Saipan is the largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The city is located in the Western Pacific, 15 degrees north of the equator. It is south of Japan, east of the Philippines, north of Papua New Guinea.
The Chamorro people have the first inhabitants of the area, since initial arrival sometime between 2000 and 1500 B.C. .
Starting from the 19th century, Saipan was held by Spain, Germany, and Japan before being captured by U.S. troops in July 1944 during the second World War.
After 20 years of American presence, Saipan opted out of the US Trust in 1975 and voted to become the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, an integral part of the United States.
Today, the Northern Marianas enjoy a well-developed tourist trade and an efficient economy.
The Saipan island population is cosmopolitan (Filipino, Chamorro, Chinese, Micronesian and Carolinian), highly urbanized and concentrated on the capital.