Guam

(territory of the US)

Geography

Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total area: 541.3 sq km
land area: 541.3 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than 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

International disputes: none

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 coraline 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

Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)

Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 11%
meadows and pastures: 15%
forest and woodland: 18%
other: 45%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)
international agreements: NA

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

People

Population: 153,307 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 2.42% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 25.01 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 3.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.29 years
male: 72.42 years
female: 76.13 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.32 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guamanian(s)
adjective: Guamanian

Ethnic divisions: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18%

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%

Languages: English, Chamorro, Japanese

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%

Labor force: 46,930 (1990)
by occupation: federal and territorial government 40%, private 60% (trade 18%, services 15.6%, construction 13.8%, other 12.6%) (1990)

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam

Digraph: GQ

Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Capital: 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

Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950

Legal system: modeled on 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 (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
head of government: Governor Carl GUTIERREZ (since 8 November 1994); Lieutenant Governor Madeleine BORDALLO (since 8 November 1994); election last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1998); results - Carl GUTIERREZ (Democrat) was elected Governor and Madeleine BORDALLO (Democrat) was elected Lieutenant Governor
cabinet: executive departments; heads appointed by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislature: elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) Democrats 14, Republican 7
US House of Representatives: elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1996); Guam elects one delegate; results - Robert UNDERWOOD was reelected as delegate; seats - (1 total) Democrat 1

Judicial branch: Federal District Court, Territorial Superior Court

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (controls the legislature); Republican Party (party of the Governor)

Member of: ESCAP (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, SPC

Diplomatic representation in US: none (territory of the US)

US diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)

Flag: 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 mainly on US military spending and on revenues from tourism. Over the past 20 years the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. Visitors numbered about 900,000 in 1992. The slowdown in Japanese economic growth has been reflected in less vigorous growth in the tourism sector. About 60% of the labor force works for the private sector and the rest for government. Most food and industrial goods are imported, with about 75% from the US. Guam faces the problem of building up the civilian economic sector to offset the impact of military downsizing.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $2 billion (1991 est.)

National product real growth rate: NA%

National product per capita: $14,000 (1991 est.)

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

Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $525 million
expenditures: $395 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)

Exports: $34 million (f.o.b., 1984)
commodities: mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, food and beverage products
partners: US 25%, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 63%, other 12%

Imports: $493 million (c.i.f., 1984)
commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
partners: US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58%

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 300,000 kW
production: 750 million kWh
consumption per capita: 4,797 kWh (1993)

Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles

Agriculture: relatively undeveloped with most food imported; fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork, poultry, beef, copra

Economic aid: 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 Guamanian 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

Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: 674 km (all-weather roads)
paved: NA
unpaved: NA

Ports: Apra Harbor

Merchant marine: none

Airports:
total: 5
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1

Communications

Telephone system: 26,317 telephones (1989)
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations

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

Television:
broadcast stations: 3
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of the US