ARCHIVE // GU // 1999

Guam

1999 Edition — territory

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Communications
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
206,000 (1994)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
74,317 (March 1997)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
5 (1997)
Televisions [time series]
97,000 (1994 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]
fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef
Budget [time series]
revenues: $524.3 million expenditures: $361.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Debt - external (Debt--external) [time series]
$NA
Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]
$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
Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]
The economy depends mainly on US military spending and on tourist revenue. Over the past 20 years, the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. More than 1 million tourists visit Guam each year. The industry suffered a setback in 1998 because of the continuing Japanese recession; the Japanese normally make up almost 90% of the tourists. Most food and industrial goods are imported. Guam faces the problem of building up the civilian economic sector to offset the impact of military downsizing.
Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]
800 million kWh (1996)
Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]
800 million kWh (1996)
Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates [time series]
US currency is used
Exports [time series]
$86.1 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]
mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, food and beverage products
Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]
US 25%
Fiscal year [time series]
1 October--30 September
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity--$3 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP--composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP--per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity?$19,000 (1996 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP--real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$202.4 million (c.i.f., 1992)
Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]
petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]
US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58%
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
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.)
Labor force [time series]
65,660 (1995)
Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]
federal and territorial government 31%, private 69% (trade 21%, services 33%, construction 12%, other 3%) (1995)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Unemployment rate [time series]
2% (1992 est.)
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 541.3 sq km land: 541.3 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative (Area--comparative) [time series]
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
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m
Environment - current issues (Environment--current issues) [time series]
extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic species
International environmental agreements (Environment--international agreements) [time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
13 28 N, 144 47 E
Geography - note (Geography--note) [time series]
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 11% permanent crops: 11% permanent pastures: 15% forests and woodland: 18% other: 45% (1993 est.)
Location [time series]
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Map references [time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)
Natural resources [time series]
fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
Terrain [time series]
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
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (territory of the US)
Capital [time series]
Hagatna (Agana)
Constitution [time series]
Organic Act of 1 August 1950
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Territory of Guam conventional short form: Guam
Data code [time series]
GQ
Dependency status [time series]
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (territory of the US)
Executive branch [time series]
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%
Flag (Flag description) [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
Government type [time series]
NA
Independence [time series]
none (territory of the US)
International organization participation [time series]
ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC
Judicial branch [time series]
Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president); Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms by the governor)
Legal system [time series]
modeled on US; US federal laws apply
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2000) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--Republican 12, Democratic 3 note: Guam elects one delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2000); results--Robert UNDERWOOD was reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--Democratic 1
National holiday [time series]
Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March) (1521); Liberation Day, 21 July (1944)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Republican Party (controls the
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Military
Military - note (Military--note) [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the US
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 35% (male 27,301; female 25,106) 15-64 years: 60% (male 47,691; female 42,714) 65 years and over: 5% (male 4,486; female 4,418) (1999 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
26.52 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate [time series]
4.35 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
7.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages [time series]
English, Chamorro, Japanese
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 77.78 years male: 74.6 years female: 81.31 years (1999 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1990 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Guamanian(s) adjective: Guamanian
Net migration rate [time series]
-5.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population [time series]
151,716 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
1.67% (1999 est.)
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.92 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes--international) [time series]
none
Transportation
Airports [time series]
5 (1998 est.)
Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]
total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports--with unpaved runways) [time series]
total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
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
Merchant marine [time series]
none
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Apra Harbor
Railways [time series]
0 km