from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Guam
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.
Geography
Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about
three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the
Philippines
Geographic 13 28 N, 144 47 E
coordinates:
Map Oceania
references:
Area: total: 541.3 sq km
land: 541.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - three times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 125.5 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: 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: 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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m
Natural fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from
resources: Japan)
Land use: arable land: 3.64%
permanent crops: 18.18%
other: 78.18% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare,
hazards: but potentially very destructive typhoons (June -
December)
Environment - extirpation of native bird population by the rapid
current proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic,
issues: invasive species
Geography - largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands
note: archipelago; strategic location in western North
Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 171,019 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29% (male 25,703/female 23,903)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 56,020/female 53,894)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 5,391/female 6,108) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 28.6 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 28.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.43% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 18.79 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 4.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 7.48 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 78.58 years
expectancy at male: 75.52 years
birth: female: 81.83 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Guamanian(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Guamanian
Ethnic groups: 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: Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)
Languages: 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: 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
local long form: Guahan
local short form: Guahan
Dependency organized, unincorporated territory of the US with
status: policy relations between Guam and the US under the
jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US
Department of the Interior
Government NA
type:
Capital: name: Hagatna (Agana)
geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 45 E
time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
Administrative none (territory of the US)
divisions:
Independence: none (territory of the US)
National Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521)
holiday:
Constitution: Organic Act of Guam, 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 chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US
branch: (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B.
CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Felix P. CAMACHO (since 6
January 2003) and Lieutenant Governor Kaleo MOYLAN
(since 6 January 2003)
cabinet: heads of executive departments; appointed by
the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature
elections: under the US Consitution, 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 November 2010)
election results: Felix P. CAMACHO reelected governor;
Dr. Michael W. CRUZ elected lieutenant governor;
percent of vote - NA
Legislative unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected
branch: by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held
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 November 2008); results -
Madeleine BORDALLO (Democratic Party) was reelected as
delegate; percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party
- Democratic Party 1
Judicial Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the
branch: president); Territorial Superior Court (judges
appointed for eight-year terms by the governor)
Political Democratic Party [leader Michael PHILLIPS]; Republican
parties and Party (controls the legislature) [leader Philip J.
leaders: FLORES]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International IOC, SPC, UPU
organization
participation:
Diplomatic none (territory of the US)
representation
in the US:
Diplomatic none (territory of the US)
representation
from the US:
Flag territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border
description: 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 - The economy depends largely on US military spending and
overview: 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 $2.5 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $2.773 billion
exchange
rate):
GDP - real NA%
growth rate:
GDP - per $15,000 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: NA
composition by industry: NA
sector: services: NA
Labor force: 62,050 (2002 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 26%
by occupation: industry: 10%
services: 64% (2004 est.)
Unemployment 11.4% (2002 est.)
rate:
Population 23% (2001 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 2.5% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $319.6 million
expenditures: $427.8 million (2002 est.)
Agriculture - fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef
products:
Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment
services, concrete products, printing and publishing,
food processing, textiles
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 840.1 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 781.3 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 19,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $45 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products;
commodities: construction materials, fish, food and beverage
products
Exports - Japan 67.2%, Singapore 11.6%, UK 4.8% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $701 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured
commodities: goods
Imports - Singapore 50%, South Korea 21.4%, Japan 14%, Hong Kong
partners: 4.6% (2005)
Debt - $NA
external:
Economic aid - Guam receives large transfer payments from the US
recipient: 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.)
Currency US dollar (USD)
(code):
Currency code: USD
Exchange the US dollar is used
rates:
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications
Telephones - 84,134 (2001)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 98,000 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modern system, integrated with US
system: 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; 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 AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 221,000 (1997)
Television 3; 6 (Low Power TV) (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 106,000 (1997)
Internet .gu
country code:
Internet 76 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 20 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 79,000 (2004)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 5 (2006)
Airports - total: 4
with paved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with unpaved under 914 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 977 km (2004)
Ports and Apra Harbor
terminals:
Military
Military - defense is the responsibility of the US
note:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: