Facts about Guam
Flights to Guam go through Hawaii, Japan, or Korea first and generally require a layover and a plane transfer.
Between 1668 and 1815, Guam was an important resting stop on the Spanish trade route between Mexico and the Philippines.
Guam, along with the rest of the Mariana and Caroline Islands, were then governed as part of the Spanish East Indies from the Philippines.
Indigenous Chamorros believe their ancestors have lived in the Mariana Islands since the dawn of time, that the Mariana Islands are center of the universe, and that all human life began in Guam.
The US Navy attempted to resume its dominance in Guam's internal affairs in the years immediately following World War II.
The population of Guam reached over 150,000 by 2000, representing more than a six-fold increase since 1940, largely as a result of immigration after 1965.
The Guam Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes paid by military and civilian Federal employees stationed in Guam.
Guam was first discovered by sea-faring people who migrated from Indonesia or the Philippines around 2000 B.C.E., according to legends and myths, archaeological evidence, Jesuit missionary accounts, and observations from visiting scientists.
Chamorros from the Northern Mariana Islands were brought to Guam to serve as interpreters and in other capacities for the occupying Japanese force.
Guam's indigenous ecology has been largely destroyed and supplanted by introduced species.
In 2000, a total of 32,000 students attended Guam's public school system, however the public school system has been criticized for poor management and inadequate facilities.
Guam, the largest island in Micronesia, is 1,500 miles (2414 km) southeast of Tokyo and 6,000 miles (9656 km) west of San Francisco, and has an area of 210 square miles (544 sq km).
On June 21, 1898, Guam was captured by the United States in a bloodless invasion during the Spanish-American War.
Significant sources of revenue include duty-free designer shopping outlets, and the American-style malls: Micronesia Mall, Guam Premium Outlets, and the Agana Shopping Center, and various businesses catering to tourists in Tumon.
Nearly four years later, Congress passed the "Guam – Virgin Islands Delegate" Act that allowed for one non-voting Guam delegate in the House of Representatives.
By the Treaty of Paris (1898), Spain officially ceded Guam to the United States.
The University of Guam and Guam Community College offer opportunities for higher education.
Guam's five U.S. military installations, among the most strategically vital in the Pacific Ocean, take up one quarter of the territory's area.
Citizens of Guam, as with those of other unincorporated territories, do not vote for US Presidents.
Guam has a long life expectancy, 78.58 years for the total population.
Guam has a 14 percent unemployment rate, and the government sustained a US$314 million shortfall in 2003.
During World War II, Japanese armed forces invaded Guam on December 8, 1941.
Guam provided one take-off point for the bombing of Hiroshima, which brought about the defeat of Japan in the World War II.
which leads to water quality problems for southern Guam, and destruction of marine life in reefs around the island.
To this day, Guam remains the only US soil, with a sizeable population, that suffered under foreign military power occupation.
Tinangaja, a plant virus affecting coconut palm trees, has left dead and infected trees throughout the forests of Guam.
Sometimes called "America in Asia," Guam is a popular destination for Japanese (90 percent), Korean, and Chinese tourists.
Guam is governed by a popularly elected governor and a unicameral 15 member legislature.
The original population of Guam declined significantly as a result of disease and rebellion against the Spaniards.
Territory of Guam, is an island in the Western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States.
The Challenger Deep, the deepest point on earth, is southwest of Guam at 35,797 feet (10,911 m) deep.
When the armistice was signed, the war ended for everyone except one Japanese soldier who continued hiding out in Guam until 1990.
Private shipping companies such as United Parcel Service, DHL, or FedEx also regard Guam is domestic, although this is often not reflected in the shipping charges for many mail-order companies or websites.
Introduced feral pigs and deer, over-hunting, and habitat loss from human development have all contributed to the loss of Guam's native plants and animals.
Guam and Saipan provided the take-off point for the bombing of Hiroshima.
Guam was added to the North American Numbering Plan in 1997, decreasing the high costs of international long-distance calls to the mainland.
Guamanian Chamorros came to resent the Chamorros in the Northern Marianas.
On September 11, 1968, the Elective Governor Act (Public Law 90-497), allowed the people of Guam to elect their own governor and lieutenant governor.
The University of Guam's Fine Arts Theater, Southern High School's Performance Center, and the Tiyan Theater are popular venues for locally written and produced plays and musical performances.