Territory of Guam Guåhån
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Where America's Day Begins"
Anthem: Fanohge Chamoru
Capital		Hagåtña
Largest village		Dededo
Official languages		English and Chamorro
Demonym		Guamanian
Government
-	President	George W. Bush (R)
-	Governor	Felix Perez Camacho (R)
Area
-	Total	541.3 km² (192nd) 209 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	July 2007 estimate	173,456 (179th)
-	2000 census	154,805
-	Density	320/km² (37th) 830/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2000 estimate
-	Total	$3. The flag of Guam was adopted on February 9, 1948. The territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all sides (border was a later addition The seal of Guam appears in the middle of the Flag of Guam. It depicts Agana Bay near Hagåtña, a local Proa and a A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Stand Ye Guamanians ( Fanohge Chamoru) generically known as The Guam Hymn, is the official territorial anthem of Guam. Hagåtña (həˈɡɑtɲə formerly Agana and in Spanish Agaña, is the Capital of the American island territory of Guam. Population: 154623 (July 2000 est Age structure 0-14 years 34 Dededo is the most populous village of the American island of Guam. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Chamorro ( Chamoru) is the native language of the Chamorro or Chamoru of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. American capture of the territory during Spanish-American war 1898 - 1898 Henry Glass 1898 - 1898 Francisco Portusach Martínez Felix Perez Camacho (b October 30, 1957, in Camp Zama, Japan) is the Governor of Guam and the son of former Governor Carlos Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare different Orders of magnitude and geographical regions we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 2 billion (167th)
-	Per capita	$21,0001 (35th)
Currency		United States dollar (USD)
Time zone		Chamorro Standard Time (UTC+10)
Internet TLD		.gu
Calling code		+1 671
1	2000 estimate. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established The Chamorro Time Zone, formerly the Guam Time Zone, observes Standard time by adding ten hours to Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC+10) A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E

Map of Guam

Guam (Chamorro: Guåhån), officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the Western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. Chamorro ( Chamoru) is the native language of the Chamorro or Chamoru of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U It is one of five U. S. territories with an established civilian government. ^[1] The island's capital is Hagåtña (formerly Agana). Hagåtña (həˈɡɑtɲə formerly Agana and in Spanish Agaña, is the Capital of the American island territory of Guam. Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands. The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning

The Chamorros, Guam's indigenous inhabitants, first populated the island approximately 4,000 years ago. "Chamoru" redirects here For the language see Chamorro language. The island has a long history of European colonialism beginning in 1668 with the arrival of Spanish settlers including Padre San Vitores, a Catholic missionary. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism Venerable Diego Luis de San Vitores (1627-1672 was a Spanish Jesuit Missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. The island was taken over from Spain by the United States during the Spanish American War in 1898. Spanish East Indies ( Indias Orientales Españolas) was a term used to describe Spanish possessions in Asia-Pacific which lasted over three centuries The United States of America —commonly referred to as the As the largest island in Micronesia and the only American-held island in the region before World War II, Guam was occupied by the Japanese between December 1941 and July 1944. Micronesia, from the Greek mikros (μικρός (meaning small) and nesos (νῆσος (meaning island) is a Subregion World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Today, Guam's economy is mainly supported by tourism (primarily from Japan) and U.S. military bases. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States ^[2]

History

Main article: History of Guam

It is believed that Guam was first discovered by sea-faring people who migrated from southeastern Indonesia around 2000 B. The history of Guam involves phases including the early arrival of people known today as the ancient Chamorros, the development of "pre-contact" society The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. C. Most of what is known about Pre-Contact ("Ancient") Chamorros comes from legends and myths, archaeological evidence, Jesuit missionary accounts, and observations from visiting scientists like Otto von Kotzebue and Louis de Freycinet. "Chamoru" redirects here For the language see Chamorro language. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order Otto von Kotzebue ( Russian Отто Евстафьевич Коцебу Otto Evstaf'evič Kocebu, December 30, 1787 - February 15 This entry should not to be confused with Charles Louis de Saulces de Freycinet (1828–1923 a French Prime Minister

When Europeans first arrived on Guam, Chamorro society roughly fell into three classes: matua (upper class), achaot (middle class), and mana'chang (lower class). The matua were located in the coastal villages, which meant they had the best access to fishing grounds while the mana'chang were located in the interior of the island. Matua and mana'chang rarely communicated with each other, and matua often used achaot as a go-between. There were also "makana" (shamans), skilled in healing and medicine. Belief in spirits of ancient Chamorros called Taotao Mona still persists as a remnant of pre-European society. Taotao Mona ( Chamorro: "people before history" or "ancient people" are Ancestor spirits believed to haunt the mountains and wild places of the Early European explorers noted the Chamorros' fast sailing vessels used for trading with other islands of Micronesia.

