Saipan & the Northern Mariana Islands
Introduction
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Saipan
is one of the islands that comprises the United States Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands. There are 14 islands in the archipelago
that lies to the east of the Philippines, to the south of Japan, and
north of Papua New Guinea. Saipan is the largest of the Islands. The
Northern Mariana Islands have a total population of approximately
60,000 people. The official languages are English, Chamorro, and Carolinian.
The US Dollar is the official currency in the Northern Mariana Islands
and Roman Catholicism is the main religion. |
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Brief History
Saipan and it's neighbouring islands
were settled by the Spanish who maintained control of the Northern
Mariana from 1521 to 1899. The Spanish sold the islands to Germany
in 1899 and the Germans retained control until 1914 when they were
forced out by the Japanese.
World War II
In June 1944 US armed forces began
a campaign to drive the Japanese off the islands during World War
II. The Americans needed to secure Saipan as a base for a land invasion
of Japan. The Japanese put up very strong resistance. Of the 31,629
Japanese on Saipan approximately 29,500 Japanese died as a result
of the fighting. Only 2,100 Japanese prisoners survived. Many Japanese
families committed suicide rather than be taken prisoner. The fierce
defence by the Japanese, including their willingness to fight to
the death, convinced the Americans that any invasion of Japan would
involve an unacceptable number of American deaths.
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The battle for Saipan led directly to the
decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The B-29 American bomber
Enola Gay, carrying the atomic bomb, took off from Saipan neighbouring
island, Tinian, on 6 August 1945. Saipan and it's Mariana neighbours have
been under the control of the USA in one form or another since World War
II.
Republic of Ireland 2002 World Cup Soccer
Squad
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On
the 18th May 2002 the Republic of Ireland World Cup soccer squad flew
to Saipan from Tokyo airport on NorthWest flight 0076. The squad and
FAI officials stayed in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the Garapan area
of Saipan. The 311 room hotel lies in 14 acres of lush, tropical gardens,
lagoons and the magnificent Micro Beach. The Irish trained each day
at the Susupe Sports complex which included, "the newly rejuvenated
soccer field just north of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium."
The Commonwealth of the the Northern Mariana |
Islands had spent $20,000 to upgrade Oleai
field in preparation for the arrival of the Irish team. (Saipan Tribune
- 20 May 2007).
I Keano - Musical
Show
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