Mariana Islands

The Mariana Islands are in the Pacific Ocean.

They are a long chain of islands. Many of these islands are made of old volcanoes.

The islands sit near a very deep place. This spot is called the Mariana Trench. It is the lowest part of the ocean floor.

Green trees grow on most of the islands. The air is warm and damp. Soft winds blow across the land.

The Chamorro people live here. They have lived on the islands for a long time. They once traveled far across the sea to find them.

Some islands have large stone pillars. These stones helped hold up old houses.

It is a very special place.

The Mariana Islands are a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

They sit in a part of the world called Micronesia. The islands form a crescent shape. Some are volcanic mountains and others are made of coral. The islands are part of the United States. Guam is a territory at the southern end. The Northern Mariana Islands are a commonwealth in the north.

The islands are near the Mariana Trench. This is the deepest part of the ocean floor. Most islands have thick green forests. The weather is warm and damp. Trade winds blow across the islands to keep them mild.

The Chamorro people are the first people to live here. They likely arrived from the Philippines a long time ago. They made a very long trip across the sea. Long ago, people built houses on large stone pillars. We call these latte stones.

These pillars helped hold up wooden buildings. Today, you can still see some of these stone ruins.

The Mariana Islands are a beautiful chain of islands in the western Pacific Ocean. They form a crescent shape made of fifteen volcanic mountain peaks. These islands sit in a region called Micronesia. They are located south-southeast of Japan and west-southwest of Hawaii. The islands mark the eastern edge of the Philippine Sea. Today, the islands belong to the United States. They are split into two parts. The southern island of Guam is a U.S. territory. The northern islands are called the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The islands were made by powerful movements deep under the ocean. This area is part of the Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc system. A huge piece of the Earth called the Pacific Plate moves westward. It plunges downward underneath the Mariana plate. This area is the most active volcanic boundary on Earth. As the plate sinks, it carries water deep into the ground. This water gets very hot from the deep Earth. The heat creates steam and volcanic activity that builds the islands. Just east of the islands is the Mariana Trench. This is the deepest part of the ocean floor.

Long ago, the Chamorro people became the first inhabitants. Scientists believe they arrived from the Philippines around 1500 to 1400 BCE. They made a very long journey across the open ocean. This may have been the longest uninterrupted voyage in human history. The people lived through a time called the Latte period. During this time, they built amazing structures. They used large stone pillars called latte stones to hold up wooden houses. These pillars had a special capstone called a tasa. This stone helped keep small animals like rodents away from the homes.

European explorers first arrived in the early 16th century. Ferdinand Magellan led a Spanish expedition that reached the islands in 1521. The islands were named after Queen Mariana of Austria. Magellan's crew found fresh fruit on the islands. This fruit helped save the sailors from a sickness called scurvy. Later, Spain took control of the islands and made Guam their capital. The Spanish even called the islands the Islands of the Thieves. This happened after a disagreement over items taken from the Spanish ships.

Life on the islands is shaped by the warm, damp climate. Trade winds blow across the islands to keep the heat mild. Most of the islands are covered in thick, green forests. You can find many types of grasses and plants there. The soil is moist, which helps many living things grow. The islands are home to many different species of plants and animals. Some of these living things are found only in these islands. The islands connect the history of the Philippines to the rest of the Pacific.

The Mariana Islands are a crescent-shaped archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean. They consist of fifteen volcanic mountain summits. These islands sit between the 12th and 21st parallels north. They also lie along the 145th meridian east. The islands mark the eastern limit of the Philippine Sea. Geographically, they are part of the Micronesia sub-region.

Politically, the islands are divided into two United States jurisdictions. The southern end consists of the territory of Guam. The northern islands form the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. This commonwealth includes islands such as Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. The archipelago is split into two distinct geographic subgroups. The northern group contains ten volcanic main islands. These islands are currently uninhabited. The southern group contains five coralline limestone islands. These include Rota, Guam, Aguijan, Tinian, and Saipan. All are inhabited except for Aguijan.

The islands formed through complex geologic processes. They are part of the Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc system. This system is a highly active convergent plate boundary. This means two tectonic plates are moving toward each other. The western edge of the Pacific Plate moves westward. It plunges downward below the Mariana plate. This process is known as subduction. As the plate sinks, it carries water trapped in its faults. This water is known as serpentinite. Deep in the Earth, the temperature rises. This heat turns the water into steam. The pressure from this expanding steam causes hydrothermal and volcanic activity. This activity built the islands over time.

Just east of the islands lies the Mariana Trench. This is the lowest part of the Earth's crust. It is also the deepest part of the world's oceans. The islands are the southern part of a submerged mountain range. This range extends from Guam toward Japan. In the northern volcanic group, some islands have craters. These craters show signs of activity. Earthquakes also occur in this region. The southern islands are lower in elevation. Coral reefs fringe the coasts of these southern isles.

The history of the islands began with the Chamorro people. Archaeologists believe they arrived from the Philippines around 1500 to 1400 BCE. This may have been the longest uninterrupted ocean voyage in human history. These migrants were part of the Austronesian expansion. They brought specific pottery styles to the islands. This pottery featured red-slipped and circle-stamped designs. These designs are similar to pottery found in the Philippines. Genetic studies support this connection. DNA shows the Chamorro people have ancestry from the Philippines.

Between 900 and 1700 CE, the islands experienced the Latte period. This era was defined by massive stone structures. These are called latte stones. They consist of two main parts. The first is the haligi, which is a stone pillar. The second is the tasa, a stone cap. The tasa was placed on top of the haligi. This design prevented rodents from climbing the posts. These pillars supported wooden buildings.

European contact began in the early 16th century. Ferdinand Magellan led a Spanish expedition to the islands in 1521. The islands were named after Queen Mariana of Austria. Magellan's crew found fresh fruits on the islands. These fruits saved the sailors from scurvy. Scurvy had already killed dozens of his crewmembers. However, the encounter with the Chamorro people was difficult. The Spanish called the islands Islas de los Ladrones. This means "Islands of the Thieves." They used this name after a disagreement over items taken from their ships.

The environment of the Marianas is lush and green. Most islands are densely forested. The vegetation is similar to that of the Philippines. The soil is moist, which supports many plants. This moisture allows cryptogams to grow in large numbers. The climate is warm and damp. However, trade winds temper the heat. This makes the temperature milder than in the Philippines. The islands provide a plentiful supply of water for life.