Coral Sea Islands (2004) | Guam (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of the US) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
35.07% (male 28,978; female 26,270) 15-64 years: 58.78% (male 48,704; female 43,902) 65 years and over: 6.15% (male 4,871; female 4,832) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef |
Airports | - | 5 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total:
4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: less than 3 sq km
land: less than 3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km, with the Willis Islets the most important |
total:
549 sq km land: 549 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | NA | three times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 25.07 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues:
$605.3 million expenditures: $654.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
Capital | - | Hagatna (Agana) |
Climate | tropical | tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 3,095 km | 125.5 km |
Constitution | - | Organic Act of 1 August 1950 |
Country name | conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands |
conventional long form:
Territory of Guam conventional short form: Guam |
Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | - | 4.2 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of the US) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (territory of the US) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | Guam receives large transfer payments from the US Federal Treasury ($143 million in 1997) into which Guamanians pay no income or excise taxes; under the provisions of a special law of Congress, the Guam Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes paid by military and civilian Federal employees stationed in Guam |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | The economy depends on US military spending, tourism, and the export of fish and handicrafts. Total US grants, wage payments, and procurement outlays amounted to $1 billion in 1998. Over the past 20 years, the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. More than 1 million tourists visit Guam each year. The industry has recently suffered setbacks because of the continuing Japanese slowdown; the Japanese normally make up almost 90% of the tourists. Most food and industrial goods are imported. Guam faces the problem of building up the civilian economic sector to offset the impact of military downsizing. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 744 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | - | 800 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m |
Environment - current issues | no permanent fresh water resources | extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic species |
Ethnic groups | - | Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18% |
Exchange rates | - | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | chief of state:
President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Carl GUTIERREZ (since 8 November 1994) and Lieutenant Governor Madeleine BORDALLO (since 8 November 1994) cabinet: executive departments; heads appointed by the governor with the consent of the Guam legislature elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for a four-year term; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2002) election results: Carl GUTIERREZ reelected governor; percent of vote - Carl GUTIERREZ (Democrat) 53.2%, Joseph ADA (Republican) 46.8% |
Exports | - | $75.7 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Exports - commodities | - | mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction materials, fish, food and beverage products |
Exports - partners | - | US 25% |
Fiscal year | - | 1 October - 30 September |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; US flag is the national flag |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $3.2 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
NA% industry: 15% (1993) services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 18 00 S, 152 00 E | 13 28 N, 144 47 E |
Geography - note | important nesting area for birds and turtles | largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean |
Highways | - | total:
885 km paved: 675 km unpaved: 210 km note: there are also 685 km of roads classified non-public, including roads located on federal government installations |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $203 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) |
Imports - commodities | - | petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods |
Imports - partners | - | US 23%, Japan 19% |
Independence | - | none (territory of the US) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles |
Infant mortality rate | - | 6.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 0% (1999 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 20 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Federal District Court (judge is appointed by the president); Territorial Superior Court (judges appointed for eight-year terms by the governor) |
Labor force | - | 60,000 (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | federal and territorial government 26%, private 74% (trade 24%, other services 40%, industry 10%) (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2001) |
arable land:
11% permanent crops: 11% permanent pastures: 15% forests and woodland: 18% other: 45% (1993 est.) |
Languages | - | English, Chamorro, Japanese |
Legal system | the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply | modeled on US; US federal laws apply |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Legislature (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 8, Democratic Party 7 note: Guam elects one delegate to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); results - Robert UNDERWOOD was reelected as delegate; percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
77.94 years male: 75.66 years female: 80.55 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1990 est.) |
Location | Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia | Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines |
Map references | Oceania | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors | defense is the responsibility of the US |
National holiday | - | Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521) |
Nationality | - | noun:
Guamanian(s) adjective: Guamanian |
Natural hazards | occasional tropical cyclones | frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August) |
Natural resources | NEGL | fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan) |
Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Democratic Party (party of the Governor) [leader NA]; Republican Party (controls the legislature) [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station (2004 est.) |
157,557 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 2.09% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | Apra Harbor |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 4, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 221,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth:
1.14 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections |
Telephone system | - | general assessment:
modern system, integrated with US facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service and local access to the Internet international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan (Guam is a trans-Pacific communications hub for MCI, Sprint, AT&T, IT&E, and GTE, linking the US and Asia) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 84,134 (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 55,000 (1998) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 5 (1997) |
Terrain | sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays) | volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low-rising hills in center, mountains in south |
Total fertility rate | - | 3.85 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 15% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |