Guam

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

Highways

674 km all-weather roads

Ports

Apra Harbor

Telecommunications

26,317 telephones (1989); broadcast stations - 3 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground stations

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Agriculture

relatively undeveloped with most food imported; fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork, poultry, beef, copra

Budget

revenues $525 million; expenditures $395 million, including capital expenditures of $NA.

Currency

US currency is used

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

Electricity

500,000 kW capacity; 2,300 million kWh produced, 16,300 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

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%

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GNP

purchasing power equivalent - $2.0 billion, per capita $14,000; real growth rate NA% (1991 est.)

Imports

$493 million (c.i.f., 1984) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods partners: US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58%

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

12.6% (1991)

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 textiles 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 1991 the unemployment rate was about 4.1%.

Unemployment rate

4.1% (1991 est.)

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

Coastline

125.5 km

Comparative area

slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

Disputes

none

Environment

frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)

Land area

541.3 km2

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land 11%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 18%; other 45%

Maritime claims

Contiguous zone: 12 nm Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)

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

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

Total area

541.3 km2

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US)

Capital

Agana

Constitution

Organic Act of 1 August 1950

Diplomatic representation

none (territory of the US)

Elections

Governor: last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - Joseph F. ADA reelected Legislature: last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); a byelection was held in April 1991 to replace a deceased legislator, 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 3 November 1992); Guam elects one nonvoting delegate; results - Ben BLAZ was elected as the nonacting delegate; seats - (1 total) Republican 1

Executive branch

President of the US, governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet

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

Independence

none (territory of the US)

Judicial branch

Federal District Court of Guam, Territorial Superior Court of Guam

Leaders

Chief of State: President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989) Head of Government: Governor Joseph A. ADA (since November 1986); Lieutenant Governor Frank F. BLAS

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislature

Long-form name

Territory of Guam

Member of

ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC

National holiday

Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March), Liberation Day (July 21), US Government holidays

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

Type

organized, unincorporated territory of the US; policy relations between Guam and the US are under the jurisdiction of the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Birth rate

27 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18%

Infant mortality rate

15 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

46,930; federal and territorial government 40%, private 60% (trade 18%, services 15.6%, construction 13.8%, other 12.6%) (1990)

Languages

English and Chamorro, most residents bilingual; Japanese also widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

72 years male, 76 years female (1992)

Literacy

96% (male 96%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Nationality

noun - Guamanian(s); adjective - Guamanian; note - Guamanians are US citizens

Net migration rate

3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

13% of labor force

Population

142,271 (July 1992), growth rate 2.6% (1992)

Religions

Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%

Total fertility rate

2.5 children born/woman (1992)