>>Where is CNMI? :-)
>In the western north Pacific, 120 miles North of Guam, about 1,000 east of the Philippines.
>
>
>That's the short answer...if you want to know more, read on
>

I appreciate the time that you took to answer my silly and sarcastic question, and turned to be complete geography class, needless to say, Very, very interesting.


>> What does CNMI mean?
>
>Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Saipan, where I live, is one
>of the three inhabited islands in the group (along w/Tinian and Rota, south
>of here). It's about 16 x 8 miles big. Population is about 60,000, w/a few
>thousand Americans.
>

Do you have any mc'donnals there? (sorry, I couldn't help not ask you this)


>We're over 1000 miles east of the Philippines and 120 miles north of Guam
>(if you've heard of Guam - it's a US territory).
>

must be the nearest thing to a natural paradise?

>The CNMI was part of the Trust Territory, (and the capitol) formed by the UN
>after World War II...most of the islands in this part of the Pacific were in
>the TT...then eventually opted for independance or association w/the US in
>some form or other. These islands chose to be in a Commonwealth w/the US.
>We get a lot of grant money, like states (some call it "drip-feed" aid), but
>also have some independance.
>

If a traveler want to go there which the shortest route?...and what documentation need?


>You MAY have heard about the garment industry here...it's been on Nightline
>(or 60 Minutes or one of those shows). Part of the original deal w/the US
>is that we control our labor and immigration (and hence, can set the minimum
>wage), and we can also put "Made in USA" tags on items. There has been a
>lot of controversy lately about this...many workers from China and other
>places come here to work in factories at less than US wages (mostly, I
>think, they are GLAD to have work - as long as there are no abuses). The US
>garment industry does not like this...and a lot of designer label companies
>have clothes made here.
>

As IT worker do you find difficult to live there? I mean get contracts or find good jobs, IT ones? not getting bored? kids? schools?


>I'm living here because I love the tropics (I sailed around the Pacific on a
>40' sailboat for 8 years) and it's easy for US citizens to live and work
>here - I just needed to arrive and buy a $50 biz license. I do some work in
>other countries (American Samoa, in the south Pacific, and Palau about 800
>miles southwest of here).
>
>J


WT