250px, The location of Guam

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

The following

outline Outline or outlining may refer to: * Outline (list), a document summary, in hierarchical list format * Code folding, a method of hiding or collapsing code or text to see content in outline form * Outline drawing, a sketch depicting the outer edge ...

is provided as an overview of and topical guide to

– organized, unincorporated territory of the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

that comprises the island of Guam in the western

North Pacific Ocean North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government."USDOI Office of Insular Affairs"
''U.S. Territories'', Retrieved November 4, 2007. The island's capital is Hagåtña (formerly Agana). Guam is the largest and southernmost of the

Mariana Islands The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...

. The

Chamorros The Chamorro people (; also CHamoru) are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, politically divided between the United States territory of Guam and the encompassing Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, signifi ...

, Guam's indigenous inhabitants, first populated the island approximately 4,000 years ago. Discovered by the Spanish expedition of

Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the East ...

in 1521, the island has a long history of

European colonialism The historical phenomenon of colonization is one that stretches around the globe and across time. Ancient and medieval colonialism was practiced by the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Turkish people, Turks, and the Arabs. Colonialism in the mode ...

beginning in the 16th century, and especially in 1668 with the arrival of Spanish settlers including Padre San Vitores, a Catholic

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

. Guam and the rest of the

were integrated in the

Spanish East Indies The Spanish East Indies ( es , Indias orientales españolas ; fil, Silangang Indiyas ng Espanya) were the overseas territories of the Spanish Empire in Asia-Pacific, Asia and Oceania from 1565 to 1898, governed for the Spanish Crown from Mexico C ...

since 1565. The island was a major stopover for

Manila Galleons fil, Galyon ng Maynila , english_name = Manila Galleon , duration = From 1565 to 1815 (250 years) , venue = Between Manila and Acapulco , location = New Spain (Spanish Empire) ...

sailing from Acapulco, until 1815. Guam was taken over from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

in 1898. As the largest island in

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

and the only American-held island in the region before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Guam was occupied by the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese between December 1941 and July 1944. Today, Guam's economy is mainly supported by

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

(primarily from

) and

U.S. military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

bases.

General reference

* Pronunciation: * Common English country name:

* Official English country name: The

Territory of Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

* Common

endonym An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, ...

(s):

List of countries and capitals in native languages The following chart lists countries and dependencies along with their capital cities, in English as well as any additional official language(s). * In bold: Internationally recognized sovereign states ** The 193 member states of the United Na ...

* Official endonym(s):

List of official endonyms of present-day nations and states The following chart lists countries and dependencies along with their capital cities, in English as well as any additional official language(s). * In bold: Internationally recognized sovereign states ** The 193 member states of the United Na ...

* Adjectival(s):

Guamanian The Chamorro people (; also CHamoru) are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, politically divided between the United States territory of Guam and the encompassing Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, signifi ...

Demonym A demonym (; ) or gentilic () is a word that identifies a group of people (inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place (hamlet, village, town, city, region, province, ...

(s): *

Etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

: Name of Guam *

ISO country codes ISO 3166-1 (''Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions – Part 1: Country codes'') is a standard defining codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest. It ...

: GU, GUM, 316 *

ISO region codes ISO 3166-2 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and defines codes for identifying the principal subdivisions (e.g., provinces or states) of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1. The ...

: See ISO 3166-2:GU *

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

country code top-level domain:

.gu .gu is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost poin ...

Geography of Guam

Geography of Guam * Guam is: a United States territory * Location: **

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

and

Eastern Hemisphere The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth which is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian (which crosses the Pacific Ocean and relatively little land from pole to pol ...

** Pacific Ocean *** North Pacific **** Oceania *****

** Time zone: Chamorro Standard Time ( UTC+10) ** Extreme points of Guam *** High: Mount Lamlam – 11,377 meters above Challenger Deep *** Low:

0 m ** Land boundaries: ''none'' ** Coastline: * Population of Guam: 173,000 – 179th most populous country * * Area of Guam: * Atlas of Guam

Environment of Guam

Climate of Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

* Renewable energy in Guam * Geology of Guam *

Protected areas of Guam Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...

** Biosphere reserves in Guam ** National parks of Guam *

Superfund sites in Guam Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency ...

* Wildlife of Guam **

Fauna of Guam Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

*** Birds of Guam *** Mammals of Guam

Natural geographic features of Guam

* Beaches in Guam *

Islands of Guam An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

Lakes of Guam A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...

Mountains of Guam A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

** Volcanoes in Guam *

Rivers of Guam This is a list of rivers in Guam, a (U.S. territory) in the western Pacific Ocean. The list is arranged alphabetically by the name of the river. * Agaga River * Agfayan River * Aguada River * Ajayan River * Alatgue River * Almagosa River *Aplach ...

