Bret - pretty good job!

>CNMI is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, in the North Pacific.
It's about 1000 miles east of the Phillipine Islands.

> It was part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific before that territory was split into four pieces, some of which chose (at least nominal) independence.
Other islands/countries are now Federated States of Micronesia (Ponape, Koerae, Chuuk, and Yap), Palau, an Guam.

I believe that Guam and Puerto Rico are teritories associated w/the US, as oppsed to being part of a commonwealth. Guam and PR share immigration, customs and labor w/the US. We have no federal income tax, no vote, etc., same as the territories. (BTW, the tax situation in the CNMI is great.)

>I'll have to look at a map when I get home, but I think that they call it "northern" Marianas because the southern part of that island group is another U.S. territory, maybe Guam.

The Northern Marianas consist of the populated islands Saipan, Tinian (where the Enola Gay took off from when it dropped the atomic bomb) and Rota, and a half dozen more unpopulated islands to the north. Guam, about 120 miles from Saipan, to the south is also, geographically, part of the Marianas Islands.

You sound like you do know quite a bit about this region...do you have a particular connection to the area?

Regards, j