| The Northern Marianas is the fastest
growing area in Micronesia. The population has shot from just under 10,000
in 1970 to over 50,000 today, about half of which are resident aliens,
mostly from the Philippines, China and Korea. Roughly 75% of the native
population is Chamorro, the rest Carolinian. The local culture is a hybrid
of native and Spanish colonial influences, with a powerful overlay of
popular American trends. |
|
| English is the official
language, though Chamorro and Carolinian are the native tongues and are
widely spoken. You'll hear Japanese in most hotels and some shops. Hafa
adai is the traditional greeting, though the slang term howzit
is becoming nearly as common.
The predominant religion of the Northern Marianas
is Roman Catholic, especially among the Chamorros and Filipino immigrants.
Most cultural activities center around the Catholic church and religious
festivities, including annual fiestas in honor of each village's patron
saint. There are also Baptist, Methodist, Mormon, Korean Presbyterian,
Evangelical and Seventh-Day Adventist churches.
Dance in the Marianas ranges from a
Spanish-influenced cha-cha popular among the Chamorros to the 'stick
dance,' a Carolinian import combining stick beating and foot shuffling. |