2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US)

Age structure

0-14 years: 35.1% (male 30,334; female 27,264) 15-64 years: 58.4% (male 50,258; female 45,538) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 5,269; female 5,278) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef

Airports

5 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

total

4

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1

under 914 m

1 (2002) Military Guam

Area

land

549 sq km

total

549 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

three times the size of Washington, DC

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. Geography Guam

Birth rate

23.19 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$445 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

revenues

$340 million

Capital

Hagatna (Agana)

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

Coastline

125.5 km

Constitution

Organic Act of 1 August 1950

Country name

conventional long form

Territory of Guam

conventional short form

Guam

local long form

Guahan

Currency

US dollar (USD)

Currency code

USD

Death rate

4.29 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territory of the US)

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

Guam receives large transfer payments from the US Federal Treasury ($143 million in 1997) into which Guamanians pay no income or excise taxes; under the provisions of a special law of Congress, the Guam Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes paid by military and civilian Federal employees stationed in Guam

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 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.

Electricity - consumption

771.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

830 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Lamlam 406 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species

Ethnic groups

Chamorro 37%, Filipino 26%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 27%

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Executive branch

cabinet

executive departments; heads appointed by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature

chief of state

President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)

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%

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)

head of government

Governor Felix P. P. CAMACHO (since 6 January 2003) and Lieutenant Governor Kaleo MOYLAN (since 6 January 2003)

Exports

$75.7 million f.o.b. (1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction materials, fish, food and beverage products

Exports - partners

Japan 81.7%, South Korea 6.1%, Canada 2.4% (2002)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September Communications Guam

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 Guam

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.2 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

7%

industry

15%

services

78% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Geographic coordinates

13 28 N, 144 47 E

Geography - note

largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean People Guam

Government type

NA

Highways

note

there are also 685 km of roads classified non-public, including roads located on federal government installations

paved

675 km

total

885 km

unpaved

210 km

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$203 million f.o.b. (1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

Singapore 40.5%, South Korea 21.7%, Japan 21.6%, Hong Kong 4.9% (2002)

Independence

none (territory of the US)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

6.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

6.62 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.46 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0% (1999 est.)

International organization participation

ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC

Internet country code

.gu

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

20 (2000)

Internet users

5,000 (2000) Transportation Guam

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

60,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

federal and territorial government 26%, private 74% (trade 24%, other services 40%, industry 10%) (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

10.91%

other

78.18% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

10.91%

Languages

English, Chamorro, Japanese

Legal system

modeled on US; US federal laws apply

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 9, Republican Party 6

elections

last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004)

note

Guam elects one nonvoting delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA 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

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.9 years (2003 est.)

male

75.96 years

total population

78.27 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99% (1990 est.) Government Guam

male

99%

total population

99%

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

24.9 years (2002)

male

25.6 years

total

25.2 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US Transnational Issues Guam

National holiday

Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521)

Nationality

adjective

Guamanian

noun

Guamanian(s)

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party (controls the legislature) [speaker, Vicente (Ben) PANGELINAN]; Republican Party (party of Governor CAMACHO) [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

163,941 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

23% (2001 est.)

Population growth rate

1.89% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Apra Harbor

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 7, shortwave 2 (2003)

Radios

221,000 (1997)

Railways

0 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.14 male(s)/female

total population

1.1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.11 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female

Suffrage

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

Telephone system

domestic

modern digital system, including cellular mobile service and local access to the Internet

general assessment

modern system, integrated with US facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers

international

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

84,134 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

55,000 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

5 (1997)

Televisions

106,000 (1997)

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

Total fertility rate

3.62 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

15% (2000 est.)

Waterways

none