Guam
Guam is a tropical island situated approximately 3,000 miles west of Hawaii in the northern Pacific Ocean, and it is the largest and most populated island in the Mariana Islands group, covering about 209 square miles. The island has a diverse population of around 173,000 residents, primarily consisting of Chamorro, Filipino, and various other ethnic groups. As an unincorporated territory of the United States since 1950, Guamanians are American citizens but do not have the right to vote in U.S. elections.
The island's geography includes a limestone plateau in the north, low hills in the center, and volcanic mountains in the south, with Mount Lamlam being its highest point. Guam's economy is heavily influenced by the presence of U.S. military bases and tourism, with over a million visitors annually, predominantly from Japan. Despite a vibrant tourist sector, the island faces challenges such as limited agricultural land and a reliance on subsistence farming.
Guam's governance has evolved since it became a self-governing territory in 1970, allowing for an elected governor and a legislature. The island has a complex history, having been claimed by Spain in the 16th century, occupied by Japan during World War II, and later recaptured by the U.S. Its cultural landscape is shaped by a blend of indigenous Chamorro heritage and influences from colonial history, along with contemporary movements to preserve the Chamorro language and culture.
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Guam
Guam is a tropical island about 3,000 miles west of the Hawaiian Islands in the northern Pacific Ocean. The largest and most populated island of the Marianas Islands group, Guam is about 209 square miles in area (three times the size of Washington, DC), and is home to about 173,000 residents (2024). Guam became an unincorporated territory of the United States in 1950. Its people, called Guamanians, are American citizens, but may not vote in US elections.
Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese navigator, traveled to Guam in 1521, naming the Marianas the "Ladrones Islands," or "Thieves Islands." Spain claimed the island in 1565, and Spanish Jesuits began the work of converting the islanders to Catholicism in 1668. Guam remained an outpost of Spain until it was ceded to the United States following the Spanish-American War in 1898.
Geography
The island's geography varies from north to south. The northern portion features a limestone plateau, while low hills characterize its center, and volcanic mountains distinguish the south. Guam's highest point, Mount Lamlam, rises 1,332 feet above sea level. Apra Harbor on the west coast is the island's only good harbor, and hosts a large US naval base. Villages cluster along the coast, while the interior is comprised of dense jungle.
People
The Chamorro, the native people of Guam, descend from Malayo-Indonesian, Spanish, and Filipino stock. About 40 percent of Guam's permanent inhabitants are Chamorro, and 25 percent are Filipino, with the remainder comprised of Caucasian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The majority of Guamanians are Roman Catholic. Although English is the island's official language, a movement to preserve Guam's distinctive language, Chamorro, began in the 1990s. US military personnel and their dependents account for one-quarter of the island's population.
Economy
As the site of major US naval and air bases, Guam's economy revolves around supplying goods and services to these bases, along with tourism. Many of the air routes between the west coast of the United States, Hawaii, the Philippines, Australia, and the Far East include stops on Guam, spurring the growth of the tourist industry. More than one million tourists, most of them from Japan, visit Guam annually; the recent slowdown of the Japanese economy has had a negative impact on this sector of Guam's economy.
The fact that US armed forces own about one-third of the land on Guam impedes large-scale agriculture. Most farms operate at subsistence-level, and produce truck crops such as bananas, sweet potatoes, corn, and sugar cane. Commercial scale poultry farming supplies meat and eggs for export. Beginning in the 1990s, several U.S. military facilities have been turned over to local control.
The unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in 2023. During that year, Guam reported an increase of about 2,000 jobs in construction (1,370), retail trade (520), and hotels (510).
Government
Guam was under the jurisdiction of the US Navy until the Organic Act of 1950 transformed it into a territory administered by the US Department of the Interior. The Organic Act provided for a governor to be appointed every four years by the U.S. president, and a unicameral legislature elected by residents every two years. Guam has been self-governing since 1970, when it elected its first civilian governor. Since 1972, Guam has also elected one member to the US House of Representatives who may vote in committees but not in House votes. The island has a Federal District Court whose judge is appointed by the US president.
Recent History
The US Navy used Guam as a refueling and communication station until it fell to the Japanese in 1941, during World War II. American forces recaptured Guam in July 1944 and used it as a base for air operations against Japan. The island also served as an important air base during the Vietnam War, and many South Vietnamese refugees stopped in Guam before immigrating to the United States.
Guam is located on a path frequently traveled by major tropical storms. Devastating typhoons struck Guam in 1976, 1992. Typhoon Pongsong left the island without power, water, or telephone service in December 2002. In 2015, Guam became the first US territory to legalize same-sex marriage.