Guam

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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.

Table of contents

1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

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: 549 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 549 sq km

Area - comparative 

three times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

125.5 km

Maritime claims 

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

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: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m

Natural resources 

fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)

Land use 

arable land: 10.91%
permanent crops: 10.91%
other: 78.18% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

NA sq km

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 

160,796 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 35.1% (male 29,706; female 26,813)
15-64 years: 58.6% (male 49,457; female 44,697)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 5,070; female 5,053) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

1.99% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

24.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

4.24 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

6.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 78.11 years
female: 80.72 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.81 years

Total fertility rate 

3.73 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

NA

Nationality 

noun: Guamanian(s)
adjective: Guamanian

Ethnic groups 

Chamorro 37%, Filipino 26%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 27%

Religions 

Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)

Languages 

English, Chamorro, Japanese

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1990 est.)

Government

Country name 

conventional long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam
local long form: Guahan

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: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
election results: Felix P. P. CAMACHO elected governor; percent of vote - Felix P. P. CAMACHO (Republican Party) 55.4%, Robert A. UNDERWOOD (Democratic Party) 44.6%
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for a four-year term; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006)
head of government: Governor Felix P. P. CAMACHO (since 6 January 2003) and Lieutenant Governor Kaleo MOYLAN (since 6 January 2003)
cabinet: executive departments; heads appointed by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature

Legislative branch 

unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
note: Guam elects one nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 5 November 2002); results - Robert UNDERWOOD was reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 1
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 9, Republican Party 6

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 (party of Governor GUTIERREZ) [leader NA]; Republican Party (controls the legislature) [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders 

NA

International organization participation 

ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC

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 has 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: NA%
industry: 15% (1993)
services: NA% (1993)

Population below poverty line 

23% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

0% (1999 est.)

Labor force 

60,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation 

federal and territorial government 26%, private 74% (trade 24%, other services 40%, industry 10%) (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate 

15% (2000 est.)

Budget 

revenues: $420 million
expenditures: $431 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries 

US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

825 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

767.25 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef

Exports 

$75.7 million f.o.b. (1999 est.)

Exports - commodities 

mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction materials, fish, food and beverage products

Exports - partners 

US 25%

Imports 

$203 million f.o.b. (1999 est.)

Imports - commodities 

petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners 

US 23%, Japan 19%

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

Currency 

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 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

55,000 (1998)

Telephone system 

general assessment: modern system, integrated with US facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service and local access to the Internet
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan (Guam is a trans-Pacific communications hub for MCI, Sprint, AT&T, IT&E, and GTE, linking the US and Asia)

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 4, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)

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 

5,000 (2000)

Transportation

Railways 

0 km

Highways 

total: 885 km
paved: 675 km
unpaved: 210 km
note: there are also 685 km of roads classified non-public, including roads located on federal government installations

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Apra Harbor

Merchant marine 

none (2002 est.)

Airports 

5 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 1 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none