Location: North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 47 E
Total Area: 541.3 sq km (~335 sq mi)
Area—comparative: three times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline: 125.5 km
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.
Record low temperature: 72°F (~22°C)
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)
Geography—note: largest and southernmost
island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western
North
Pacific Ocean
People
Population: 148,060 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 25,972; female 24,097)
15-64 years: 60% (male 47,357; female 42,189)
65 years and over: 6% (male 4,244; female 4,201) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.5% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 25.04 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.28 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.7 years
male: 74.12 years
female: 79.44 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (1998 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
National capital: Agana
National holiday: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March) (1521); Liberation Day, 21 July (1944)
Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950
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
Click HERE
to see a picture of the flag
Economy
Economy—overview: The economy depends mainly
on US military spending and on revenue generated by the tourism
industry. 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 one million tourists visit Guam
each year. 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$3 billion (1996 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$19,000 (1996 est.)
Inflation rate—consumer price index: 4% (1992 est.)
Labor force:
total: 65,660 (1995)
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
Electricity—capacity: 302,000 kW (1995)
Electricity—production: 755 million kWh (1995)
Electricity—consumption per capita: 4,925 kWh (1995)
Agriculture—products: fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef
Exports:
total value: $86.1 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction
materials, fish, food and beverage products
partners: US 25%, former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 63%,
other 12%
Imports:
total value: $202.4 million (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
partners: US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58%
Economic aid:
recipient: although Guam receives no foreign aid, it does receive large
transfer payments from the general revenues of the
US Federal Treasury into which Guamanians pay no income or excise taxes;
under
the provisions of a special law of
Congress, the Guamanian Treasury, rather than
the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes paid by military and civilian
Federal employees stationed in Guam
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$)
= 100 cents
Communications
Telephones: 74,317 (March 1997)
Telephone system international: satellite
earth stations—2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan
Transportation
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