2024 Edition Primary

Background

Guam was settled by Austronesian people around 1500 B.C. These people became the indigenous Chamorro and were influenced by later migrations, including the Micronesians in the first millennium A.D., and island Southeast Asians around 900. Society was stratified, with higher classes living along the coast and lower classes living inland. Spanish explorer Ferdinand MAGELLAN was the first European to see Guam in 1521, and Spain claimed the island in 1565 because it served as a refueling stop for ships between Mexico and the Philippines. Spain formally colonized Guam in 1668. Spain’s brutal repression of the Chamorro, along with new diseases and intermittent warfare, reduced the indigenous population from more than 100,000 to less than 5,000 by the 1700s. Spain tried to repopulate the island by forcing people from nearby islands to settle on Guam and preventing them from escaping.Guam became a hub for whalers and traders in the western Pacific in the early 1800s. During the 1898 Spanish-American War, the US Navy occupied Guam and set up a military administration. The US Navy opposed local control of government despite repeated petitions from the Chamorro. Japan invaded Guam in 1941 and instituted a repressive regime. During the US recapture of Guam in 1944, the island’s two largest villages were destroyed. After World War II, political pressure from local Chamorro leaders led to Guam being established as an unincorporated organized US territory in 1950, with US citizenship granted to all Chamorro. In a referendum in 1982, more than 75% of voters chose closer relations with the US over independence, although no change in status was made because of disagreements on the future right of Chamorro self-determination. The US military holds about 29% of Guam’s land and stations several thousand troops on the island. The installations are some of the most strategically important US bases in the Pacific; they also constitute the island’s most important source of income and economic stability.

Area

land

544 sq km

total

544 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

three times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to December); little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

125.5 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Lamlam 406 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

13 28 N, 144 47 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

2 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

33.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 16.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 14.8% (2018 est.)

forest

47.9% (2018 est.)

other

18.7% (2018 est.)

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

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

aquatic wildlife (supporting tourism), fishing (largely undeveloped)

Population distribution

no large cities exist on the island, though large villages (municipalities) attract much of the population; the largest of these is Dededo

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

Age structure

0-14 years

26.4% (male 23,139/female 21,632)

15-64 years

62.7% (male 55,591/female 50,741)

65 years and over

10.9% (2024 est.) (male 8,615/female 9,814)

Birth rate

18.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

37% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

18.4

potential support ratio

5.4 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

60.7

youth dependency ratio

42.3

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 46.1% (Chamorro 32.8%, Chuukese 6.7%, Palauan 1.4%, Pohnpeian 1.4%, Yapese 1%, other Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 2.8%), Asian 35.5% (Filipino 29.1%, Korean 2.2%, Japanese 1.4%, Chinese (except Taiwanese) 1.3%, other Asian 1.5%), White 6.8%, African descent or African-American 0.9%, Indigenous 0.1%, other 0.6%, mixed 10% (2020 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.32 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

10.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

11 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

English 43.3%, Filipino 24.9%, Chamorro 16%, other Pacific Island languages 9.4%, Asian languages 6.5% (2020 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.5 years

male

75.6 years

total population

78 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

147,000 HAGATNA (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

31.1 years

male

29.6 years

total

30.3 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Guamanian

noun

Guamanian(s) (US citizens)

Net migration rate

-10.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population

female

82,187 (2024 est.)

male

87,345

total

169,532

Population distribution

no large cities exist on the island, though large villages (municipalities) attract much of the population; the largest of these is Dededo

Population growth rate

0.11% (2024 est.)

Religions

Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 94.2%, folk religions 1.5%, Buddhist 1.1%, other 1.6%, unaffiliated 1.7% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 89.8% of population (2015 est.)

improved: total

total: 89.8% of population (2015 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 89.8% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 10.2% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 10.2% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 10.2% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.88 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.73 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

95.2% of total population (2022)

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US)

Capital

etymology

the name is derived from the Chamoru word "haga," meaning "blood", and may refer to the bloodlines of the various families that established the original settlement

geographic coordinates

13 28 N, 144 44 E

name

Hagatna (Agana)

time difference

UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see United States

Constitution

amendments

amended many times, last in 2015

history

effective 1 July 1950 (Guam Act of 1950 serves as a constitution)

Country name

abbreviation

GU

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Guam

etymology

the native Chamorro name for the island "Guahan" (meaning "we have" or "ours") was changed to Guam in the 1898 Treaty of Paris, whereby Spain relinquished Guam, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the US

local long form

none

local short form

Guahan

Dependency status

unincorporated organized territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the Federal Government under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior, Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (territory of the US)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the Legislature

chief of state

President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021)

election results

2022: Lourdes LEON GUERRERO reelected governor; percent of vote - Lourdes LEON GUERRERO (Democratic Party) 55%, Felix CAMACHO (Republican Party) 44%; Josh TENORIO (Democratic Party) elected lieutenant governor2018: Lourdes LEON GUERRERO elected governor; percent of vote -  Lourdes LEON GUERRERO (Democratic Party) 50.7%, Ray TENORIO (Republican Party) 26.4%; Josh TENORIO (Democratic Party) elected lieutenant governor

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as Guam, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ballot by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for 2 consecutive terms); gubernatorial election last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2026)

head of government

Governor Lourdes LEON GUERRERO (since 7 January 2019)

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, a proa or outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; the proa is sailing in Agana Bay with the promontory of Puntan Dos Amantes, near the capital, in the background; the shape of the central emblem is that of a Chamorro sling stone, used as a weapon for defense or hunting; blue represents the sea and red the blood shed in the struggle against oppression

note

note: the US flag is the national flag

Government type

unincorporated organized territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches

Independence

none (territory of the US)

