The Northern Mariana Islands is divided into 4 municipalities, which serve as the primary and only sub-territorial administrative divisions in this U.S. Commonwealth. These municipalities—Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and the Northern Islands—function as local government units responsible for delivering essential public services to their residents, including public safety, sanitation, parks and recreation, and local infrastructure maintenance. Each municipality operates with its own mayor and municipal council, exercising authority over land use planning, business licensing, and community development within their jurisdictions. As the sole level of local administration below the Commonwealth government, municipalities handle both day-to-day civic operations and serve as the direct interface between island residents and government services, adapting their governance to the unique geographic and demographic characteristics of their respective islands.