*Guam, Geography

Location:
  in the North Pacific Ocean, 5,955 km west-southwest of Honolulu, about
  three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
Map references:
  Oceania
Area:
 total area:
  541.3 km2
 land area:
  541.3 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  125.5 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 continental shelf:
  200 m or depth of exploitation
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International 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%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
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

*Guam, People

Population:
  145,935 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.53% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  26.16 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  3.86 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  15.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  74.29 years
 male:
  72.42 years
 female:
  76.13 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.44 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Guamanian(s)
 adjective:
  Guamanian
Ethnic divisions:
  Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and
  other 18%
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
Languages:
  English, Chamorro, Japanese
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
 total population:
  96%
 male:
  96%
 female:
  96%
Labor force:   46,930 (1990)
 by occupation:
  federal and territorial government 40%, private 60% (trade 18%, services
  15.6%, construction 13.8%, other 12.6%) (1990)

*Guam, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Territory of Guam
 conventional short form:
  Guam
Digraph:
  GQ
Type:
  organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between
  Guam and the US 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:
  modeled on US; federal laws apply
National holiday:
  Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March); Liberation Day, 21 July
Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party (controls the legislature); Republican Party (party of the
  Governor)
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential
  elections
Elections:
 Governor:
  last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held NA November 1994); results -
  Joseph F. ADA reelected
 Legislature:
  last held on 9 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1994); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) Democratic 14, Republican 7
 US House of Representatives:
  last held 9 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1994); Guam elects
  one delegate; results - Robert UNDERWOOD was elected as delegate; seats - (1
  total) Democrat 1
Executive branch:
  US president, governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislature
Judicial branch:
  Federal District Court, Territorial Superior Court
Leaders:  Chief of State:
  President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President
  Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
 Head of Government:
  Governor Joseph A. ADA (since November 1986); Lieutenant Governor Frank F.
  BLAS (since NA)
Member of:
  ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none (territory of the US)

*Guam, Government

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 depends mainly 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 1992. 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.
National product:
  GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $2 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  NA%
National product per capita:
  $14,000 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  2% (1992 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
Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

*Guam, Communications

Highways:
  674 km all-weather roads
Ports:
  Apra Harbor
Airports:
 total:
  5
 usable:
  4
 with permanent-surface runways:
  3
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  3
 with runways 1,200-2,439 m:
  0
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