** Waterfalls of Guam * Valleys of Guam * World Heritage Sites in Guam: None

Regions of Guam

* Regions of Guam

Ecoregions of Guam

* List of ecoregions in Guam

Administrative divisions of Guam

None

=Municipalities of Guam

= *

Capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

of Guam: Hagåtña * Cities of Guam

Demography of Guam

Demographics of Guam The demographics of Guam details an array of demographic statistics relating to the territory of Guam. This includes statistics on population, including the Indigenous population; religious affiliations; language; and immigration. The Demograph ...

Government and politics of Guam

Politics of Guam Guam is a two-party presidential representative democracy, in which the Governor is the head of government. Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States, with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdic ...

Form of government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

presidential President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese fu ...

representative democracy *

of Guam: Hagåtña *

Elections in Guam Guam elects on the territorial level a governor and a legislature with the governor elected for a four-year term by the people. The Legislature of Guam has fifteen members elected at large in an open primary for two year terms. The island also hol ...

Political parties in Guam Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

Branches of the government of Guam

Government of Guam The Government of Guam (GovGuam) is a presidential representative democratic system, whereby the President is the head of state and the Governor is head of government, and of a multi-party system. Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory ...

Executive branch of the government of Guam

* Head of state: President of United States * Head of government:

Governor of Guam The governor of Guam ( ch, I Maga'låhen / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territor ...

* Cabinet of Guam

Legislative branch of the government of Guam

Legislature of Guam The Legislature of Guam ( ch, Liheslaturan Guåhan) is the law-making body for the United States territory of Guam. The unicameral legislative branch consists of fifteen senators, each serving for a two-year term. All members of the legislature a ...

( unicameral)

Judicial branch of the government of Guam

Court system of Guam * Supreme Court of Guam

Foreign relations of Guam

* Diplomatic missions in Guam

International organization membership

The United States Territory of Guam is a member of: * International Olympic Committee (IOC) * Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) * Universal Postal Union (UPU)

Law and order in Guam

Law of Guam Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

Cannabis in Guam Cannabis in Guam has been legal for medical use since 2015 and legal for recreational use since April 2019. Guam was the first United States Territory to legalize medical marijuana, passing via a ballot referendum in 2014. The 2012 UNODC ''World ...

Constitution of Guam The Guam Organic Act of 1950, ( ''et seq.'', ) is a United States federal law that redesignated the island of Guam as an unincorporated territory of the United States, established executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and transferred fed ...

* Crime in Guam * Human rights in Guam ** LGBT rights in Guam ** Freedom of religion in Guam * Law enforcement in Guam

Local government in Guam

History of Guam

History of Guam The history of Guam starts with the early arrival around 2000 BC of Austronesian people known today as the Chamorro Peoples. The CHamorus then developed a "pre-contact" society, that was Spanish Empire, colonized by the Spanish in the 17th centu ...

* Timeline of the history of Guam * Current events of Guam

History of Guam, by period

* Geology of Guam * Indigenous peoples **

Chamorro people The Chamorro people (; also CHamoru) are the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands, politically divided between the United States territory of Guam and the encompassing Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, signif ...

* First European contact, 1521–1668 ***On March 6, 1521, three Spanish ships under the command of Fernão de Magalhães (Ferdinand Magellan) land on the Island of Guam after a seemingly endless eleven week voyage across the Pacific Ocean. Magalhães names the archipelago '' Las Isles de las Velas Latinas'' (The Islands of the Latine Sails). When the Spaniards refuse to pay for supplies, natives take iron from the ships. Magalhães renames the archipelago '' Las Islas de los Ladrones'' (The Islands of the Thieves). *

, 1565–(1668–1898)–1899 **

Diego Luis de San Vitores Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ (November 12, 1627 – April 2, 1672) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam. He is responsible for establishing the Christian presence in the Mariana Islands. He ...

leads the colonization of Guam, renaming the Chamorro archipelago '' Islas Marianas'' in honor of his patroness, Queen Mariana of Austria **The Spanish-Chamorro Wars (1670-1683 on Guam) pacifies CHamoru resistance and solidifies Spanish control **Guam becomes a major stopover for Spanish galleons en route to Manila, from

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

. A number of coastal forts are built to protect these ships, including

Fort Soledad A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

and Fort San Jose in Umatac. *

, April 23 – August 12, 1898 ** Spanish Empire declares war on the

, April 23, 1898 **

capture of Guam, June 20–21, 1898 ** Treaty of Paris, December 10, 1898 *

, since December 10, 1898 ** World War I, June 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918 ***

enters Great War on April 6, 1917 **

, September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945 ***

enters Second World War on December 8, 1941 *** Battle of Guam of 1941 *** Battle of Guam of 1944 **

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, March 5, 1946 – December 25, 1991 ** Korean War, June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953 **

Guam Organic Act The Guam Organic Act of 1950, ( ''et seq.'', ) is a United States federal law that redesignated the island of Guam as an unincorporated territory of the United States, established executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and transferred fed ...

