Hågat (formerly Agat) is a village in the United States territory of

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

. It is located south of

Apra Harbor Apra Harbor, also called Port Apra, is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific Ocean. The harbor is bounded by Cabras Island and the Glass Breakwat ...

on the island's western shore. The village's population has decreased since the island's 2010 census. The village is southwest of Hagåtña, with most of the residents ethnic

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, a commonweal ...

, the indigenous people of Guam. Some of Agat's most notable sites are Mount Alifan, the Agat Marina, the Spanish Bridge, and War In The Pacific National Historical Park.

History

In 1565, the

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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

explorer

Miguel López de Legazpi Miguel López de Legazpi (12 June 1502 – 20 August 1572), also known as ''Adelantado, El Adelantado'' and ''El Viejo'' (The Elder), was a Spanish conquistador who financed and led an expedition to conquer the Philippines, Philippine islan ...

claimed Guam for Spain. Agat was founded between 1680 and 1684, by the Spanish Governor Don Jose Quiroga, as a military garrison for the purpose of controlling the Chamorro people and converting them to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. Many of its first citizens were brought from the internal village of Fina which was destroyed while the Spanish pacified the island. It was one of six such settlements on Guam in the 18th century. During the 1830s, the Spanish Governor, Captain Villalobos, began constructing facilities in Agat planning to make it the island's new capital. Lack of funds prevented him from completing the project. In 1898, Guam was transferred from Spain to the United States following the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

. Under U.S. Naval administration, Agat was incorporated as a township with an American style

municipal government A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

occupied Guam from 1941 to 1944. During the Battle of Guam in 1944, Agat was one of the two landing sites for U.S. Marines. These sites are now part of the War in the Pacific National Historical Park. The old village was destroyed during the invasion. After capturing Guam, the U.S. military constructed a new residential community in Agat for Guam residents made homeless by the war south of the original village. In August 2021, Gov.

Lou Leon Guerrero Lourdes Aflague "Lou" Leon Guerrero (born November 8, 1950) is an American politician and former banking executive, lobbyist, and nurse who has served as the ninth governor of Guam since 2019.Haidee Eugenio Gilbert''Crowd: Governor's speech inspi ...

signed a bill officially changing the name of the village.

Climate

Demographics

The

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

counts it under the Agat

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Guam Public School System serves the island. Marcial Sablan Elementary School and Oceanview Middle School are located in Agat. Southern High School in Santa Rita serves the village.Guam's Public High Schools
." ''Guam Public School System''. Accessed September 8, 2008. Oceanview Middle School was originally Oceanview High School; the campus became a middle school in 1997.http://www.gdoe.net/rpe/annual_grad_ratesSY96_02.htm In regards to the

Department of Defense Education Activity The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a federal school system headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on beh ...

(DoDEA), Hågat is in the school attendance zone for McCool Elementary and McCool Middle School, while Guam High School is the island's sole DoDEA high school. DoDEA school material describes the DoDEA school bus services going to Hågat as "limited".

Private schools

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School is located in Agat and accommodates students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

Public libraries

Guam Public Library System Guam Public Library System (Chamorro language, 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 t ...

operates the Agat Library at 165 Follard Street.

Government

Deputy Commissioner

* Jose Pereda (1898–1903) * Jesus Carbullido (1903–1908) * Pedro C. Charfauros (1931–1933) * Vicente M. Salas (1934–1937) * Jose S. San Nicolas (1970–1973)

Notable people

* Michael Cruz (born 1958), surgeon and former 8th Lieutenant Governor of Guam *

Walt Nauta Waltine Torre Nauta Jr. (born ) is an American valet and body man to U.S. president Donald Trump. He was a defendant in a Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (government documents case), criminal case over violations of the Espionage Act and re ...

(born 1982 or 1983), valet to

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

* Nerissa Bretania Underwood (born 1955), politician