GUAM                                                                            
(territory of the US)                                                           
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 541 km2; land area: 541 km2                                         
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of                    
Washington, DC                                                                  
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 125.5 km                                                             
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;                                                         
                                                                                
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);                                               
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
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%                                
                                                                                
Environment: frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to                   
relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons                      
(especially in August)                                                          
                                                                                
Note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands                    
archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean 5,955 km         
west-southwest of Honolulu about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii       
and the Philippines                                                             
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 144,928 (July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)                        
                                                                                
Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                    
Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                          
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                       
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Guamanian(s); adjective--Guamanian                           
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%,                    
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18%                                        
                                                                                
Religion: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%                                          
                                                                                
Language: English and Chamorro, most residents bilingual; Japanese              
also widely spoken                                                              
                                                                                
Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over can                        
read and write (1980)                                                           
                                                                                
Labor force: 54,000; government 42%, private 58% (1988)                         
                                                                                
Organized labor: 13% of labor force                                             
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: Territory of Guam                                               
                                                                                
Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US                             
                                                                                
Capital: Agana                                                                  
                                                                                
Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)                            
                                                                                
Independence: none (territory of the US)                                        
                                                                                
Constitution: Organic Act of 1 August 1950                                      
                                                                                
Legal system: NA                                                                
                                                                                
National holiday: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March),                   
6 March 1989                                                                    
                                                                                
Executive branch: President of the US, governor,                                
lieutenant governor, Cabinet                                                    
                                                                                
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature                                      
                                                                                
Judicial branch: Superior Court of Guam (Federal District Court)                
                                                                                
Leaders:                                                                        
                                                                                
Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);                  
                                                                                
Head of Government--Governor Joseph A. ADA (since NA November                   
1986); Lieutenant Governor Frank F. BLAS                                        
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders:                                                  
Democratic Party (controls the legislature);                                    
Republican Party (party of the Governor)                                        
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal at age 18; US citizens, but do not vote in US               
presidential elections                                                          
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
Governor--last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held                         
November 1994);                                                                 
                                                                                
Legislature--last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held                      
November 1992);                                                                 
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(21 total) Democratic 11, Republican 10;                                 
                                                                                
US House of Representatives--last held 6 November                               
1990 (next to be held November 1992);                                           
Guam elects one nonvoting delegate;                                             
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(1 total) Republican 1                                                   
                                                                                
Communists: none                                                                
                                                                                
Note: relations between Guam and the US are under the jurisdiction              
of the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of        
the Interior                                                                    
                                                                                
Member of: ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC                                          
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)                           
                                                                                
Flag: 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                                           
                                                                                
ECONOMY                                                                         
Overview: The economy is based 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 1990. The           
small manufacturing sector includes textile and clothing, beverage, food,       
and watch production. 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. In 1990 the unemployment rate was         
about 2%, down from 10% in 1983.                                                
                                                                                
GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $7,000; real growth rate 18%                      
(1990 est.)                                                                     
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1990)                                    
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 2% (1990 est.)                                               
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $300 million; expenditures $290 million,                       
including capital expenditures of $25 million (1990 est.)                       
                                                                                
Exports: $39 million (f.o.b., 1983);                                            
                                                                                
commodities--mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products,               
construction materials, fish, food and beverage products;                       
                                                                                
partners--US 25%, other 75%                                                     
                                                                                
Imports: $611 million (c.i.f., 1983);                                           
                                                                                
commodities--petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured               
goods;                                                                          
                                                                                
partners--US 77%, other 23%                                                     
                                                                                
External debt: $NA                                                              
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate NA%                                          
                                                                                
Electricity: 500,000 kW capacity; 2,300 million kWh produced,                   
16,300 kWh per capita (1990)                                                    
                                                                                
Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment,                  
concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles           
                                                                                
Agriculture: relatively undeveloped with most food imported;                    
fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork, poultry, beef, copra                            
                                                                                
Economic aid: NA                                                                
                                                                                
Currency: US currency is used                                                   
                                                                                
Exchange rates: US currency is used                                             
                                                                                
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September                                             
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Highways: 674 km all-weather roads                                              
                                                                                
Ports: Apra Harbor                                                              
                                                                                
Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways;                  
none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;                   
none with runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                 
                                                                                
Telecommunications: 26,317 telephones (1989); stations--3 AM,                   
3 FM, 3 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground stations                            
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US                                   
                                                                                