The Latte Stones familiar to Guam residents and visitors alike were in fact a recent development in Pre-Contact Chamorro society. A latte stone, or simply latte (also latde) is the term for a Pillar ( haligi) capped by a hemispherical stone capital The latte stone consists of a head and a base shaped out of limestone. Archaeologists using carbon-dating have broken Pre-Contact Guam (i. e. Chamorro) history into three periods: "Pre-Latte" (B. C. 2000? to A. D. 1) "Transitional Pre-Latte" (A. D. 1 to A. D. 1000), and "Latte" (A. D. 1000 to A. D. 1521). Archaeological evidence also suggests that Chamorro society was on the verge of another transition phase by 1521, as latte stones became bigger. Assuming the stones were used for chiefly houses, it can be argued that Chamorro society was becoming more stratified, either from population growth or the arrival of new people. The theory remains tenuous, however, due to lack of evidence, but if proven correct, will further support the idea that Pre-Contact Chamorros lived in a vibrant and dynamic environment.

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for the King of Spain, reached the island in 1521 during his circumnavigation of the globe. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalhães fɨɾˈnɐ̃ũ dɨ mɐgɐˈʎɐ̃ĩʃ Fernando de Magallanes (Spring 1480 &ndash April 27 1521 Mactan Island, Cebu Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. General Miguel López de Legazpi claimed Guam for Spain in 1565. Miguel López de Legazpi ( 1502 &ndash August 20, 1572) also known as El Adelantado (The Governor and El Viejo (The Elder Spanish colonization commenced in 1668 with the arrival of Padre San Vitores, who established the first Catholic mission. Venerable Diego Luis de San Vitores (1627-1672 was a Spanish Jesuit Missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam The islands were then governed as part of the Spanish East Indies from the Philippines. Spanish East Indies ( Indias Orientales Españolas) was a term used to describe Spanish possessions in Asia-Pacific which lasted over three centuries The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Between 1668 and 1815, Guam was an important resting stop for the Spanish Manila galleons, a fleet that covered the trade route between Mexico and the Philippines. The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons ( Galeones de Manila-Acapulco) were Spanish trading Ships that sailed once or twice The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Guam, along with the rest of the Mariana and Caroline Islands, was treated by Spain as part of their colony in the Philippines. The Caroline Islands form a large Archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea. While Guam's Chamorro culture is unique, the cultures of both Guam and the Northern Marianas were heavily influenced by Spanish culture and traditions. ^[2]

The United States took control of the island in the 1898 Spanish-American War. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The capture of Guam was a bloodless event between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain during the Spanish-American War. Guam came to serve as a station for American ships traveling to and from the Philippines, while the northern Mariana islands passed to Germany then Japan. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[2] During World War II, Guam was attacked, and invaded, by the armed forces of Japan on December 8, 1941. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Before the attack, most of the United States citizens were transported from the island and away from imminent danger. The Northern Mariana Islands had become a Japanese protectorate before the war. It was the Chamorros from the Northern Marianas who were brought to Guam to serve as interpreters and in other capacities for the occupying Japanese force. The Guamanian Chamorros were treated as an occupied enemy by the Japanese military. After the war, this would cause some resentment by the Guamanian Chamorros towards the Chamorros in the Northern Marianas. Guam's occupation lasted for approximately thirty-one months. During this period, the indigenous people of Guam were subjected to forced labor, family separation, incarceration, execution, concentration camps and prostitution. Approximately one thousand people died during the occupation according to Congressional Testimony in 2004. The United States returned and fought the Battle of Guam on July 21, 1944, to recapture the island from Japanese military occupation. The Battle of Guam ( July 21 - August 8 1944) was the American capture of the Japanese held island of Guam (in the Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. To this day, Guam remains the only U. S. soil with a sizable population to have ever been occupied by a foreign military power, other than the limited British occupation of U. S. territory during the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies The United States also captured and occupied the Northern Marianas. After the war, the Guam Organic Act of 1950, which established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the United States, provided for the structure of the island's civilian government and granted the people U. The Guam Organic Act of 1950, ( et seq) is a United States federal law that redesignated the island of Guam as an unincorporated territory of the United Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U S. citizenship. ^[2]

Geography

Northern part of Guam from space

Southern part of Guam from space

Guam lies between 13. 2°N and 13. 7°N and between 144. 6°E and 145. 0°E, and has an area of 209 square miles (541 km²), making it the 32nd largest island of the United States. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of This is a list of Islands of the United States, as ordered by area. It is the southernmost island in the Mariana island chain and is the largest island in Micronesia. The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning Micronesia, from the Greek mikros (μικρός (meaning small) and nesos (νῆσος (meaning island) is a Subregion This island chain was created by the colliding Pacific and Philippine tectonic plates. The Marianas Trench, a deep subduction zone, lies beside the island chain to the east. The Mariana Trench (or Mariana's Trench) is the deepest part of the world's Oceans and the deepest location on the surface of the Earth 's In Geology, a subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates meet and move towards one another with one sliding underneath the other Challenger Deep, the deepest surveyed point in the Oceans, is southwest of Guam at 35,797 feet (10,911 m) deep. The Challenger Deep is the deepest surveyed point in the oceans with a depth of about 11000 metres (about 36000 feet An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The highest point in Guam is Mount Lamlam, which is 1,332 feet (406 m). Mount Lamlam is a peak on the island of Guam. It is located in the southwest of the island The island of Guam is 30 miles (48 km) long and 4 mi (6 km) to 12 mi (19 km) wide. The island experiences occasional earthquakes due to it being on the western edge of the Pacific Plate and near the Philippine plate. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The Pacific Plate is an oceanic Tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean. In recent years, earthquakes with epicenters near Guam have had magnitudes ranging from 5. 0 to 8. 7. Unlike the Anatahan volcano in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam is not volcanically active. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI is a commonwealth in Political union with the United ^[3] However, due to its proximity to Anatahan, vog does occasionally affect Guam. Vog is a Portmanteau of the words "volcanic" and " Smog," and a volcanic smog is formed when Sulfur dioxide and other ^[4]

The northern part of the island is a forested coralline limestone plateau while the south contains volcanic peaks covered in forest and grassland. A coral reef surrounds most of the island, except in areas where bays exist that provide access to small rivers and streams that run down from the hills into the Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea. ^[5] The island's population is most dense in the northern and central regions. ^[2]

Climate

The climate is characterized as tropical marine. The weather is generally hot and very humid with little seasonal temperature variation. The mean high temperature is 86 °F (30 °C) and mean low is 76 °F (24 °C) with an average annual rainfall of 96 inches (2,180 mm). Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to The dry season runs from December through June. The remaining months constitute the rainy season. The months of January and February are considered the coolest months of the year with night time temperatures in the mid to low 70's and generally lower humidity levels. The highest risk of typhoons is during October and November. They can occur, however, year-around.

An average of three tropical storms and one typhoon pass within 180 nautical miles (330 km) of Guam each year. The most intense typhoon to pass over Guam recently was Super Typhoon Pongsona, with sustained winds of 125 miles per hour, which slammed Guam on December 8, 2002, leaving massive destruction. Typhoon Pongsona (international designation 0226, JTWC designation 31W) was the last typhoon of the 2002 Pacific typhoon season, and was the Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Since Super Typhoon Pamela in 1976 wooden structures have been largely replaced by concrete structures. The 1976 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds it ran year-round in 1976 but most Tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between ^[6][7] During the 1980s wooden utility poles began to be replaced by typhoon-resistant concrete and steel poles. After the local Government enforced stricter construction codes, many home and business owners built their structures out of reinforced concrete with installed typhoon shutters. Hurricane shutters are used in Hurricane mitigation to protect Houses and other structures from damage caused by Storms They are frequently constructed from

Demographics

According to the U. S. census conducted in 2000, the population of Guam was 154,805. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[8] The 2007 population estimate for Guam is 173,460. ^[5] As of 2005, the annual population growth is 1. 76%. ^[9] The largest ethnic group are the native Chamorros, accounting for 57% of the total population. "Chamoru" redirects here For the language see Chamorro language. Other significant ethnic groups include those of Filipino (25. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP 5%), White (10%), Chinese, Japanese and Korean ancestry. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, with 85% of the population claiming an affiliation with it. The official languages of the island are English and Chamorro. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Chamorro ( Chamoru) is the native language of the Chamorro or Chamoru of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.

