Rota, Northern Mariana Islands

Rota, also known as the “Friendly Island”, is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the third southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. Early Spanish records called it Zarpana; the name Rota may have come from the Andalusian municipality of Rota. It lies approximately 40 nautical miles (74 km) north-northeast of the separately administered United States territory of Guam. Sinapalo village is the largest and most populated, followed by Songsong village. Rota functions as one of the four municipalities of the CNMI.