Airports [time series]

total: 5 usable: 4 with permanent-surface runways: 3 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,200-2,439 m: 0

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 674 km (all-weather roads) paved: NA unpaved: NA

Ports [time series]

Apra Harbor

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of the US

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $525 million expenditures: $395 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

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 [time series]

capacity: 500,000 kW production: 2.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 16,300 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

US currency is used

Exports [time series]

$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%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October - 30 September

Imports [time series]

$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 (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4% (1992 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $2 billion (1991 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$14,000 (1991 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

NA%

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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. In early 1994, Guam faces the problem of building up the civilian economic sector to offset the impact of military downsizing.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2% (1992 est.)

Area [time series]

total area: 541.3 sq km land area: 541.3 sq km comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

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 [time series]

125.5 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: NA natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August) international agreements: NA

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

Oceania, Micronesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, 5,955 km west-southwest of Honolulu, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

Terrain [time series]

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (territory of the US)

Capital [time series]

Agana

Constitution [time series]

Organic Act of 1 August 1950

Digraph [time series]

GQ

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

none (territory of the US)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) head of government: Governor Joseph A. ADA (since November 1986); Lieutenant Governor Frank F. BLAS (since NA); election last held on 6 November 1990 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Joseph F. ADA reelected cabinet: executive departments; heads appointed by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

none (territory of the US)

Judicial branch [time series]

Federal District Court, Territorial Superior Court

Legal system [time series]

modeled on US; federal laws apply

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Legislative branch (Legislature) [time series]

elections last held on 9 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) Democratic 14, Republican 7

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Territory of Guam conventional short form: Guam

National holiday [time series]

Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March) (1521); Liberation Day, 21 July

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Democratic Party (controls the legislature); Republican Party (party of the Governor)

Suffrage [time series]

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

Government type (Type) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (US House of Representatives) [time series]

elections last held 9 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1994); Guam elects one delegate; results - Robert UNDERWOOD was elected as delegate; seats - (1 total) Democrat 1

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

none (territory of the US)

Birth rate [time series]

25.66 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

3.86 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

15.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

English, Chamorro, Japanese

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 74.29 years male: 72.42 years female: 76.13 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Guamanian(s) adjective: Guamanian

Net migration rate [time series]

3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

149,620 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.48% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.39 children born/woman (1994 est.)