Culture

Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Hagatna, faced by a statue of Pope John Paul II. Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica is a majestic structure located on the site where the first Catholic church on Guam was constructed in 1669 under the guidance of Padre San Hagåtña (həˈɡɑtɲə formerly Agana and in Spanish Agaña, is the Capital of the American island territory of Guam. Pope Roman Catholicism is the main religion in Guam.

Traditional Chamorro culture is visually manifested in dance, sea navigation, unique cuisine, fishing, games (such as batu, chonka, estuleks, and bayogu), songs and fashion influenced by the immigration of peoples from other lands. "Chamoru" redirects here For the language see Chamorro language. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another Cuisine (from French cuisine, "cooking culinary art kitchen" ultimately from Latin coquere, "to cook" is a specific set A game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for Enjoyment and sometimes also used as an Educational tool A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term Spanish policy during colonial rule (1668-1898) was one of conquest and conversion to Roman Catholicism. This led to the gradual elimination of Guam's male warriors and displacement of the Chamorro people from their lands. In spite of the social upheavals, Guam's matriarchs — known as "I Maga'håga" — continued the indigenous culture, language, and traditions. The Matriarchs ( are four important women mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, the wives of the Biblical Patriarchs.

Historian Lawrence Cunningham in 1992 wrote, "In a Chamorro sense, the land and its produce belong to everyone. Inafa'maolek, or interdependence, is the key, or central value, in Chamorro culture … Inafa'maolek depends on a spirit of cooperation. Inafa'maolek is a charitable organisation which works on the island of Guam. This is the armature, or core, that everything in Chamorro culture revolves around. It is a powerful concern for mutuality rather than individualism and private property rights. "

The core culture or Pengngan Chamorro is comprised of complex social protocol centered upon respect: From the kissing of the hands of the elders (inspired by the kissing of a Roman Catholic bishop's ring by those whom he oversees), passing of legends, chants, and courtship rituals, to a person requesting forgiveness from spiritual ancestors when entering a jungle or ancient battle grounds. Courtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage Other practices predating Spanish conquest include galaide' canoe-making, making of the belembaotuyan (a string musical instrument made from a gourd), fashioning of åcho' atupat slings and slingstones, tool manufacture, Måtan Guma' burial rituals and preparation of herbal medicines by Suruhanu. The outrigger canoe ( Tagalog and Indonesian: bangka; Maori: waka ama; Hawaiian: waʻa; Tahitian: A broader definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Suruhanu or Suruhana are people who function as herbal healers in some Pacific island cultures

Master craftsmen and women specialize in weavings, including plaited work (niyok- and åkgak-leaf baskets, mats, bags, hats, and food containments), loom-woven material (kalachucha-hibiscus and banana fiber skirts, belts and burial shrouds), and body ornamentation (bead and shell necklaces, bracelets, earrings, belts and combs made from tortoise shells). The Coconut Palm ( Cocos nucifera) is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family Pandanus is a Genus of Monocots with about 600 known Species. A loom is a Machine or device for Weaving thread or Yarn into Textiles Looms can range from very small hand-held frames to large free-standing For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. Tortoises or land Turtles are land-dwelling Reptiles of the family of Testudinidae', order Testudines.

Today only few masters exist to continue traditional art forms. The cosmopolitan nature of Guam poses challenges for Chamorros struggling to preserve their culture and identity amidst forces of acculturation. The increasing numbers of Chamorros, especially Chamorro youth, relocating to the U. S. Mainland has further complicated both definition and preservation of Chamorro identity.

Government and politics

War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Asan, Guam. For the place in Guam see Asan Guam; for the village in Azerbaijan see Heşan.

Main article: Politics of Guam

See also: List of Guam Governors

Guam is governed by a popularly elected governor and a unicameral 15-member legislature, whose members are known as senators. Politics of Guam takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic system whereby the Governor is Head of government, and American capture of the territory during Spanish-American war 1898 - 1898 Henry Glass 1898 - 1898 Francisco Portusach Martínez A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation Guam elects one non-voting delegate, currently Madeleine Z. Bordallo, to the United States House of Representatives. Madeleine Z Bordallo (born May 31, 1933) is the Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Citizens in Guam vote in a straw poll for their choice in the U. A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results Straw polls provide important interactive dialogue among movements within large groups reflecting trends like organization S. Presidential general election, but since Guam has no votes in the Electoral College, the poll has no real effect. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States. However, in sending delegates to the Republican and Democratic national conventions, Guam does have influence in the national presidential race, though these convention delegates are elected by local party conventions rather than voters in primaries. ^[2]

