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Guide
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. |
| 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 |
|
