Largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a United States commonwealth in the western Pacific.
Geography
Saipan stretches about 20 km north to south and 9 km at its widest. Mount Tapochau rises 474 m at the island’s center, offering panoramic views from a karst limestone summit. A barrier reef encloses a long western lagoon.
History
Indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian peoples have lived on Saipan for centuries. The Battle of Saipan in June and July 1944 was a pivotal Pacific War engagement, with the United States capturing the island as a base for B-29 bombing missions against Japan.
Status
Saipan is the capital of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which entered political union with the United States in 1978.
Find more islands by letter
Saipan starts with S and ends with N. Browse other islands along the same letter.
Islands that contain a letter from "Saipan":