WonderClub.com

Background:

Guam

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 land:  549 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

Geography - note:

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

Guam

People

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

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.)

Guam

Government

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

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) 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

Guam

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%

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%

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

Guam

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)

Guam

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 (2000 est.)

Airports:

5 (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.)

Guam

Military

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the US

Guam

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:

none