of Northern Mariana]
Northern Mariana covers an area of just 464 square kilometers and is inhabited by over 55,000 people. Saipan, Rota, Tinian, and Pagan are some of the main islands.
Saipan has an international airport. There are smaller airports on Rota and Tinian.
The country’s official languages are English, Chamorro, and Carolinian.
The people on the island lead a Spanish Roman Catholic way of life but strongly influenced by the American culture.
There are two active volcanoes on the islands of Pagan and Agrihan.
People born in the Northern Mariana Islands are both citizens of the United States and citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands. US citizens can live and work in the country without a visa.
Saipan is the center of all activity and the main tourist destination. The island is also home to the country’s capital, the city of Capitol Hill.
Tinian is likely to have been the first island in Oceania to have been settled by humans.
Palau Island
[ Palau]
Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands in Micronesia. The United States provides defense, funding, and access to social services. The country’s economy is based mainly on tourism, subsistence agriculture, and fishing. The country uses the United States dollar as its currency. The country has two official languages, Palauan (a member of the Austronesian language family) and English. Japanese, Sonsorolese, and Tobian are recognized as regional languages.
The population of this island nation is 18,000 of which 87% are Christian. Local food consists of cassava, taro, yam, potato, fish, and pork. But Western food is favored by the tourists. There are many cafes and restaurants. A variety of international cuisines such as American, Japanese, Taiwanese, the Philippino are available.
Kiritimati (Christmas Island)
[ Kiritimati map]
Kiritimati or Christmas Island is a Pacific Ocean coral atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The vast majority of the people in Kirimati speak Gilbertese (or I-Kiribati). English, which is the official language, is also widely spoken, especially on Tarawa. The island has a population of 6,000.
Nuclear tests were conducted on and around Christmas Island by the United Kingdom in the late 1950s, and by the United States in 1962. During these tests the island was not evacuated. Therefore, British, New Zealand, and Fijian servicemen, as well as local islanders, were exposed to radiation from the blasts.
Marshall Islands
[Marshal Islands map ]
The Marshall Islands are between Hawaii and the Philippines. It is an independent island country, with a population of 58,413 people. Marshallese and English are spoken in the island nation. Ninety-seven percent of the people are Christians.
The Marshall Islands is a democratic republic with an executive presidency in free association with the United States. The U.S. provides defense, subsidies, and access to U.S.-based agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Postal Service.
In October 2011, the government declared that an area of nearly 2,000,000 square kilometers (772,000 sq mi) of the ocean shall be reserved as a shark sanctuary. This is the world’s largest shark sanctuary.
The Marshall Islands serve the international shipping industry as a flag of convenience for commercial vessels. The Marshallese registry started operations in 1990. The registry is managed through a joint venture with International Registries, Inc., a US-based corporation that has offices in major shipping centers worldwide. As of 2017, the Marshall Islands ship registry was the second largest in the world, after that of Panama.
Majuro is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. Majuro port is the world’s busiest tuna transshipment port in the world, with 704 transshipment totaling 444,393 tons in 2015. Majuro has an international airport with scheduled flights to Hawaii, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Guam, and Nauru, and flights to domestic destinations around the country.
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