Hagåtña (; ; formerly in English: Agana , in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: Agaña) is the capital village of the United States 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 ...

. From the 18th through mid-20th century, it was Guam's population center, but today it is the second smallest of the island's 19

villages A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in both area and population. However, it remains one of the island's major

commercial district A commercial district or commercial zone is any part of a city or town in which the primary land use is Commerce, commercial activities (Retailing, shops, offices, Theater (structure), theaters, restaurants and so on), as opposed to a residential ...

s in addition to being the seat of government.

Etymology

"Hagåt" (also

romanized Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...

as ''haga, with a glottal stop instead of a syllable-final "t") means "blood" in the

Chamorro language Chamorro (; ch, Finuʼ Chamorro, links=no (CNMI), (Guam)) is an Austronesian language spoken by about 58,000 people (about 25,800 people on Guam and about 32,200 in the rest of the Mariana Islands and elsewhere). It is the native and spoken ...

. The suffix "-ña" can be translated as either the possessive pronouns ''his'', ''hers'' or ''its'' in English (cognate to ''-nya'' in

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

), or a signification of greater comparative degree, similar to some uses of the English suffix "-er". There is much speculation that the indigenous peoples originally migrated from the village of Agat/ Hagåt. Therefore, "Hagåtña" can be translated "his or her blood" possibly meaning "related to him, her or it", or it could be translated to what might roughly mean "more Hagåt", as in, an extension of the village of Hagåt. It could also mean "better Hagåt", or "more than, surpassing or superior to Hagåt" in a sense of being "more Hagåt than Hagåt itself". In 1998, the

Guam Legislature 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 ...

changed the name from "Agana" back to the original Chamorro/Chamoru form. However, the name of the neighboring village

Agana Heights Agana Heights ( ch, Tutuhan) is one of the nineteen villages in the United States territory of Guam. It is located in the hills south of Hagåtña (formerly Agana), in the central part of the island. United States Naval Hospital Guam is located ...

remains unchanged.

Geography

Hagåtña is located at the mouth of the

Hagåtña River The Hagåtña River is a river in the United States territory of Guam. Hagåtña, the capital of Guam, is located at the mouth of the river and associated wetlands form the eastern boundary of the city. The river mouth is depicted on both the Seal ...

on Guam's west coast. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of 1 square mile (2.6 km²). It is (by direction of travel) the westernmost state or territorial capital city of the United States. The village is bounded by the sandy beaches of Agana Bay to the north, the Hagåtña River and associated wetlands to the east, and a cliff (above which is the village of Agana Heights) to the South. Several high-rise office buildings are in the center of the village, while the western portion of the city known as Anigua is more residential. Unlike many villages, central Hagåtña is divided into city blocks with shops and small restaurants throughout the center of the village. Highly populated residential areas in the villages of Mongmong-Toto-Maite,

Sinajana Sinajana ( ch, Sinahånña) is the smallest of the nineteen villages in the United States territory of Guam by area. It is located in the hills south of Hagåtña (formerly Agana). The village's name may have come from the word "china-jan," co ...

, and

surround Hagåtña.

Climate

The city has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southea ...

(Köppen: ''Af'') similar to that found in the

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

. Rainfall is high especially from June to November, reaching in a single month in August 1997, whilst the year 2004 was the wettest in history with . The only time Hagåtña got snow was when a cold front from the Philippines reached Guam.

History

Main street of Agana or Hagåtña, Guam (1899-1900)

Hagåtña was a prominent village before Guam's

colonization Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

by the Spanish. In 1668, the first Spanish

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 ...

, Padre San Vitores arrived on the island. The family of

Chief Kepuha Kepuha (died 1669), also spelled Kipuhá or Quipuha, was the island of Guam's first Catholic chief. He granted land in the village of Hagåtña to Spanish missionaries, upon which was built the first Catholic church in the Mariana Islands. Biog ...

donated land in Hagåtña enabling San Vitores to build the first church (

Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica ( es, Catedral Basílica del Dulce Nombre de María) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Guam. It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña. It is located on the site where t ...

) on Guam. Under Spanish rule, and particularly the Spanish-Chamorro Wars, much of the indigenous population of Guam and other

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 ...

was forced to relocate to the city. The remains of buildings from the Spanish administration can be seen in the Plaza de España located beside the cathedral of the

Archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

of Agana. The remains of the Spanish Governor's Palace is here and is closer to the Department of Education than the Cathedral. After Guam was ceded by

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 ...

to 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 ...

in 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 ...

of 1898, 'Agana' remained the seat of government under U.S. Naval Administration. By 1940, the city's population had grown to about 10,000 containing nearly half of the island's residents. Villages had been established nearby for immigrants from the

Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the centra ...

