Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898. Captured by the Japanese in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. The military installation on the island is one of the most strategically important US bases in the Pacific.
Regions and territories: Guam
The tropical island of Guam, a US territory in the western Pacific, is a keystone of American military strategy in the region.Tourism and the growing military presence on the island are the bedrock of its economy.
Guam is an important staging post, allowing rapid access to potential flashpoints in the Koreas and in the Taiwan Strait.
The largest military installation, Andersen Air Force Base, was used by B-52 bombers during the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. Nuclear attack submarines are based on the island.
Visitors from Japan are the mainstay of the tourist industry. Away from the resorts and shopping malls, coral reefs and waterfalls are among the natural attractions. But Guam's birdlife has been decimated by the brown tree snake, accidentally introduced in the 1940s.
Guam's diverse population includes Japanese, Chinese, and incomers from other Pacific islands. The indigenous Chamorro are a people of mixed Micronesian, Spanish and Filipino descent.
The island was settled in the second century BC. A Spanish expedition led by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521; under Spanish rule the native population was decimated by disease and the suppression of rebellions.
Guam was ceded to the US in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. The island was occupied by Japan during World War II. Many Guamanians died under the occupation before the territory was wrested from Japanese control in 1944.
After more than a century of change and development, Spain's mark is still apparent in the Chamorro language, the cuisine, and in annual fiestas.
Guam is vulnerable to storms. Typhoons swept across the island in 2002, leaving around 35,000 people homeless.
- Population: 168,000 (UN, 2005)
- Capital: Hagatna
- Area: 541 sq km (209 sq miles)
- Major languages: English, Chamorro (both official)
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 77 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: US dollar
- Main export: Re-exports of petroleum-based products
- GNI per capita: US$14,518 (UN)
- Internet domain: .gu
- International dialling code: +1 671
Head of state: President George W Bush
Head of government: Governor Felix Camacho
Felix Camacho, a Republican, was elected as governor in November 2002.
He ran for re-election in November 2006, and officials declared him the winner. But his Democrat rival Robert Underwood says he will challenge the result.
The governor is elected to a four-year term. Although they are US citizens, residents of Guam do not vote in US national elections.
Broadcasting is regulated by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The press
Television
Radio
The economy depends largely on US military spending and tourism. Total US grants, wage payments, and procurement outlays amounted to $1.3 billion in 2004. Over the past 30 years, the tourist industry has grown to become the largest income source following national defense. The Guam economy continues to experience expansion in both its tourism and military sectors.
Guamanian natural resources include fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean
Guamanian religion is Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.).
Natural hazards in Guam include frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December).