In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a significant movement in favor of the territory becoming a commonwealth, which would give it a level of self-government similar to Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. This article is about US insular areas For US States that designate themselves as "Commonwealths" see Commonwealth (United States. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI is a commonwealth in Political union with the United However, the federal government rejected the version of a commonwealth that the government of Guam proposed, due to it having clauses incompatible with the Territorial Clause (Art. Article IV Section 3 Paragraph 2 of the United States Constitution is known as the Territorial Clause. IV, Sec. 3, cl. 2) of the U. S. Constitution. Competing movements with less significant influence exist which advocate political independence from the United States, statehood, union with the Northern Mariana Islands as a single territory, or union with the current U. S. state of Hawaii. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the

Villages and military bases

Aerial photo of Apra Harbor. Apra Harbor is a Deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands.

Main article: Villages of Guam

Guam is divided into municipalities commonly called villages: Agana Heights, Agat, Asan‑Maina, Barrigada, Chalan‑Pago‑Ordot, Dededo, Hagåtña, Inarajan, Mangilao, Merizo, Mongmong‑Toto‑Maite, Piti, Santa Rita, Sinajana, Talofofo, Tamuning, Umatac, Yigo, Yona. |||}The territory of Guam is divided into 19 municipalities more commonly called villages. A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City. Agana Heights is one of the 19 Villages of Guam. It lies in the hills south of Hagåtña (formerly Agana in the central part of the island Agat (Hagat is a village on the island of Guam, an Unincorporated territory of the United States. Asan is a village located on the western shore of the US territory of Guam. Barrigada ( Chamorro: Barigåda is a municipality (or village in central Guam. Chalan Pago-Ordot is a municipality in the American island of Guam containing the villages of Chalan-Pago and Ordot Dededo is the most populous village of the American island of Guam. Hagåtña (həˈɡɑtɲə formerly Agana and in Spanish Agaña, is the Capital of the American island territory of Guam. Inarajan is a village located on the Southeastern coast of the American island of Guam. Mangilao is a village on the eastern shore of the American island of Guam. Merizo, also known as Malesso, is the southernmost Municipality ( Village) in Guam, a U Mongmong-Toto-Maite is a municipality in Guam. It is comprised of three separate villages east of Hagåtña that experienced development after World War II Piti is a village located on the western shore of Guam. It contains the commercial port of Guam at Apra Harbor as well as several of Santa Rita is a village located on the Southwest Coast of Guam with hills overlooking Apra Harbor. Sinajana is one of the 19 Villages of Guam. It is located in the hills south of Hagåtña (formerly Agana Talofofo is a village located in the southern part of the American island of Guam on the east coast Tamuning (also known as Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon) is a municipality or " village " located on the western shore of the island of Guam. Umatac is a village on the south-western coast of the island of Guam. Yigo (pronounced dzi-go (Yigu is the northern most village of the American Island of Guam and is the site of Andersen Air Force Base. Yona ( pronounced /d͡zoˈnia/ not joˈna/ is a village on the east coast of Guam.

The U. S. military maintains jurisdiction over its bases, which cover approximately 39,000 acres, or 29% of the island's total land area:

• Commander, Naval Forces Marianas, U.S. Navy – Sumay
• U. S. Coast Guard District 14 Sector Guam, – Sumay
• Andersen Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force – Yigo
• Apra Harbor, U.S. Navy – Orote peninsula
• Ordnance Annex, U.S. Navy – South Central Highlands (formerly known as Naval Magazine)
• Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, U.S. Navy – Barrigada and Finegayan
• Joint Force Headquarters-Guam, Guam National Guard – Radio Barrigada and Fort Juan Muna

Economy

One of Guam's beaches. Andersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base on the northern end of the island of Guam, largely within the village of Yigo but also stretching Yigo (pronounced dzi-go (Yigu is the northern most village of the American Island of Guam and is the site of Andersen Air Force Base. Apra Harbor is a Deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. Ordnance Annex is the name of a US military base situated on the Island of Guam, which used to be known as Naval Magazine Guam. Barrigada ( Chamorro: Barigåda is a municipality (or village in central Guam. The Guam Army National Guard is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U

Guam's economy depends primarily on tourism, Department of Defense installations, and locally owned businesses. Although Guam receives no foreign aid, it does receive large transfer payments from the general revenues of the U.S. federal treasury into which Guam pays no income or excise taxes; under the provisions of a special law of Congress, the Guam treasury, rather than the U. The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses S. treasury, receives federal income taxes paid by local taxpayers to include military and civilian federal employees assigned to Guam.

