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Glite Dictionary
Mariana Islands

Mariana Islands

1 4.8
A chain of islands in the western Pacific Ocean, including Guam
  • proper noun
translation icon : Islas Marianas
  • The Pacific Theater on June 15, 1944, a massive U.S. invasion fleet stormed the beaches of Saipan, the largest of the Mariana Islands.
  • Northern Mariana Islands

Examples

  • You know, Marianne, you won't believe this, but my next trip is going to be to the Mariana Islands.

    Beach Party (1963)

  • Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands attract tourists seeking both adventure and relaxation.

  • What about Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands?

    Blog text (7)

  • I have also had a series of meetings with the Legislature of the Northern Mariana Islands on options for re-examining its future political status.

    Blog text (7)

  • Northern Mariana Islands

    Blog text (7)

  • Donations from the nearby Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and from Hawaii helped create a positive living environment for the MDR-TB patients and their families.

    Academic text (2011)

  • At the request of the Micronesia government, a team comprised of representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), WHO, and the nearby Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands arrived in July 2008 to investigate the deaths from MDR-TB.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The Northern Mariana Islands are known for their beautiful beaches and rich cultural heritage.

  • After the storm, recovery efforts began in the Northern Mariana Islands, focusing on rebuilding infrastructure.

Synonyms

Marianas
vsMariana Islands
5 7.4

A chain of coral and volcanic islands that lie in the western Pacific Ocean between New Guinea and Japan

is the more formal current name for the same island chain
Ladrone Islands
vsMariana Islands
9.9

A former name for islands in the Pacific including Guam and the Northern Marianas

is the present official name used instead of the older one

Surface Forms

Mariana Islands main

Morphology

Mariana + island

This is a straightforward toponym formed by a proper name 'Mariana' plus the noun 'islands', so the meaning — a group of islands called Mariana — is directly derivable from the constituents. Toponymic name + noun compositions are non-idiomatic and cross-linguistically transparent, so a learner who knows the parts will understand the phrase.

Etymology

Mariana Islands were named by Spanish explorers in the 1600s for a Spanish queen called Mariana of Austria. So the name simply means the islands named for Queen Mariana, which is why we still call that group the Mariana Islands today.