Saipan

Saipan, at 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) long and 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometers) wide, is the largest of the 14 islands that comprise the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). It is one of only three islands that are inhabited (the other two being Rota and Tinian).

Saipan's first Western contacts were with Spanish explorers in the 1500s. In the early 20th century, the area was under Japanese control, and it remained so until World War II (1944) when the US invaded. Remains of wartime aircraft and vehicles can still be found on the island (and in the surrounding water). Saipan is the site of the American Memorial Park, operated by the US National Park Service, and of memorial sites where large numbers of Japanese civilians and military personnel died during the second world war.

Today, the CNMI is a protectorate of the United States and the official currency is the US dollar. And while island inhabitants are citizens of the US, their backgrounds are a mix of Micronesian, Spanish, and Japanese, and major groups are Micronesian (especially Chamorro and Carolinian), Caucasian, Filipino, and Asian (Japanese, Chinese, and Korean).

No matter where Saipan's 71,133 citizens and/or visitors hail from, they all appreciate Saipan's tropical location. And when in the tropics, you, of course, have to partake in the tropical lifestyle! Why not lie on the beach (Saipan has approximately 54 miles/86 kilometers of coastline with about 14 miles/22 kilometers of beach)? Frolic in the waves? Or, don some scuba gear and check out those underwater wartime wrecks previously mentioned?

If you're looking for activities that don't involve the water, the mountainous areas are lush, with vines, ferns, taro, papaya, and more. The extremely adventurous (and hardy) will enjoy trekking through the jungles of Saipan, but before you do so, read Bruce Petty's, Boonie Stomping on Saipan . On the other hand, a less strenuous and more popular activity is golfing. And if, heaven-forbid, Saipan's delights start to get old, you can always take a break in nearby (relatively-speaking) Australia or southeast Asia.

See our 0 Jobs in Saipan

Discuss This Article

Have something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article.

Find a Job in Saipan

Choose your career:

MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 18,226 jobs with 2,533 hospitals and other direct employers.

We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now.