Commonly referred to as "America in Asia," Guam is a popular destination for Japanese tourists, and with over 20 large hotels, a Duty Free Shoppers Galleria, Pleasure Island district, indoor aquarium, Sandcastle Las Vegas-styled shows and other shopping and entertainment features in its chief tourism city of Tumon. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Tumon is an area located on the west coast of the American Island of Guam. It is a relatively short flight from Asia or Australia compared to Hawaii, with hotels and ten golf courses catering to over a million tourists per year. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Although 90 percent of tourists are Japanese, Guam receives a respectable number of tourists from South Korea, Philippines, and Taiwan. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Significant sources of revenue include duty-free designer shopping outlets, and the American-style malls: Micronesia Mall, Guam Premier Outlets, and the Agana Shopping Center. Micronesia Mall, located in Dededo, is the largest shopping center on the island of Guam.

The economy had been stable since 2000 due to increased tourism, mainly from Japan, but took a recent downturn along with most of Asia. It is expected to stabilize well ahead of the U. S. Marine Corps' Third Marine Expeditionary Force, currently in Okinawa (appr. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū 8000 Marines, along with their 10,000 dependents), transfer to Guam between 2010-2014 but will cause an unprecedented 25% increase in the island's overall population. The programmed buildup by the Department of Defense on Guam is being categorized as the largest military buildup in the history of the United States military. Guam has a 14% unemployment rate, and the government suffered a $314 million shortfall in 2003. ^[10]

The Compacts of Free Association between the United States, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau accorded the former entities of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands a political status of "free association" with the United States. The Compact of Free Association ( COFA) defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM the Republic of the Marshall The Federated States of Micronesia is an Island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, north of Papua New Guinea. The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean Palau, officially the Republic of Palau (Beluu er a Belau is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles (800  km) east The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia (western Pacific) administered by the United The Compacts give citizens of these island nations generally no restrictions to reside in the United States (also its territories), and many were attracted to Guam due to its proximity, environmental, and cultural familiarity. Over the years, it was claimed by some in Guam that the territory has had to bear the brunt of this agreement in the form of public assistance programs and public education for those from the regions involved, and the federal government should compensate the states and territories affected by this type of migration. Over the years, Congress had appropriated "Compact Impact" aids to Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Hawaii, and eventually this appropriation was written into each renewed Compact. The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI is a commonwealth in Political union with the United The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Some, however, continue to claim the compensation is not enough or that the distribution of actual compensation received is significantly disproportionate.

Transportation and communications

Main articles: Communications in Guam and Transportation in Guam

Most of the island has state of the art mobile phone services while digital cable and high speed internet are now widely available through either cable or DSL. Though Guam is part of the United States some US long distance plans and courier services list Guam as an international location Guam has no Railways nor does it have a Merchant marine. The largest port is Apra Harbor, which serves almost all commercial traffic including Guam was added to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in 1997 (country code 671 became NANP area code 671), removing the barrier of high cost international long-distance calls to the U.S. Mainland. The area code 671 is the local Telephone Area code of Guam. It was created in 1997 replacing Guam's previous country code 671 The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District

As Guam is also part of the U. S. Postal System ("state" code: GU, ZIP code range: 96910-96932), mail to Guam from the U. S. mainland is considered domestic and no additional charges are required. Private shipping companies, such as UPS, DHL or FedEx, however, have no obligation to and do not regard Guam as domestic. The speed of mail traveling between Guam and the states varies depending on size. Light, first-class items generally take less than a week to or from the mainland, but larger first-class or Priority items can take a week or two. Fourth-class mail, such as magazines, are transported by surface after reaching Hawaii. Most residents use post office boxes or private mail boxes, although residential delivery is becoming increasingly available. CMRA redirects here For other uses please see CMRA (disambiguation. Incoming mail not from the Americas should be addressed to "Guam" instead of "USA" to avoid being routed the long way through the U. S. mainland and possibly charged a higher rate (especially from Asia).

The Commercial Port of Guam is the island's lifeline since just about every product must be shipped into Guam for its consumers. The Port is also the regional transhipment hub for over 500,000 customers throughout the Micronesian region. The Port also is the shipping and receiving point for containers designated for the island's DoD installations, Andersen Air Force Base and Commander, Naval Forces Marianas and eventually the Third Marine Expeditionary Force.

