Guam

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.

• 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

• 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

arable land:

11%

permanent crops:

11%

permanent pastures:

15%

forests and woodland:

18%

other:

45% (1993 est.)

0-14 years:

34.9% (male 28,233; female 25,727)

15-64 years:

59.09% (male 48,126; female 43,238)

65 years and over:

6.01% (male 4,680; female 4,619) (2000 est.)

at birth:

1.14 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.1 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.11 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.01 male(s)/female

total population:

1.1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Guamanian(s)

adjective:

Guamanian

conventional long form:

Territory of Guam

conventional short form:

Guam

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

chief of state:

President William Jefferson CLINTON of the US (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)

head of government:

Governor Carl GUTIERREZ (since 8 November 1994) and Lieutenant Governor Madeleine BORDALLO (since 8 November 1994)

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 terms;
• election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2002)

election results:

Carl GUTIERREZ reelected governor; percent of vote - Carl GUTIERREZ (Democrat) 53.2%, Joseph ADA (Republican) 46.8%

• 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

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• $NA;
• note - although Guam receives no foreign aid, it does receive large transfer payments from the general revenues of the US Federal Treasury 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

domestic:

NA

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan

total:

885 km

paved:

675 km

unpaved:

210 km

note: there is another 685 km of roads classified non-public, including roads located on federal government installations