:Guam Geography

Total area:
    541.3 km2
Land area:
    541.3 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    125.5 km
Maritime claims:
  Contiguous zone:
    12 nm
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth)
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
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%
Environment:
    frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively rare, but
    potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)
Note:
    largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago;
    strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean 5,955 km west-southwest of
    Honolulu about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines

:Guam People

Population:
    142,271 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    15 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    72 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Guamanian(s); adjective - Guamanian; note - Guamanians are US
    citizens
Ethnic divisions:
    Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and
    other 18%
Religions:
    Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
Languages:
    English and Chamorro, most residents bilingual; Japanese also widely spoken
Literacy:
    96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
    46,930; federal and territorial government 40%, private 60% (trade 18%,
    services 15.6%, construction 13.8%, other 12.6%) (1990)
Organized labor:
    13% of labor force

:Guam Government

Long-form name:
    Territory of Guam
Type:
    organized, unincorporated territory of the US; policy relations between Guam
    and the US are 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)
Constitution:
    Organic Act of 1 August 1950
Legal system:
    NA
National holiday:
    Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March), Liberation Day (July 21), US
    Government holidays
Executive branch:
    President of the US, governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislature
Judicial branch:
    Federal District Court of Guam, Territorial Superior Court of Guam
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989)
  Head of Government:
    Governor Joseph A. ADA (since November 1986); Lieutenant Governor Frank F.
    BLAS
Political parties and leaders:
    Democratic Party (controls the legislature); Republican Party (party of the
    Governor)
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential
    elections
Elections:
  Governor:
    last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results -
    Joseph F. ADA reelected
  Legislature:
    last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); a byelection
    was held in April 1991 to replace a deceased legislator, results - percent
    of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) Democratic 11, Republican 10
  US House of Representatives:
    last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); Guam elects one
    nonvoting delegate; results - Ben BLAZ was elected as the nonacting
    delegate; seats - (1 total) Republican 1
Member of:
    ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC
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

:Guam Economy

Overview:
    The economy is based 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 1990. The small manufacturing sector includes
    textiles and clothing, beverage, food, and watch production. 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. In
    1991 the unemployment rate was about 4.1%.
GNP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $2.0 billion, per capita $14,000; real growth
    rate NA% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    12.6% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    4.1% (1991 est.)
Budget:
    revenues $525 million; expenditures $395 million, including capital
    expenditures of $NA.
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:
    500,000 kW capacity; 2,300 million kWh produced, 16,300 kWh per capita
    (1990)
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:
    US currency is used
Exchange rates:
    US currency is used
Fiscal year:
    1 October - 30 September

:Guam Communications

Highways:
    674 km all-weather roads
Ports:
    Apra Harbor
Airports:
    5 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
    3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    26,317 telephones (1989); broadcast stations - 3 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 2 Pacific
    Ocean INTELSAT ground stations

:Guam Defense Forces

Note:
    defense is the responsibility of the US