Guam
conventional long form: Territory of Guam
Capital: Hagatna (Agana)
Type of Government: NA-
Administrative Divisions: none (territory of the US)
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 29.4% (male 25,645/female 23,887)
Agriculture: fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef
Airports: 5 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 4-
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 549 sq km.
three times the size of Washington, DC
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.
Birth rate: 19.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $340 million
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
Communications:
Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950
Currency: US dollar (USD)-
Current account balance:
Death rate: 4.41 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: NA
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-
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
Disputes - international: none-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor: -
Economic aid - recipient:
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 had 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.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Environment - current issues: extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species-
Environment - International Agreements:
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)
Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
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)
Exports: $45 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - partners: Japan 66.1%, South Korea 9.9%, Singapore 8.4% (2004)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
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
GDP (official exchange rate): NA
GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA
Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 144 47 E
Geography - note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA-
Heliports:
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA-
Illicit drugs:
Imports: $701 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - partners: Singapore 39.5%, South Korea 20.8%, Japan 19%, Hong Kong 9%, Philippines 4.3% (2004)
Independence: none (territory of the US)
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
Infant mortality rate: total: 6.94 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0% (1999 est.)
International organization participation: IOC, SPC, UPU
Internet country code: .gu-
Internet hosts:
Internet users: 50,000 (2002)-
Investment (gross fixed):
Irrigated land: NA
Judicial branch: Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president); Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms by the governor)
Labor force: 60,000 (2000 est.)-
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: 0 km
Land use: arable land: 9.09%
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)
Legal system: modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.4 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Location: Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines-
Major infectious diseases: -
Manpower available for military service: -
Manpower fit for military service: -
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Map references: Oceania
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 28.38 years-
Merchant marine:
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US-
Military branches: -
Military expenditures - dollar figure: -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: -
Military service age and obligation:
National holiday: Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521)
Nationality: noun: Guamanian(s)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: -
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)
Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 19,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)-
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [leader Michael PHILLIPS]; Republican Party (controls the legislature) [leader Philip J. FLORES]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
Population: 168,564 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: 23% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.46% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Apra Harbor-
Public debt:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2003)-
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)-
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: -
Roadways:
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system, integrated with US facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
Telephones - main lines in use: 84,134 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 32,600 (2001)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (2004)
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
Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 15% (2000 est.)-
Waterways: