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.

Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N 144 47 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 549 km²
Land: 549 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: three times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 125.5 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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 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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m

Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped) tourism (especially from Japan)

Land use
Arable land: 9.09%
Permanent crops: 16.36%
Other: 74.55% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare but potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)

Geography
Note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

Population: 166,090 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 1.5% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 23% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Guamanian
Adjective: Guamanian

Ethnic groups: Chamorro 37% Filipino 26% white 10% Chinese Japanese Korean and other 27%

Languages: English Chamorro Japanese

Religions: Roman Catholic 85% other 15% (1999 est.)

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.)

Median age
Total: 28.2 years
Male: 28 years
Female: 28.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.5% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 19.31 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 4.35 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake an exotic invasive species

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male/female
Total population: 1.04 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.15 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 7.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.46 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.12 years
Male: 75.08 years
Female: 81.34 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (1990 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Territory of Guam
Conventional short form: Guam
Local long form: Guahan

Government type: NA

Capital: Hagatna (Agana)

Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)

Independence: none (territory of the US)

National holiday: Discovery Day first Monday in March (1521)

Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950

Legal system: modeled on US; US federal laws apply

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

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)
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
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)
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%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 9, Republican Party 6
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

Judicial branch: Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president); Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms by the governor)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (controls the legislature) [speaker Vicente (Ben) PANGELINAN]; Republican Party (party of Governor CAMACHO) [leader NA]

International organization participation: Interpol (subbureau) IOC UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (territory of the US)
From the us: none (territory of the US)

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

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 had 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.

Real gdp growth rate: NA

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2000 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7%
Industry: 15%
Services: 78% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: fruits copra vegetables; eggs pork poultry beef

Industries: US military tourism construction transshipment services concrete products printing and publishing food processing textiles

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 60,000 (2000 est.)
By occupation: private 74% (industry 10% trade 24% other services 40%) federal and territorial government 26% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: 23% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Budget
Revenues: $340 million
Expenditures: $445 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0% (1999 est.)

Exports: $38 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction materials fish food and beverage products
Partners: Japan 70.1% South Korea 17.9% Singapore 6% (2003)

Imports: $462 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products food manufactured goods
Partners: Singapore 35.8% Japan 22.2% South Korea 17.5% Hong Kong 11.4% (2003)

Debt external: NA (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Electricity
Production: 830 million kWh (2001)
Consumption: 771.9 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 84,134 (2001)
Mobile cellular: 32,600 (2001)

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)

Internet
Country code: .gu
Users: 50,000 (2002)

Airports: 5 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Merchant marine: none

Disputes international: none