Destination attractions: stats, facts and information on Guam

Geography

Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 47 E

Map references: Oceania

Area:

total: 541.3 sq km

land: 541.3 sq km

water: 0 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-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.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

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

Environment—international agreements:

party to: NA

signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography—note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

People

Population: 151,716 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 35% (male 27,301; female 25,106)

15-64 years: 60% (male 47,691; female 42,714)

65 years and over: 5% (male 4,486; female 4,418) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.67% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 26.52 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 4.35 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female

total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 77.78 years

male: 74.6 years

female: 81.31 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.92 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Guamanian(s)

adjective: Guamanian

Ethnic groups: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18%

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%

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

Data code: GQ

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: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March) (1521); Liberation Day, 21 July (1944)

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 William Jefferson CLINTON of the US (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)

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 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2000)

election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—Republican 12, Democratic 3

note: Guam elects one delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2000); results—Robert UNDERWOOD was reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—Democratic 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: Republican Party (controls the legislature) [leader NA]; Democratic Party (party of the Governor) [leader 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 mainly on US military spending and on tourist revenue. 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 suffered a setback in 1998 because of the continuing Japanese recession; 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 billion (1996 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: NA%

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$19,000 (1996 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1992 est.)

Labor force: 65,660 (1995)

Labor force—by occupation: federal and territorial government 31%, private 69% (trade 21%, services 33%, construction 12%, other 3%) (1995)

Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $524.3 million

expenditures: $361.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)

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 (1996)

Electricity—production by source:

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 800 million kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef

Exports: $86.1 million (f.o.b., 1992)

Exports—commodities: mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, food and beverage products

Exports—partners: US 25%

Imports: $202.4 million (c.i.f., 1992)

Imports—commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports—partners: US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58%

Debt—external: $NA

Economic aid—recipient: $NA; note—although Guam receives no foreign aid, it does receive large transfer payments from the general revenues of the US Federal Treasury 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: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Fiscal year: 1 October—30 September

Communications

Telephones: 74,317 (March 1997)

Telephone system:

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: 206,000 (1994)

Television broadcast stations: 5 (1997)

Televisions: 97,000 (1994 est.)

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:

total: 885 km

paved: 675 km

unpaved: 210 km

note: there is another 685 km of roads classified non-public, including roads located on federal government installations

Ports and harbors: Apra Harbor

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 5 (1998 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 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:

total: 1

under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Military

Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues

Disputes—international: none

*Information obtained from the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Fact Book.