. Guam was captured by

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 forces on December 8, 1941. The Japanese, renamed Guam Ōmiya-jima ( ja.: 大宮島) or ''Great Shrine Island'', and Agana Akashi ( ja.: 明石) or ''Bright Stone''. During Guam's 1944 liberation from the Japanese during

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 ...

, the city was heavily damaged by U.S. naval bombardment. Many former residents settled in other parts of Guam after the war. As part of Guam's reconstruction plan, the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

constructed new straight city streets that passed through existing lots and created many plots of land with multiple owners. This has hindered the development of the city to the present day. In December 1944 Guam was the scene of the

Agana race riot The Agana Race Riot (December 24–26, 1944) took place in Agana, Guam, as the result of internal disputes between white and black United States Marines. The riot was one of the most serious incidents between African-American and European-American ...

, between black and white servicemen stationed on the island. Today, despite a resident population of about 1,000 (less than 1% of Guam's total), the city remains the seat of the territorial government. Its historic sites are major attractions for visitors. Hagåtña is served by Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in

Tamuning Tamuning, also known as Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon ( ch, Tamuneng) is a village located on the western shore of the United States territory of Guam. The village of Tamuning is the economic center of Guam, containing tourist center Tumon, Harmon Indu ...

and

Barrigada Barrigada ( ch, Barigåda) is a village in the United States territory of Guam. A largely residential municipality, its main village is located south of the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport near the intersections of Routes 8, 10, and 16. ...

Culture

As Guam's historic population and administrative center, many traditional celebrations take place in Hagåtña. On December 8, Santa Marian Kamalen, Patroness of the

, is honored with a procession in which a statue of the patroness is pulled on a cart amid the prayers of thousands of the island's

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

s. Guam's most celebrated patriotic holiday,

Liberation Day Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Portugal, or the end of an oc ...

, is on July 21. The annual Liberation Day Parade takes place on Marine Corps Drive in Hagåtña. In addition to the historic sites at the Plaza de España and the Basilica,

Latte Stone Park Latte Stone Park, officially Senator Angel Leon Guerrero Santos Latte Stone Memorial Park, is an urban park in Hagåtña, Guam. Established in the 1950s and operated by the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, it is best known for its set of ...

and the Chamorro Village shopping area offer further information about the island's history and culture.

Demographics

Caroline Islanders Village near Agana, Guam (1899-1900)

The

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

has the municipality a single

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

Infrastructure and government

The island's capital, the

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law 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 p ...

, the governor's office and other government offices are in Hagåtña. The Government House ( ch, Guma I Taotao Guam), traditionally the governor's official residence, is situated above the cliff but technically within the city limit of Hagåtña.

Adelup Point Adelup Point is limestone promontory in Hagåtña, Guam that extends into the Philippine Sea and separates Asan Bay from Hagåtña Bay. It has been the site of the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex since 1990. Adelup is therefore a metonym ...

is the home of the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex. The

Guam Department of Corrections The Guam Department of Corrections (DEPCOR, Chamorro: Depattamenton Mangngurihi) is an agency of the government of the United States territory of Guam that operates the island's correctional facilities. The facility headquarters and main facility a ...

operates the Hagåtña Detention Facility in Hagåtña. Notable federal government agencies in Hagåtña include the

District Court of Guam The District Court of Guam (in case citations, D. Guam) is a United States territorial court with jurisdiction over the United States territory of Guam. It sits in the capital, Hagåtña. Appeals of the court's decisions are taken to the United S ...

at 520 West Soledad Avenue, the

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

at Sirena Plaza, 108 Hernan Cortez, Suite 500, and the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

Post Office at 223 West Chalan Santo Papa.

Twin towns and sister cities

Hagåtña is twinned with: *

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...

, Mexico *

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

, Philippines, since October 2000 *

Malolos City Malolos, officially the City of Malolos ( fil, Lungsod ng Malolos), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 261,189 people. It is the capital city ...

, Philippines *

Legazpi City Legazpi, officially the City of Legazpi ( bcl, Siyudad nin Legazpi; fil, Lungsod ng Legazpi), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 209,533. Legazpi ...

, Philippines * *

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

The

Guam Department of Education The Guam Department of Education (GDOE), formerly the Guam Public School System, is a school district that serves the United States territory of Guam. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and co ...

serves the entire island of Guam. Hagåtña residents are zoned to: *Carlos L. Taitano Elementary School (

) *Jose L. G. Rios Middle School (

Piti Piti may refer to: * Pīti, a mental factor in Buddhism * PITI, the principal, interest, taxes, and insurance sum of a mortgage payment * Piti (food), a soup dish of Central Asia * Piti (footballer) (born 1981), Spanish footballer * Piti, Guam * Pi ...