Guam is served by the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, which is a regional hub for Continental Micronesia. Antonio B Won Pat International Airport, also known as Guam International Airport, is an airport located in Tamuning and Barrigada, three miles east Continental Micronesia is a wholly owned subsidiary Airline of Continental Airlines. The island is outside the United States customs zone and maintains its own customs agency and jurisdiction. Therefore, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection only carries immigration (but not customs) functions for incoming flights. The United States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP known as U Since Guam is under federal immigration jurisdiction, passengers arriving directly from the States skip immigration and directly proceed to customs. However, due to the Guam-only visa waiver program for certain Asian tourists, an eligibility pre-clearance check is carried on Guam for flights to the States. For travel to and from the Northern Mariana Islands (which are outside of U. S. immigration jurisdiction), a full inspection is performed though American citizens do not need a passport. Traveling between Guam and the States through a foreign point (for example, a Japanese airport), however, requires a passport.

Most residents travel within Guam using personally owned vehicles. The local government currently outsources the only public bus system (Guam Mass Transit Authority), and some commercial companies operated buses between tourist-frequented locations.

Ecological issues

Guam exemplifies the effects of bioinvasion. Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions

The brown tree snake

Brown Tree Snake. The Brown tree snake ( Boiga irregularis) is an Arboreal Colubrid Snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, Papua

Thought to be a stowaway on a U. A stowaway is a person who travels illegally by aircraft, Bus, Ship or Train. S. military transport near the end of World War II, the slightly venomous—but rather harmless—brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) came to Guam and killed virtually all of the native bird population on an island that has no native species of snake; this snake has no natural predators on the island. The Brown tree snake ( Boiga irregularis) is an Arboreal Colubrid Snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, Papua Although some studies have suggested a high density of the brown tree snake, residents rarely see these nocturnal snakes. Prodigious climbers, the snakes cause frequent blackouts by shorting across lines and transformers. ^[11]

Other invasive animal species

A Cane toad.

From the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, the Spanish introduced pigs, dogs, chickens, the Philippine deer (Cervus mariannus), black francolins, and water buffalo. The Black Francolin, Francolinus francolinus, is a Gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds Water buffalo, known as carabao locally, have cultural significance. The carabao ( Filipino: kalabaw; Malay: kerbau) or Bubalus bubalis carabanesis is a domesticated Herds of these animals obstruct military base operations and harm native ecosystems. After birth control and adoption efforts were ineffective, the U. S. military began euthanizing the herds leading to organized protests from island residents. ^[12]

Other introduced species include cane toads imported in 1937, the giant African Snail (an agricultural pest introduced during WWII by Japanese occupation troops) and more recently frog species which could threaten crops in addition to providing additional food for the brown tree snake population. Reports of loud chirping frogs, known as coquí, that may have arrived from Hawaii have led to fears that the noise could even threaten Guam's tourism. The Common Coquí or Coquí ( Eleutherodactylus coqui) is a Frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus ^[13]

Introduced feral pigs and deer, over-hunting, and habitat loss from human development are also major factors in the decline and loss of Guam's native plants and animals.

Threats to indigenous plants

Invading animal species are not the only threat to Guam's native flora. Tinangaja, a virus affecting coconut palms, was first observed on the island in 1917 when copra production was still a major part of Guam's economy. Plant viruses are Viruses affecting Plants.Plant viruses like all other viruses are obligate intracellular Parasites that do not have the molecular Copra is the dried meat or kernel of the Coconut. The name copra is derived from the Malayalam word kopra for dried coconut Though coconut plantations no longer exist on the island, the dead and infected trees that have resulted from the epidemic are seen throughout the forests of Guam. ^[14] Also during the past century, the dense forests of northern Guam have been largely replaced by thick tangan tangan brush (Leucaena-native to the Americas). Leucaena is a Genus of about 24 species of leguminous trees and shrubs distributed from Texas, U Much of Guam's foliage was lost during World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In 1947, the U. S. military introduced tangan tangan by seeding the island from the air to prevent erosion. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind In southern Guam, non-native grass species also dominate much of the landscape.

Wildfires

Guam's grassland.

