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 Match 99   DB Rec# - 7,551  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Guam 
Text          : 
                                      Guam 
 
                                     Header 
 
Affiliation: 
    (territory of the US) 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way 
    from Hawaii to the Philippines 
Map references: 
    Oceania 
Area: 
  total area: 
    541.3 sq km 
  land area: 
    541.3 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    125.5 km 
Maritime claims: 
  exclusive economic zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
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 coraline 
    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 (especially from Japan) 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    11% 
  permanent crops: 
    11% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    15% 
  forest and woodland: 
    18% 
  other: 
    45% 
Irrigated land: 
    NA sq km 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    NA 
  natural hazards: 
    frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very 
    destructive typhoons (especially in August) 
  international agreements: 
    NA 
Note: 
    largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; 
    strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    153,307 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    NA 
  15-64 years: 
    NA 
  65 years and over: 
    NA 
Population growth rate: 
    2.42% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    25.01 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    3.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    15.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    74.29 years 
  male: 
    72.42 years 
  female: 


    76.13 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    2.32 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Guamanian(s) 
  adjective: 
    Guamanian 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and 
    other 18% 
Religions: 
    Roman Catholic 98%, other 2% 
Languages: 
    English, Chamorro, Japanese 
Literacy: 
    age 15 and over can read and write (1990) 
  total population: 
    99% 
  male: 
    99% 
  female: 
    99% 
Labor force: 
    46,930 (1990) 
  by occupation: 
    federal and territorial government 40%, private 60% (trade 18%, services 
    15.6%, construction 13.8%, other 12.6%) (1990) 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Territory of Guam 
  conventional short form: 
    Guam 
Digraph: 
    GQ 
Type: 
    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 
Capital: 
    Agana 
Administrative divisions: 
    none (territory of the US) 
Independence: 
    none (territory of the US) 
National holiday: 
    Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March) (1521); Liberation Day, 21 July 
Constitution: 
    Organic Act of 1 August 1950 
Legal system: 
    modeled on US; federal laws apply 
Suffrage: 
    18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential 
    elections 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state: 
    President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President 


    Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) 
  head of government: 
    Governor Carl GUTIERREZ (since 8 November 1994); Lieutenant Governor 
    Madeleine BORDALLO (since 8 November 1994); election last held 8 November 
    1994 (next to be held NA November 1998); results - Carl GUTIERREZ (Democrat)
 
    was elected Governor and Madeleine BORDALLO (Democrat) was elected 
    Lieutenant Governor 
  cabinet: 
    executive departments; heads appointed by the governor with the consent of 
    the Guam legislature 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral 
  Legislature: 
    elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1996); 
    results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) Democrats 14, 
    Republican 7 
  US House of Representatives: 
    elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held NA November 1996); Guam
 
    elects one delegate; results - Robert UNDERWOOD was reelected as delegate; 
    seats - (1 total) Democrat 1 
Judicial branch: 
    Federal District Court, Territorial Superior Court 
Political parties and leaders: 
    Democratic Party (controls the legislature); Republican Party (party of the 
    Governor) 
Member of: 
    ESCAP (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, SPC 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
    none (territory of the US) 
 
                                   Government 
US diplomatic representation: 
    none (territory of the US) 
Flag: 
    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 
 
Overview: 
    The economy depends mainly on US military spending and on revenues from 
    tourism. Over the past 20 years the tourist industry has grown rapidly, 
    creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones.
 
    Visitors numbered about 900,000 in 1992. The slowdown in Japanese economic 
    growth has been reflected in less vigorous growth in the tourism sector. 
    About 60% of the labor force works for the private sector and the rest for 
    government. 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. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $2 billion (1991 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    NA% 
National product per capita: 


    $14,000 (1991 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    4% (1992 est.) 
Unemployment rate: 
    2% (1992 est.) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $525 million 
  expenditures: 
    $395 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991) 
Exports: 
    $34 million (f.o.b., 1984) 
  commodities: 
    mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials,
 
    fish, food and beverage products 
  partners: 
    US 25%, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 63%, other 12% 
Imports: 
    $493 million (c.i.f., 1984) 
  commodities: 
    petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods 
  partners: 
    US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58% 
External debt: 
    $NA 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate NA% 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    300,000 kW 
  production: 
    750 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    4,797 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete 
    products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles 
Agriculture: 
    relatively undeveloped with most food imported; fruits, vegetables, eggs, 
    pork, poultry, beef, copra 
 
                                     Economy 
Economic aid: 
    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 Guamanian Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, 
    receives federal income taxes paid by military and civilian Federal 
    employees stationed in Guam 
Currency: 
    1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 
Exchange rates: 
    US currency is used 
Fiscal year: 
    1 October - 30 September 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 


    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    674 km (all-weather roads) 
  paved: 
    NA 
  unpaved: 
    NA 
Ports: 
    Apra Harbor 
Merchant marine: 
    none 
Airports: 
  total: 
    5 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    2 
  with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 
    1 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    26,317 telephones (1989) 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    NA 
  international: 
    2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    3 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Note: 
    defense is the responsibility of the US 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996