Guide to Guam Introduction Background: Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898. Captured by the Japanese in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. The military installation on the island is one of the most strategically important US bases in the Pacific.
Geography Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 47 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total
Area - comparative: three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 125.5 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in center, mountains in south
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: NA
Natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)
Environment - current issues: extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species
Geography - note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean
People Population: 168,564 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 1.46% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 19.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 4.41 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Chamorro 37.1%, Filipino 26.3%, other Pacific islander 11.3%, white 6.9%, other Asian 6.3%, other ethnic origin or race 2.3%, mixed 9.8% (2000 census)
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)
Languages: English 38.3%, Chamorro 22.2%, Philippine languages 22.2%, other Pacific island languages 6.8%, Asian languages 7%, other languages 3.5% (2000 census)
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Dependency status: organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Government type: NA
Capital: Hagatna (Agana)
Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
Independence: none (territory of the US)
National holiday: Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521)
Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950
Legal system: modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president); Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms by the governor)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [leader Michael PHILLIPS]; Republican Party (controls the legislature) [leader Philip J. FLORES]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of the US)
Flag description: territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; US flag is the national flag
Economy Economy - overview: The economy depends on US military spending, tourism, and the export of fish and handicrafts. Total US grants, wage payments, and procurement outlays amounted to $1 billion in 1998. Over the past 20 years, the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. More than 1 million tourists visit Guam each year. The industry had recently suffered setbacks because of the continuing Japanese slowdown; the Japanese normally make up almost 90% of the tourists. Most food and industrial goods are imported. Guam faces the problem of building up the civilian economic sector to offset the impact of military downsizing.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 60,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: private 74% (industry 10%, trade 24%, other services 40%), federal and territorial government 26% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 23% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues
Agriculture - products: fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef
Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - production: 835 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 776.6 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Exports: $38 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities: mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction materials, fish, food and beverage products
Exports - partners: Japan 66.1%, South Korea 9.9%, Singapore 8.4% (2004)
Imports: $462 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Imports - partners: Singapore 39.5%, South Korea 20.8%, Japan 19%, Hong Kong 9%, Philippines 4.3% (2004)
Debt - external: NA
Economic aid - recipient: Guam receives large transfer payments from the US Federal Treasury ($143 million in 1997) into which Guamanians pay no income or excise taxes; under the provisions of a special law of Congress, the Guam Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes paid by military and civilian Federal employees stationed in Guam (2001 est.)
Currency (code): US dollar (USD)
Currency code: USD
Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 84,134 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 32,600 (2001)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2003)
Radios: 221,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1997)
Televisions: 106,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .gu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 20 (2000)
Internet users: 50,000 (2002)
Transportation Highways: total
Ports and harbors: Apra Harbor
Airports: 5 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: none
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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