1.
[syn: Guam, GU]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Guam
n 1: the largest and southernmost island in the Marianas which
is administered as a territory of the United States; it was
ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898 [syn: Guam,
GU]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Guam
Introduction Guam
-----------------
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 Guam
--------------
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
water: 0 sq km
land: 549 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 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: 10.91%
permanent crops: 10.91%
other: 78.18% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy
season; relatively rare, but
potentially very destructive
typhoons (June - December)
Environment - current issues: extirpation of native bird
population by the rapid
proliferation of the brown tree
snake, an exotic, invasive species
Geography - note: largest and southernmost island in
the Mariana Islands archipelago;
strategic location in western North
Pacific Ocean
People Guam
-----------
Population: 160,796 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.1% (male 29,706;
female 26,813)
15-64 years: 58.6% (male 49,457;
female 44,697)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 5,070;
female 5,053) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.99% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 24.09 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 4.24 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female
(2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.11 years
female: 80.72 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.81 years
Total fertility rate: 3.73 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Guamanian(s)
adjective: Guamanian
Ethnic groups: Chamorro 37%, Filipino 26%, white
10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and
other 27%
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.)
Government Guam
---------------
Country name: conventional long form: Territory of
Guam
conventional short form: Guam
local long form: Guahan
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)
election results: Carl GUTIERREZ
reelected governor; percent of vote
- Carl GUTIERREZ (Democrat) 53.2%,
Joseph ADA (Republican) 46.8%
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 5
November 2002)
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
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 5 November 2002)
note: Guam elects one nonvoting
delegate to the US House of
Representatives; election last held
7 November 2000 (next to be held 5
November 2002); results - Robert
UNDERWOOD was reelected as delegate;
percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - Democratic Party 1
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party -
Republican Party 8, Democratic Party
7
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 Governor
GUTIERREZ) [leader NA]; Republican
Party (controls the legislature)
[leader NA]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ESCAP (associate), Interpol
participation: (subbureau), IOC, SPC
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the none (territory of the US)
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
Economy Guam
------------
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: 23% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: 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: $420 million
expenditures: $431 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.)
Industries: US military, tourism, construction,
transshipment services, concrete
products, printing and publishing,
food processing, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 825 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 767.25 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs,
pork, poultry, beef
Exports: $75.7 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
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
Communications Guam
-------------------
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)
Transportation Guam
-------------------
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 (2002 est.)
Airports: 5 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Military Guam
-------------
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
Transnational Issues Guam
-------------------------
Disputes - international: none