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  Guam
(territory of the US)
 
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
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 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Guam
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Guam Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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    Guam Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
13 28 N, 144 47 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 541.3 sq km
land: 541.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
125.5 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to December); little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 3.64%
permanent crops: 18.18%
other: 78.18% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean
   People    Guam Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
173,456 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 28.6% (male 25,686/female 23,938)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 57,023/female 54,872)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 5,592/female 6,345) (2007 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 28.8 years
male: 28.5 years
female: 29 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.4% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.56 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.073 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.039 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.881 male(s)/female
total population: 1.037 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 6.68 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 78.76 years
male: 75.69 years
female: 82.01 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.57 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Guamanian(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Guamanian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
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 Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1990 est.)
   Government    Guam Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam
local long form: Guahan
local short form: Guahan
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Hagatna (Agana)
geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 44 E
time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of the US)
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of the US)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
Organic Act of Guam, 1 August 1950
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Felix P. CAMACHO (since 6 January 2003); Lieutenant Governor Dr. Michael W. CRUZ (since 1 January 2007)
cabinet: heads of executive departments; appointed by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature
elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Guam, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (can serve two consecutive terms, then must wait a full term before running again); election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2010)
election results: Felix P. CAMACHO reelected governor; Dr. Michael W. CRUZ elected lieutenant governor; percent of vote - NA
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 8, Democratic Party 7
note: Guam elects one nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2008); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 1
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Democratic Party [leader Michael PHILLIPS]; Republican Party [Philip J. FLORES] (controls the legislature)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
IOC, SPC, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of the US)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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    Guam Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
The economy depends largely on US military spending and tourism. Total US grants, wage payments, and procurement outlays amounted to $1.3 billion in 2004. Over the past 30 years, the tourist industry has grown to become the largest income source following national defense. The Guam economy continues to experience expansion in both its tourism and military sectors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.5 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$2.773 billion (2001)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$15,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
62,050 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 26%
industry: 10%
services: 64% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11.4% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
23% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.5% (2005 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $319.6 million
expenditures: $427.8 million (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.793 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.667 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13,530 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12,130 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$45 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction materials, fish, food and beverage products
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Japan 67.2%, Singapore 11.6%, UK 4.8% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$701 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Singapore 50%, South Korea 21.4%, Japan 14%, Hong Kong 4.6% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
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.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
US dollar (USD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
the US dollar is used
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 October - 30 September
   Communications    Guam Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
80,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
98,000 (2004)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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: country code - 1-671; major landing point for submarine cables between Asia and the US (Guam is a trans-Pacific communications hub for major carriers linking the US and Asia); satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2005)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
3 (2006)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.gu
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
36 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
65,000 (2005)
   Transportation    Guam Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 977 km (2004)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Apra Harbor
   Military    Guam Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the US
   Transnational Issues    Guam Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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