Photo Courtesy of Aanony Donald

At a small island chain just south of Japan, the sun peeks over the horizon as America's day begins. Yes, America.

Deep into the other side of the International Date Line and located in scenic nowhere, the Northern Mariana Islands is known to some as the hidden gem of the United States.

But what exactly is the Northern Mariana Islands?

 
Home of the indigenous Chamorro people, the Northern Marianas is an island chain that consists of 14 ancient volcanoes (15, if you include Guam). Lying along the edge of the Mariana Plate, these islands are located some 60 - 100 miles West of the deepest known valley in the world, the Marianas Trench (You may remember it being featured on National Geographic when James Cameron was determined to set his Challenger Deep World Record).

That's almost as deep as my love for Betty White!

Chapter 1: Discovery

On March 6, 1521, along his voyage in search of the "Spice Islands" for Spain, Ferdinand Magellan came across the southern islands of the Marianas. By this time, his men were starving, thirsty, and in poor spirits. As they came upon the islands, Magellan marveled as the native people of the islands approached his fleet in tiny outrigger canoes. Seeing the state of Magellan’s men, the natives (now known as Chamorros) offered water, fresh coconuts, and whatever food they had on them. Still struck with the vessels that the natives used to maneuver the waters, Magellan deemed it fit to name the islands Islas de las Velas Latinas, Islands of the Lateen Sails.

However, Magellan was not familiar with the culture of the Chamorros, a culture in which sharing of resources was second nature. As such, when the Chamorros came aboard his ships and proceeded to "borrow" items of interest (much like children in a brand new museum that didn't notice the No touch signs), Magellan assumed that the natives intended to keep his equipment. We have to understand that, up until that point, Chamorros had never seen metal before. It’s very likely that they simply wanted to show the villagers the shiny swords and tools that were onboard the giant ships. But Magellan sent men to retrieve these supplies back by force, burning a village down and killing seven Chamorros in the process, and quickly revised the name of the islands to Islas de los Ladrones, Islands of the Thieves -- a name that would remain on world maps until well into the twentieth century. Spain eventually came back to colonize the islands. Thanks, Magellan.

Chapter 2: Dispute Over Territory

Over the course of the next couple of centuries, the Mariana Islands (this includes Guam) would be subject to numerous changes in administration. On December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed in which Spain agreed to cede the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the United States. This officially separated the rest of the Marianas from the island of Guam, resulting in the Northern Mariana Islands as we know it today. Without getting into too much detail about the politics: the Northern Marianas was sold to Germany, got taken over by the Japanese in WWI, and then was captured by the Americans in WWII. This is where the islands become very relevant.

Chapter 3: World War II

For some odd reason, the Northern Mariana Islands isn't very well-known to many Americans, though it can be argued that it was these islands that very well determined the results of WWII and ultimately shaped the history of the world.

The above image is the geographical location of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. Because of its proximity to Japan, the US decided that the islands held an invaluable strategic military location. Why? Because then Japan would be within striking range of America's newest, top-secret weapon -- the atomic bomb. The atomic bombs of WWII, Little Boy and Fat Man, completed assembly on the island of Tinian (my home island). From there, these were flown off to Japan to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, ending the war.

Additionally, here is a video of someone who visited the islands and wanted to emphasize their historical significance in the war.

Chapter 4: A New Beginning

As the world recovered from the decimation of the war, the Northern Marianas began to thrive under the new American administration. The islands officially became a US Commonwealth, the only territory other than Puerto Rico to do so.

Courtesy of saipanexplorer

As peace followed, so did relationships mend. The Japanese and American people set up various peace monuments on the islands and visited the islands every year to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the war. From a time of war and destruction bloomed a period of peace and forgiveness.

Chapter 5: So What Now?

Here's the part you all probably want to know most about. What is there to do on these islands, you ask? First off, if you're going to be coming to these islands, you're probably not going to visit all 14. In fact, only 3 of these are really inhabited (with the exception of the handful of people on one of the islands further north). You'll most likely only stop by the capital island, Saipan. So going back to activities, let me knock a few of these out for you:

• Scuba Diving

  When I think "tropical island paradise," the first thing that comes to my head is clear blue waters and breathtaking diving spots. Whether you're a professional diver or simply a marine life enthusiast that has no idea how to swim, we've got you covered. Local tour operators have a variety of deals for you.

  

  It's a great place to travel back in time with old wreckage from the war:

  

  Or, if you ever want to play "Marco, Polo" with the fish:

  
  Photos courtesy of Jem Manibo, Brett Seymour Photography, and the Saipan Real Estate Blog

• Hiking

  You can find lots of natural beauty above water, too! With lots of beautiful indigenous fauna and steady, tropical climates, almost every day is a great day to go hiking. Maybe you want to brave the more difficult hike of getting to Forbidden Island:

  

  Or maybe you'll simply want to take leisurely walks by our beautiful flame trees (in season from late Spring to late Summer):

  
  Photo courtesy of Leslie Ware

• Live Cultural Performances

  During your stay, you'll definitely have to watch one of the many spectacular cultural performances on island.

  

  You'll get to see some of these talented performers dance with fire, too (almost literally!):

  
  Photos courtesy of TripAdvisor

• Delicious Food

  The experience wouldn't be complete without food. With the different administrations that have come through the islands throughout the past few centuries, we have not only great local dishes, but also interesting adaptations to Spanish, Japanese, and American cuisine:

  
  A local favorite, BBQ Chicken and Spare Ribs served with Red Rice (Yes, red. Gotta try it!)

  
  Titiyas, a Chamorro adaptation of the Spanish tortilla, served with local chicken kelaguen.

  
  Tinian Hot Peppers (known as Donne' Sali). Though small, locals swear it's one of the hottest in the world! Photos Courtesy of Pdx 671 and The Guam Guide

• Beautiful Sunsets

  If you thought the sunrise was great, just wait until you see the amazing sunset. As the day comes to a close, you will be able to witness a true testament to nature's beauty. Honestly, the sunsets here never cease to amaze me. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching an enormous, live painting:

  

  Yes, these colors appear naturally too:

  
  Photos courtesy of Anjosa and Saipan Shores

• Stargazing

  The beauty doesn't end when the sun goes down, either. If you are a fan of the night sky, you can find many places on island without the disturbance of artificial light to get in the way of you and your lights in the sky:

  
  Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor, taken by Junji Takasago

  We've also had visitors come and record it themselves!

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Though these are the ones that stand out to me, there are definitely many other activities left to do here on Saipan. And if you wish to visit my home island of Tinian, it's only a swim away!

Photo of Saipan from Tinian, taken by myself (don't mind the quality).

On Tinian, you can find the original atomic bomb pits of WWII, and the historic North Field, from which the Enola Gay and Bockscar flew off.

Photos Courtesy of Chris and Stars and Stripes

Anyway, here's a small trailer of Saipan for you all.

Are these islands the most beautiful place in America you've never heard of? Fly on over and see for yourself!

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Special thanks to Frank Villagomez for capturing great aerial shots of Saipan's beauty, Iwamoto Film Studio for their amazing stargazing video, and Tom Isaacson for trying his best to compile relevant footage surrounding the Northern Mariana Islands' vital role during World War II.