Wildfires plague the forested ("boonie" or "jungle") areas of Guam every dry season despite the island's humid climate. A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, brush fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, Peat fire, The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the Tropics. Most fires are man-caused with 80 percent resulting from arson. ^[15] Poachers often start fires to attract deer to the new growth. Poaching is the illegal Hunting, Fishing or Harvesting of wild plants or animals Invasive grass species that rely on fire as part of their natural life cycle grow in many regularly burned areas. Grasslands and "barrens" have replaced previously forested areas leading to greater soil erosion. Grasslands (also called greenswards) are areas where the Vegetation is dominated by Grasses ( Poaceae) and other Herbaceous (non-woody Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind During the rainy season sediment is carried by the heavy rains into the Fena Lake Reservoir and Ugum River leading to water quality problems for southern Guam. A wet season or rainy season is a Season in which the average Rainfall in a region is significantly increased Fena Lake is the largest lake on the island of Guam. It is located in the south of the island and is overlooked by the nearby peaks of Mounts Lamlam, Alifan Eroded silt also destroys the marine life in reefs around the island. Soil stabilization efforts by volunteers and forestry workers to plant trees have had little success in preserving natural habitats. ^[16]

Aquatic preserves

As a vacation spot for scuba divers, efforts have been made to protect Guam's coral reef habitats from pollution, eroded silt, and overfishing that have led to decreased fish populations. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay Overfishing occurs when Fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level In recent years the Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources has established several new marine preserves where fish populations are monitored by biologists. ^[17] Prior to adopting USEPA standards, portions of Tumon bay were dredged by the hotel chains in order to provide a better experience for hotel guests. ^[18][19] Tumon Bay has since been made into a preserve. A federal Guam National Wildlife Refuge in northern Guam protects the decimated sea turtle population in addition to a small colony of Mariana fruit bats. Sea turtles ( Superfamily Chelonioidea) are Turtles found in all the world's oceans except the Arctic Ocean. Bats of the genus Pteropus, belonging to the Megachiroptera sub-order are the largest Bats in the world ^[20]

Whitespotted boxfish (Ostracion meleagris) Royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus)
Reef fish of Guam

Education

Primary and secondary schools

See also: List of schools in Guam

The University of Guam campus

The Guam Public School System^[21] serves the entire island of Guam. The following is a list of schools offering courses in Guam. Guam Public School System schools Elementary Schools Middle Schools Guam Public School System ( GPSS, Chamorro: Sisteman Eskuelan Pupblekon Guåhan) formerly the Guam Department of Education, is a School In 2000, 32,000 students attended Guam's public schools. Guam Public Schools have struggled with problems such as high dropout rates and poor test scores. ^[22][23] Guam's educational system has always faced unique challenges as a small community located 6,000 miles (9,700 km) from the U. S. mainland with a very diverse student body including many students who come from backgrounds without traditional American education. ^[24] An economic downturn in Guam since the mid 1990s has compounded the problems in schools. ^[25] In 1998, the U.S. Department of Defense opened schools for children of American military personnel. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government DoDEA schools, which also serve children of some federal civilian employees, had an attendance of 2,500 in 2000. The Department of Defense Education Activity ( DoDEA) is a Civilian agency of the United States Department of Defense. The four schools operated by DoDEA are Andersen Elementary School, Andersen Middle School, McCool Elementary/Middle School, and Guam High School. Andersen Middle School, on Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, caters to a population of 6th to 8th graders from American military families ^[26]

Colleges and universities

The University of Guam, and Guam Community College offer courses in higher education. University of Guam (or Unibetsedåt Guåhan in Chamorro and commonly abbreviated as U Guam Community College is a two-year college located in Mangilao, Guam, United States. ^[27]

See also

• List of Guam-related topics

References

External links

Government

• Official Portal for the Island of Guam
• Guam
• Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Delegate, U.S. Congress
• Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency
• Guam Election Commission
• Guam Code Annotated
• Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation

News

• Marianas Variety "Guam's only true independent news source"
• Pacific Daily News, A Gannett Newspaper
• KUAM, Guam's Primary News Channel
• "Pacific News Center - News You Can Trust

Overviews

• allthingsguam A Guam History resource--virtual textbook, virtual workbook and more
• Guampedia, Guam's Online Encyclopedia from the Guam Humanities Council and the University of Guam
• Open Directory Project - Guam directory category
• U.S. Library of Congress - Portals to the World: Guam
• The World Factbook on Guam
• Guam Connection - Guam directory and internet portal.

Military

• Commander, Naval Forces Marianas (COMNAVMAR) Guam
• Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB) Guam
• War in the Pacific - Liberation of Guam
• Congressional Testimony - Guam War Claims

Tourism

• Wikitravel's Guide to Guam
• Guam Visitors Bureau
• Guam Portal

Others

• Guam Chamber of Commerce
• Maps - Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection