Facts about Guam
Facts about Guam

Overview:
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.

Currency: U.S Dollar $

Primary Language: English

Geography:
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines

• Location: 13°28" north latitude and 114°45" east longitude
• 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 .

Population: 166,090 (July 2004 est.)

Government:
Organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior.

• Capitol: Hagatna
• Governor: Felix Camacho - Republican
• Lt. Governor: Kaleo Moylan - Republican
• Legislature: Consists of 15 Senators - Members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms.
• Congressional Representative: Madeline Bordallo - Representatives are non-voting members of the U.S. Congress.

Economy:
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 has 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.