| 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. |
| 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 |
| Area: |
total:
549 sq km
land: 549 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
three times the
size of Washington, DC |
| 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-rising 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:
11%
permanent crops: 11%
permanent pastures: 15%
forests and woodland: 18%
other: 45% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
frequent squalls
during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very
destructive typhoons (especially in August) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
extirpation of
native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the
brown tree snake, an exotic species |
| Geography
- note: |
largest and
southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago;
strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean |
| Population: |
157,557 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
35.07% (male 28,978; female 26,270)
15-64 years: 58.78% (male 48,704; female
43,902)
65 years and over: 6.15% (male 4,871; female
4,832) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.09% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
25.07
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.2 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
6.71 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 77.94 years
male: 75.66 years
female: 80.55 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.85 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Guamanian(s)
adjective: Guamanian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Chamorro 47%,
Filipino 25%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and
other 18% |
| 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.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam |
| 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 |
| 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)
head of government: Governor Carl GUTIERREZ
(since 8 November 1994) and Lieutenant Governor Madeleine
BORDALLO (since 8 November 1994)
cabinet: executive departments; heads appointed
by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature
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 terms; election last held 3
November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2002)
election results: Carl GUTIERREZ reelected
governor; percent of vote - Carl GUTIERREZ (Democrat) 53.2%,
Joseph ADA (Republican) 46.8% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2000 (next to
be held NA November 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 8, Democratic Party 7
note: Guam elects one delegate to the US House
of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next
to be held NA November 2002); results - Robert UNDERWOOD was
reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - Democratic Party 1 |
| 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 the Governor) [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
- 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% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| 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:
$605.3 million
expenditures: $654.2 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000) |
| Industries: |
US military,
tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete
products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
800 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
744 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
fruits, copra,
vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef |
| Exports: |
$75.7 million
(f.o.b., 1999) |
| 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% |
| 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) |
| Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is
used |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 October - 30
September |
| 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) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
5 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
106,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.gu |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
20 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
5,000 (2000) |
| 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 |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Apra Harbor |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the US |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
