Administrative divisionsnone (territory of the US)
Age structure
0-14 years: 29.8% (male 25,577; female 23,850)
15-64 years: 64% (male 54,220; female 52,026)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 4,912; female 5,505) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products
fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef
Airports
5 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)
Area
total: 549 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 549 sq km
Area - comparative
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
19.31 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget
revenues: $340 million
expenditures: $445 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)
Capital
Hagatna (Agana)
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
Coastline
125.5 km
Constitution
Organic Act of 1 August 1950
Country name
conventional long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam
local long form: Guahan
Currency
US dollar (USD)
Currency code
USD
Death rate
4.35 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external
NA (2003 est.)
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
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of the US)
Disputes - international
none
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 (2001 est.)
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.
Electricity - consumption
771.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production
830 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m
Environment - current issues
extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species
Ethnic groups
Chamorro 37%, Filipino 26%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 27%
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)
election results: Felix P. P. CAMACHO elected governor; percent of vote - Felix P. P. CAMACHO (Republican Party) 55.4%, Robert A. UNDERWOOD (Democratic Party) 44.6%
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 term; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006)
head of government: Governor Felix P. P. CAMACHO (since 6 January 2003) and Lieutenant Governor Kaleo MOYLAN (since 6 January 2003)
cabinet: executive departments; heads appointed by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature
Exports
$38 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities
mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction materials, fish, food and beverage products
Exports - partners
Japan 79.7%, Singapore 6.8%, South Korea 5.1% (2003 est.)
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
purchasing power parity - $3.2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 7%
industry: 15%
services: 78% (2002 est.)
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 type
NA
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
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage shar
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Imports
$462 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities
petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Imports - partners
Singapore 34.6%, Japan 21.5%, South Korea 20.4%, Hong Kong 11% (2003 est.)
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: 7.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0% (1999 est.)
International organization participation
Interpol (subbureau), IOC
Internet country code
.gu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
20 (2000)
Internet users
50,000 (2002)
Irrigated land
NA sq km
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
private 74% (industry 10%, trade 24%, other services 40%), federal and territorial government 26% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 9.09%
permanent crops: 16.36%
other: 74.55% (2001)
Languages
English, Chamorro, Japanese
Legal system
modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
note: Guam elects one nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Madeleine BORDALLO (Democratic Party) was elected as delegate; percent of vote by party - Democratic Party 64.6%, Republican Party 35.4%; seats by party - Democratic Party 1
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 9, Republican Party 6
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.12 years
male: 75.08 years
female: 81.34 years (2004 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1990 est.)
Location
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Median age
total: 28.2 years
male: 28 years
female: 28.4 years (2004 est.)
Merchant marine
none
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US
National holiday
Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521)
Nationality
noun: Guamanian(s)
adjective: Guamanian
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 (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports
NA (2001)
Oil - imports
NA (2001)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party (controls the legislature) [speaker, Vicente (Ben) PANGELINAN]; Republican Party (party of Governor CAMACHO) [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
Population
166,090 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line
23% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate
1.5% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors
Apra Harbor
Radio broadcast stations
AM 4, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2003)
Radios
221,000 (1997)
Religions
Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
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
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)
Telephones - main lines in use
84,134 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular
32,600 (2001)
Television broadcast stations
5 (1997)
Televisions
106,000 (1997)
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
2.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate
15% (2000 est.)