[mair-ee-an-uh, mar-, mair-, mar-; Sp. mah-ree-ah-nah] 
| a group of 15 small islands in the Pacific, E of the Philippines: divided into Guam, a possession of the U.S., and the North Marianas, formally under U.S. trusteeship. 453 sq. mi. (1127 sq. km). |
| marianas | |
noun | |
| a chain of coral and volcanic islands in Micronesia (including Guam and the Northern Marianas) halfway between New Guinea and Japan; discovered by Magellan in 1521 [syn: Mariana Islands] |
iˈæn