My Island of Guam

The island of Guam, called Guahan in the Chamorro language, is an unincorporated U.S. territory. It is the most southern of the Mariana Islands and is located in the western Pacific Ocean, about three fourths of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines.

Motto: "Where America's Day Begins"

Capital City: Agana / Hagåtña

Location: 13.28 N, 144.47 E

Bird: Marianas Rose Crown Fruit Dove /Tottot / Ptilinopus roseicapilla

Flower: Bougainvillea spectabilis / Puti Tai Nobiu

Tree: Ifil / Ifit / Intsia bijuga

Highest Point: Mt. Lamlam 1,334 feet (407 meters)

Languages: Official: English and Chamorro/Chamoru

Largest City: Dededo

Lowest Point: The Mariana Trench - The deepest part of the ocean in the world.

Nationality: Guamanian

Population: 160,595 (July 1997 est.)

Annual rainfall: 110 inches

Climate: tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds;

Seasons: dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December; little seasonal temperature variation.

Land area: 212 square miles

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-rising hills in center, mountains in south.

Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (esp. from Japan)

Natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)

Ethnic groups: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Europeans, and other Micronesians 18%

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%

Dependency status: organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior.

Legal system: US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections

Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Economy - overview:
The economy depends mainly on US military spending and on revenue generated by the tourism industry. 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 one million tourists visit Guam each year. Most food and industrial goods are imported, with about 75% from the US. Guam faces the problem of building up the civilian economic sector to offset the impact of military downsizing.