International organization participation

AOSIS (observer), IOC, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Guam (consists of 3 justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court of Guam are referred to the US Supreme Court

judge selection and term of office

justices appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Guam legislature; justices appointed for life subject to retention election every 10 years

subordinate courts

Superior Court of Guam - includes several divisions; US Federal District Court for the District of Guam (a US territorial court; appeals beyond this court are heard before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit)

Legal system

common law modeled on US system; US federal laws apply

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Legislature of Guam or Liheslaturan Guahan (15 seats; members elected in a single countrywide constituency by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms)

election results

Guam Legislature - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 9, Republican Party 6; composition - men 9, women 6, percent of women 40%Guam delegate to the US House of Representatives - Democratic Party 1 (man)

elections

Guam Legislature - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)delegate to the US House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)

note

note: Guam directly elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote

National anthem

lyrics/music

Ramon Manalisay SABLAN [English], Lagrimas UNTALAN [Chamoru]/Ramon Manalisay SABLAN

name

"Fanohge Chamoru" (Stand Ye Guamanians)

note

note: adopted 1919; the local anthem is also known as "Guam Hymn"; as a territory of the United States, "The Star-Spangled Banner," which generally follows the playing of "Stand Ye Guamanians," is official (see United States)

National holiday

Discovery Day (or Magellan Day), first Monday in March (1521)

National symbol(s)

coconut tree; national colors: deep blue, red

Political parties

Democratic PartyRepublican Party

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; note - Guamanians are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Agricultural products

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

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.3% of household expenditures (2021 est.)

on food

34.6% of household expenditures (2021 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.299 billion (2016 est.)

revenues

$1.24 billion (2016 est.)

Economic overview

small Pacific island US territorial economy; upper income, tourism-based economy; hard-hit by COVID-19 disruptions; relaunched many industries via vaccination tourism; domestic economy relies on multiple military bases; environmentally fragile economy

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

Exports 2019

$1.403 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$371 million (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$186 million (2021 est.)

note

note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, scrap iron, scrap copper, trunks and cases, aircraft parts (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Singapore 30%, Taiwan 20%, South Korea 14%, Philippines 12%, Hong Kong 8% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

7.9% (2022 est.)

government consumption

55% (2016 est.)

household consumption

59.9% (2022 est.)

imports of goods and services

-64% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20.6% (2016 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.91 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2019

$3.552 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$3.383 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$3.667 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, raw iron bars, electric generating sets, trunks and cases (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

South Korea 37%, Singapore 35%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 3%, Hong Kong 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

national defense, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

0% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1% (2017 est.)

Labor force

80,000 (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

Public debt 2016

22.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014

$5.531 billion (2014 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$5.697 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016

$5.793 billion (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-10.52% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

2.06% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

5.1% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2014

$34,400 (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2015

$35,200 (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2016

$35,600 (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.4% (of GDP) (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

6% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

5.53% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.42% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

13.2% (2023 est.)

male

12.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

12.9% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

1.83 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

1.83 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

1.662 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

525,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

90.023 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

94.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

5.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

150.555 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

Data represented includes both Guam and Northern Mariana Islands

refined petroleum consumption

12,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2020 est.)

total

3,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

about a dozen TV channels, including digital channels; multi-channel cable TV services are available; roughly 20 radio stations

Internet country code

.gu

Internet users

percent of population

80.5% (2021 est.)

total

136,850 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line subscriptions 41 per 100 and 62 per 100 mobile-cellular subscriptions in 2004 (2021)

general assessment

Guam’s telecommunications companies provide important services that allow other businesses on island to operate; Guam plays a larger, and growing role, in global telecommunications infrastructure, the submarine fiber optic cables that land on Guam benefit island residents and the local economy; in the Asia-Pacific region the demand for 4G, 5G, and broadband access is rapidly increasing; the 11 submarine cables that currently land on Guam, connecting the U.S. to the Asia-Pacific region, are some of the more than 400 cables that are the backbone of global telecommunications, providing nearly all of the world’s internet and phone service; as of January 2024, one of the world's most dominant companies will be landing two new subsea cables on Guam; in May 2024 a global arm of a leading telecommunications and technology company, announced its plans to develop a regional network hub in Guam by establishing a new dedicated point-of-presence (PoP) in Piti at the carrier-neutral GNC iX data center; this PoP will serve growing connectivity demand in the region and will be a key connection point for new cable systems including the Echo cable and central Pacific Connect cable that are being constructed to provide additional low latency network reliability and redundancy throughout Asia and between Asia, Australia, and the U.S. (2021)

international

country code - 1-671; major landing points for Atisa, HANTRU1, HK-G, JGA-N, JGA-S, PIPE-1, SEA-US, SxS, Tata TGN-Pacific, AJC, GOKI, AAG, AJC and Mariana-Guam Cable submarine cables between Asia, Australia, and the US (Guam is a transpacific communications hub for major carriers linking the US and Asia); satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

41 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

70,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

62 (2009 est.)

total subscriptions

98,000 (2009 est.)

Airports

3 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

N

Heliports

2 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

other 3

total

3 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Apra Harbor

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

1 (2024)

Roadways

total

1,045 km (2008)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US; the US military maintains over 6,000 personnel on Guam, including an air base, an air wing, and a naval installation command (2024)

Military and security forces

Guam Police Department (GPD); Guam (US) National Guard 

Climate

tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season (January to June), rainy season (July to December); little seasonal temperature variation

Environment - current issues

fresh water scarcity; reef damage; inadequate sewage treatment; extermination of native bird populations by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic, invasive species

Land use

agricultural land

33.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 16.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 14.8% (2018 est.)

forest

47.9% (2018 est.)

other

18.7% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.84% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

95.2% of total population (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

141,500 tons (2012 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

25,258 tons (2011 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

17.9% (2011 est.)