Northern Marianas profile - Leaders
Head of state: President Barack Obama
Head of government: Eloy Inos
Incumbent Governor Eloy Inos won the election runoff against independent candidate Heinz Hofschneider in December 20
The former lieutenant governor automatically moved into the top job after his predecessor Benigno Fitial became the Northern Marianas' first governor to be impeached and to resign in February 2013.
Before being nominated by Mr Fitial as his lieutenant governor in 2009, Mr Inos served as finance secretary in the Northern Marianas government. He came into politics after a career in business and finance.
Benigno Fitial's impeachment came after he was charged in connection with his role in an alleged conspiracy to prevent a former attorney-general, Edward Buckingham, from being served a penal summons in 2012.
In November 2014, the Superior Court dismissed the criminal case against Fitial ruling the Office of the Public Auditor had no authority to bring the charges, only to reinstate four of the 13 original charges in February 2015.
A veteran politician Benigno Fitial, from the Covenant Party, won elections in November 2005, and re-election in November 2009. He took office amid questions about his relationship with a prominent US government lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges in January 2006.14.