, August 1, 1950

Culture of Guam

Culture of Guam The culture of Guam reflects traditional Chamorro customs in a combination of indigenous pre-Hispanic forms, as well as American, Spanish and Mexican traditions. Post-European-contact CHamoru Guamanian culture is a combination of American, Spanish ...

* Architecture of Guam * Cuisine of Guam * Festivals in Guam *

Languages of Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

* Media in Guam * National symbols of Guam **

Coat of arms of Guam The Seal of Guam appears in the middle of the Flag of the United States territory of Guam. It depicts Agaña Bay near Hagåtña, a local proa and a palm tree. Charles Alan Pownall approved the seal in 1946. It depicts a coconut palm on the shore ...

** Flag of Guam ** National anthem of Guam * People of Guam *

Public holidays in Guam In the United States there are a number of observed holidays where employees receive paid time off. The labor force in the United States comprises about 62% (as of 2014) of the general population. In the United States, 97% of the private secto ...

* Records of Guam *

Religion in Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

** Christianity in Guam ** Hinduism in Guam **

Islam in Guam The An-Noor Mosque is a mosque in Mangilao, Guam. History The construction of the mosque started in 1997. It was then finished and opened in 2000 to become the only mosque on the island. Activities The mosque regularly holds five daily prayers ...

** Judaism in Guam ** Sikhism in Guam * World Heritage Sites in Guam: None

Art in Guam

* Art in Guam * Literature of Guam *

Music of Guam The music of Guam encompasses a broad range of traditional and contemporary music. Modern music from Guam includes elements of Music of the Americas, American, Music of Spain, Spanish, Filipino music, Filipino and Polynesian music. The Spanish a ...

* Television in Guam * Theatre in Guam

Sports in Guam

Sports in Guam *

Football in Guam The sport of association football in the United States territory of Guam is run by the Guam Football Association The Guam Football Association is the governing body of association football in the United States territory of Guam. Association staf ...

Guam at the Olympics Guam has competed in eight Summer Games and one Winter Games. Guam first participated in the Olympics in the Winter Games in 1988 when Judd Bankert became Guam's first Olympic athlete competing in the biathlon. Only two athletes from Guam, canoe ...

Economy and infrastructure of Guam

Economy of Guam * Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 150th (one hundred and fiftieth) * Agriculture in Guam * Banking in Guam ** National Bank of Guam *

Communications in Guam Though Guam is a United States territory, some U.S. long-distance plans and courier services list Guam as an international location. As a result of Guam's being added to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in 1997, calls made to the U.S., Can ...

Internet in Guam Though Guam is a United States territory, some U.S. long-distance plans and courier services list Guam as an international location. As a result of Guam's being added to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in 1997, calls made to the U.S., Can ...

Companies of Guam A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

* Currency of Guam: Dollar **

ISO 4217 ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that defines alpha codes and numeric codes for the representation of currencies and provides information about the relationships between individual cu ...

: USD * Energy in Guam ** Energy policy of Guam ** Oil industry in Guam * Mining in Guam * Tourism in Guam * Guam Stock Exchange

Infrastructure of Guam

* Health care in Guam *

Transportation in Guam The United States territory of Guam has no railways or freeways, nor does it have a merchant marine. The largest port is Apra Harbor, which serves almost all commercial traffic including cruise, cargo and fishing vessels. There are smaller harbo ...

Airports in Guam The United States territory of Guam has no railways or freeways, nor does it have a merchant marine. The largest port is Apra Harbor, which serves almost all commercial traffic including cruise, cargo and fishing vessels. There are smaller harb ...

** Rail transport in Guam ** Roads in Guam ***

Highways in Guam A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

Education in Guam

* Education in Guam **

Schools in Guam A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compul ...

** Colleges and universities in Guam

References

External links

; Government
Official Portal for the Island of Guam

Office of the Governor

Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Delegate, U.S. Congress

Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency

Guam Election Commission

Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation

Guam's Original Webpage
; Invasive species

(info from the&nbs
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER)

Brown tree snake (''Boiga irregularis'') information
from the&nbs
Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR)
; News
Marianas Variety "Guam's only true independent news source"

''Pacific Daily News'', A Gannett Newspaper

''KUAM'', Guam's Primary News Channel"Pacific News Center - News You Can Trust
; Overviews
''allthingsguam''
A Guam History resource—virtual textbook, virtual workbook and more
Guampedia, Guam's Online Encyclopedia
*

''The World Factbook'' on Guam

Guam Connection
– Guam directory and internet portal. ; Military
Commander, Naval Forces Marianas (COMNAVMAR) Guam

Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB) Guam

; Tourism
Guam Visitors Bureau

Guam Portal
; Others
Guam Chamber of Commerce

National Weather Service - Guam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guam Guam