Asuncion (or Ascuncion) is the third northernmost independent island in the Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...

 chain at 19°40′N 145°25′E.

It is located in the far northern part of the Mariana arc of volcanic islands, situated 101 kilometres (62.8 mi) northwest of Agrihan

Agrihan

Agrihan is a stratovolcano which forms an island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The entire island is a massive volcano which rises over from the ocean floor, and is the fifth largest in the Marianas volcanic arc. At , its summit is the highest point in Micronesia...

 and 37 km (23 mi) southeast of the Maug Islands

Maug Islands

The Maug Islands consist of three islands formed from the highest points of a single submerged volcano's caldera...

; the island of Pagan

Pagan Island

Pagan is an island of the Northern Mariana Islands chain,located at , approximately 320 kilometers northof Saipan.Pagan has an area of 47.23 km² , making it the fourth largest island of the Northern Marianas, and consists of two stratovolcanoes joined by a narrow strip of land.The...

 lies 175 km (108.7 mi) to the southwest. It is a stratovolcano

Stratovolcano

A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...

, 857 metres (2,811.7 ft) at the tallest point, and has a land area of 7.31 km² (2.82 sq mi).