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The island is about 20 km (12.5 mi) long and 9 km (5.5 mi) wide, and its highest point is the extinct volcano Mount Tapochau at 474 m (1,554 ft). Saipan is located at 15° 15' north latitude and 145° 45' west longitude, about 200 km (120 mi) north of Guam.
The western side of the island has beaches and a coral reef, while the eastern side is mostly rugged rocky cliffs.
Spain originally claimed Saipan as part of the Marianas. Around 1815 many Carolineans from atolls near Truk settled in Saipan. Saipan was under German rule from 1899 to 1914, when the JapanJapan (, Nippon/Nihon literally "the origin of the sun") is a country in East Asia situated on a chain of islands east of the Asian continent on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. The largest of these islands are, from north to south, Hokkaido , Honshese took over the island. The Japanese developed both fishingFishing is both the recreation and sport of catching fish (for food or as a trophy), and the commercial fishing industry of catching or harvesting seafood (either fish or other aquatic life-forms, such as shellfish). Fishing is done in a river, canal, lak and sugarThis article deals with sugar as food and as an important, widely traded commodity; the word also has other uses; see Sugar (disambiguation A sugar is a form of carbohydrate; the most commonly used sugar is a white crystalline solid, sucrose; used to alte industries, and in the 1930sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Years: 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Link Trainer invented Sc garrisoned Saipan heavily, with nearly 30,000 military on the island by 19411941 is also the title of a Steven Spielberg movie made in 1979 see 1941 (film). Events January January 6 Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms Speech in the State of the Union Address. January 10 Lend-Lease is introduced into the United St.
During World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough, the US Marines landed on June 15June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. Events 763 BC Assyrians record a solar eclipse that will be used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history. 923 Battle of Soissons: King Rob, 1944Events World War II January January 4 The Battle of Monte Cassino begins. January 5 Murder of Danish playwright Kaj Munck January 17 British forces, in Italy, cross the Garigliano River. January 20 The Royal Air Force drops 2,300 tons of bombs on Berlin; on the beaches of southwestern side of Saipan, and spent more than three weeks in hard fighting to secure the island, in the battle of Saipan.
Despite its status as a US territorial island, Saipan like the other Northern Marianas is exempt from some federal laws, including key labor and immigration laws. In consequence a number of factories have been set up on the island to supply the US market, and wages are routinely around half the US minimum wage. The factories use the "Made in the United States" label on their manufactured clothing.
In January 1999 a coalition of US-based pressure groups and labor unions began a class action on behalf of around 30,000 garment workers whom they claimed had been mistreated in such factories, being submitted what was in effect indentured labor . In April 2003 a settlement worth $20 million was reached with 27 garment manufacturers and 27 leading retailers, such as Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, and Polo Ralph Lauren . The firm of Levi Strauss & Co. however refused to settle, and in January 2004 the case against this company was dismissed.
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