News88 Blog Of The Day 04/28/2005: About The US Territory Of The NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

Copyright 2005 News88, All Rights Reserved, #118.

Please refer back to the blog of the day for 03/05/2005. Saturday, March 05, 2005 for your information, for more information.

Yesterdays blog: About The US Territory Of The AMERICAN SAMOA.
Todays blog: About The US Territory Of The NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.
Tomorrows blog: About The US Territory Of The UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS.

The Northern Mariana Islands, east of the Philippines and south of Japan, include the islands of Rota, Saipan, Tinian, Pagan, Guguan, Agrihan, and Aguijan. Although sighted by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 as he sailed for Spain, the islands were not settled by Europeans until 1668, when missionaries converted the indigenous Chamorro people to Catholicism. They were ruled successfully by Spain, Germany, and Japan before they became a UN Trusteeship (administered by the U.S.) after World War II. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) became part of the United States in Nov. 1986. Spanish cultural traditions remain strong.
In recent years, Saipan's garment industry has been accused of exploiting thousands of Asian immigrants. Saipan's territorial status enables its employers to claim their clothing is "Made in the USA," while paying workers low wages and sidestepping import duties and tariffs. Source: Time Almanac 2005.

Other than that, Free open thread.

P.S. More on the Politics1 and the Chat-Web 2 spinoff sites we are createing as spinoffs not only of them but of News88 too, on or by Sunday, May 01, 2005, or 05/01/2005.
P.S.S. For more information on Northern Mariana Islands, Please feel free to go to at my request and/or submission to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands . Thanks!