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MARIANAS, MARIANNES

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 708 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MARIANAS, MARIANNES , Or LADRONES (Ger. Mariann), a,n See also:archipelago in the See also:north-western Pacific Ocean, in about 12° to 21° N. and 1450 E. With the exception of the See also:island of See also:Guam (See also:United States) it belongs to -See also:Germany, and administratively forms See also:part of the New See also:Guinea See also:protectorate. It consists of two See also:groups—a See also:northern of ten volcanic See also:main islands, of which only four (Agrigan, Anatahan, Alamagan and See also:Pagan) are inhabited; and a See also:southern of five coralline See also:limestone islands (See also:Rota, Guam, Aguijan, Tinian and Saypan), all inhabited See also:save Aguijan. In the volcanic See also:group an extreme See also:elevation of about 2700 ft. is reached, and there are craters showing signs of activity, while earthquakes are not uncommon. See also:Coral reefs fringe the coasts of the southern isles, which are of slight elevation. The See also:total See also:area, excluding Guam, is about 245 sq. m. and the See also:population 2500, mostly descendants of the Tagal immigrants from the Philippines. All the islands except Farallon de Medinilla and Urracas or Mangs (in the northern group) are more or less densely wooded, and the vegetation is luxuriant, much resembling that of the Carolines, and also of the Philippines, whence many See also:species of See also:plants have been introduced. Owing to the humidity of the See also:soil cryptogams are numerous, as also most kinds of See also:grasses. Coco-See also:nut and areca palms, yams, sweet potatoes, manioc, See also:coffee, See also:cocoa, See also:sugar, See also:cotton, See also:tobacco and See also:mother-of-See also:pearl are the See also:chief products, and See also:copra is the See also:principal export. See also:Agriculture is neglected, in spite of the exceptional advantages offered by the See also:climate and soil. On most of the islands there is a plentiful See also:supply of See also:water.

The native population known to the See also:

early See also:Spanish colonists as Chamorros has died out as a distinct See also:people, though their descendants have intermarried with the immigrant Tagals and natives of the Carolines. At the Spanish occupation in 1668 the Chamorros were estimated at 40,000 to 6o,000, but less than a See also:century later only 'Soo remained. They were typical Micronesians, with a considerable See also:civilization. In the island of Tinian are some remarkable remains attributed to them, consisting of two rows of massive square See also:stone columns, about 5 ft. 4 in. broad and 14 ft. high, with heavy'See also:round capitals. According to early Spanish accounts cinerary urns were found imbedded in the capitals. The See also:fauna of the Marianas, though inferior in number and variety, is similar in See also:character to that of the Carolines, and certain species are indigenous to both colonies. See also:Swine and oxen run See also:wild, and are hunted when required: the former were known to the earlier inhabitants; the latter with most other domestic animals were introduced by the Spaniards. The climate though See also:damp is healthy, while the See also:heat, being tempered by the See also:trade winds, is milder than that of the Philippines; the See also:variations of temperature are not See also:great. The See also:discovery of this archipelago is due to See also:Magellan, who on the 6th of See also:March 1521 observed the two southernmost islands, and sailed between them (0. Peschel, Geschichte See also:des Zeitalters der Entdeckungen, See also:Stuttgart, 1877). The name Islas de los Ladrones (or " Islands of the Thieves ") was given them by the See also:ship's See also:crew of Magellan on See also:account of the thieving propensity of the inhabitants; and the islands are still commonly called the Ladrones.

Magellan himself styled them Islas de See also:

las Velas Latinas (" Islands of the See also:Lateen Sails "). See also:San See also:Lazarus archipelago, Jardines and Prazeres are among the names applied to them by later navigators. They received the name Las Marianas in 1668 in See also:honour of Maria See also:Anna of See also:Austria, widow of See also:Philip IV. of See also:Spain. See also:Research in the archipelago was carried out by See also:Commodore See also:Anson, who in See also:August 1742 landed upon the island of Tinian (See also:George, See also:Lord Anson, Voyage round the See also:World, bk. iii., 1748). The Ladrones were visited by See also:Byron in 1765, See also:Wallis in 1767 and Crozet in 1772. The entire archipelago (except Guam) together with the See also:Caroline and Pelew Islands was sold by Spain to Germany for 037,500 in 1899. See Anson, op. cit. ; L. de See also:Freycinet, Voyage autour du monde (See also:Paris, 1826–184.4.); " The Marianas Islands " in Nautical See also:Magazine, xxxiv., See also:xxxv. (See also:London, 1865–1866) ; O. Finsch, Karolinen and Marianen (See also:Hamburg, 1900) ; Costenoble, " See also:Die Marianen " in Globus, lxxxviii. (1905).

End of Article: MARIANAS, MARIANNES

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