Could Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) hook up to form the 51st US state? Radio Australia is reporting that Guam Governor Felix Camacho's spokesman, Shawn Gumataotao, has told the Pacific Beat program "it's a long term project..."It would be good for the islands -- but I'm having trouble seeing how the 50 existing states are going to want to give so much power to such a small population -- unless there was something else in it for the states.
In the picture -- Latte Stones used by the ancient Chamorros throughout Guam and the rest of the Marianas as building pillars -- at least that's the speculation.
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Two senators and a representative for a population the size of a Cleveland suburb? Doubtful.
"Two senators and a representative for a population the size of a Cleveland suburb? Doubtful."
Exactly! No one is going to give such a small group such power.
But there might be some major benefit to creating a united territory. One of the problems we have is critical mass. We try to duplicate the structures of a US state (and add some additional things that none of the States do -- such as territorial departments of customs) but without the critical mass to support it all. A united Northern Marianas at least inches us toward the critical mass -- and at this point would be a great economic boost to you all on Saipan.
It's not much smaller a population than Alaska's was.
Anyway, if Guam & the northern Marianas apply, I'd hope Congress would grant it. It wouldn't be right not to.
An alternative to admitting Guam and No. Marianas as the 51st state would be to incorporate them (and maybe American Samoa) into an existing state, perhaps Hawaii. This is not a perfect solution of course, but it is a way that they get the benefits of statehood without having to deal with the issues about creating a new state.
How about grouping Guam, No. Marianis and American Samoa into: "Pacifica" as the 51st State?
There isn't a lot of cultural affinity between the Marianas and Hawaii or Samoa. They are all islands and deal with some of the same island issues but American Samoa is 3,600 miles from Guam -- about the same distance as between Hawaii and Guam.
I would think that there could be some kind of administrative structure that gives greater representation for the territories -- without having to unnaturally create states from distant islands. Guam and the CNMI could naturally form as an administrative entity -- there is proximity and a common culture.
When Alaska achieved statehood the population was 224,000. But there were other pressing issues which made statehood advantageous to the rest of the US -- position in the cold war (location, location, location) and a growing awareness of the natural resources banked there.
Do the Marianas bring that much to the table? If you live on Guam you probably think so (there is a tendency to believe that the world should revolve around your island -- wherever you island is). But I have my doubts.
While those islands are very valuable to the US -- statehood of the islands is probably not going to add that much value (unlike the situation in Alaska).
Personally, I'd be in favor of Marianas statehood but I'm guessing that it would take a lot of convincing to get most of the US states to buy-in to the idea.
Hmmm... I've never been to Guam or the CNMI, based on my horribly incomplete understanding from the odd news story and a high school report, aren't the Marianas very strategically positioned? As far as statehood is concerned, I just don't think we (the rest of the US) have an ethical right to tell a territory it can't have representation if it asks.
Judicially, though, yeah, we do. The two senators in particular are going to be a real hard sell...
Guam Marianas has a higher population per sq, mile than alaska. Its also higher than Alaska's when it was admited to the union.
The Marianas are very strategic to Southeast Asia. Immediately west is The Philippine nation. Indonesia. Australia, a nation vary similar to the USA. So is New Zealand. A State of Guam Mariana would be a valuable economic link to Anglo Australasia, southeast Asia, just as Hawaii links the US to China, Korea, and Japan.
The negative doubts surfaced over Hawaii when THEY sought statehood.
The combined population of Guam and Northern Marianas is already larger than Alaska's when it got statehood. Its best shot is to combine with Puerto Rico(which will include the virgin islands) , vote a state constitution, elect 2 senators and one representative, and go join Puerto Rico's 2 senator elects and 5 congresspersons and do a joint Tennessee plan. The states will be admited as a pair, just as Alaska and Hawaii. A 52 star flag will have the same even arangement it does now.
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