) * John F. Kennedy High School (

)

Private schools

Private schools in Hagåtña include: *

Academy of Our Lady of Guam Academy of Our Lady of Guam (AOLG) is an all-girls private Catholic high school located at 233 Archbishop Felixberto C. Flores Street in Hagåtña, Guam, United States. AOLG, Guam's sole all-girls high school, has an average yearly enrollment of ...

(Catholic girls' high school in Hagåtña) * Harvest Christian Academy (Christian school in Mong Mong Toto Maite)

Public libraries

The

Guam Public Library System Guam Public Library System (Chamoru: Sisteman Laibirihan Pupbleko Guåhan) is the public library system of the United States territory of Guam. The main library is the Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library at 254 Martyr Street in the village of Hag� ...

operates the Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library at 254 Martyr Street in Hagåtña.

Sites of interest

Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica in Hagatna, Guam

Gregorio D. Perez Marina Gregorio is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name * Gregorio Conrado Álvarez (1925–2016), Uruguayan army general and de facto President of Uruguay from 1981 until 1985 * Gregorio Álvarez (historian) (1889–1986), ...

(formerly, Agana Boat Basin) * Agana Shopping Center * Chamorro Village * Chief Quipuha Park *

Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica ( es, Catedral Basílica del Dulce Nombre de María) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Guam. It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña. It is located on the site where t ...

Fort Santa Agueda Fort Santa Agueda, on Guam Highway 7 in Hagåtña (formerly Agana), Guam, dates from about 1800, during the 1784-1802 administration of Spanish governor Manuel Moro. It was an uncovered fort with a manposteria (coral stone and lime mortar) par ...

* Guam Congress Building *

Guam Museum The Guam Museum, formally the Senator Antonio M. Palomo Guam Museum & Chamorro Educational Facility, is a museum focusing on the history of Guam, a U.S. territory in Micronesia. A permanent building to house the museum's collection opened in Hag� ...

* Paseo Stadium *

Plaza de España Plaza de España (Square of Spain) may refer to: In Spain * Plaça d'Espanya, Barcelona in Barcelona * Plaça d'Espanya (Palma) in Palma, Mallorca * Plaza de España, Madrid in Madrid * Plaza de España (Pontevedra) in Pontevedra * Plaza de Es ...

* Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor's Complex * San Antonio Bridge (Tollai Achote) * Sirena Park

Notable people

Sian Proctor Sian Hayley "Leo" Proctor (born March 28, 1970) is an American commercial astronaut, geology professor, and science communicator. On September 15, 2021, she was launched into Earth's orbit as the pilot of the Crew Dragon space capsule. This miss ...

, commercial astronaut *

Jason Cunliffe Jason Ryan Quitugua Cunliffe (born 23 October 1983) is a Guamanian footballer who plays as a striker and midfielder for Bank of Guam Strykers in the Guam Soccer League, and is the current captain of Guam. Youth and club career Cunliffe first ...

, Guam international footballer. *

Ann Curry Ann Curry (born November 19, 1956) is an American journalist and photojournalist, who has been a reporter for more than 30 years, focused on human suffering in war zones and natural disasters. Curry has reported from the wars in Kosovo, Iraq, S ...

, journalist. Born in Agaña. * Venancio Roberto, two-day

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 ...

. *

Kimberley Santos Kimberley Santos (born August 21, 1961) is a Guamanian beauty queen who became Miss World 1980 (representing Guam) after Germany's Gabriella Brum resigned the day after her victory. The pageant was held in London, United Kingdom. After living ...

, Miss World 1980 (succeeded). *

Frank Camacho Franklin Beldad Camacho (born May 18, 1989) is a Chamorro mixed martial artist in the lightweight division. He was a 2010 Blue Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World champion and a 2006 Micronesian Games wrestling gold medalist. He competed in the Ultima ...

, mixed martial artist

Government

References

*Rogers, Robert F (1995). Destiny's Landfall: A History of Guam: University of Hawai'i Press. *Carter, Lee D; Carter, Rosa Roberto; Wuerch, William L (1997). Guam History: Perspectives Volume One: MARC. *Sanchez, Pedro C. Guahan, Guam: The History of our Island: Sanchez Publishing House. *(1996) Kinalamten Pulitikat: Sinenten I Chamorro: Issues in Guam's Political Development: The Chamorro Perspective: The Political Status Education Coordinating Commission.

External links

Guampedia, Guam's Online Encyclopedia Hagåtña Village
at Guam Portal

– Government of Guam
Virtual Hagåtña
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hagatna, Guam Villages in Guam Capitals in Oceania Capitals of political divisions in the United States