Guam (2001) | Christmas Island (2005) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of the US) | none (territory of Australia) |
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.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
Agriculture - products | fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef | NA |
Airports | 5 (2000 est.) | 1 (2004 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.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
549 sq km land: 549 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 135 sq km
land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | three times the size of Washington, DC | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
Birth rate | 25.07 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA |
Budget | revenues:
$605.3 million expenditures: $654.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
Capital | Hagatna (Agana) | The Settlement |
Climate | 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 | tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April |
Coastline | 125.5 km | 138.9 km |
Constitution | Organic Act of 1 August 1950 | Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) |
Country name | conventional long form:
Territory of Guam conventional short form: Guam |
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | - |
Death rate | 4.2 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | 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 | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of the US) | none (territory of Australia) |
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 | NA |
Economy - overview | 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. | Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in the near future |
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: Mount Lamlam 406 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
Environment - current issues | extirpation of native bird population by the rapid proliferation of the brown tree snake, an exotic species | NA |
Ethnic groups | Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, white 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other 18% | Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%
note: no indigenous population (2001) |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000) |
Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $75.7 million (f.o.b., 1999) | NA |
Exports - commodities | mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products; construction materials, fish, food and beverage products | phosphate |
Exports - partners | US 25% | Australia, NZ |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | 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 | the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $3.2 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: 15% (1993) services: NA% |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA |
Geographic coordinates | 13 28 N, 144 47 E | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
Geography - note | largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean | located along major sea lanes of Indian 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 |
total: 240 km
paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Imports | $203 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) | NA |
Imports - commodities | petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods | consumer goods |
Imports - partners | US 23%, Japan 19% | principally Australia |
Independence | none (territory of the US) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
Infant mortality rate | 6.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0% (1999 est.) | - |
International organization participation | ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 20 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 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) | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | 60,000 (2000 est.) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | federal and territorial government 26%, private 74% (trade 24%, other services 40%, industry 10%) (2000 est.) | NA |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
11% permanent crops: 11% permanent pastures: 15% forests and woodland: 18% other: 45% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001) |
Languages | English, Chamorro, Japanese | English (official), Chinese, Malay |
Legal system | modeled on US; US federal laws apply | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law |
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 |
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held in 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
77.94 years male: 75.66 years female: 80.55 years (2001 est.) |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1990 est.) |
NA |
Location | Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | Discovery Day, first Monday in March (1521) | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
Nationality | noun:
Guamanian(s) adjective: Guamanian |
noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
Natural hazards | frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August) | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan) | phosphate, beaches |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA |
People - note | - | the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1,508 as of the 2001 Census |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party (party of the Governor) [leader NA]; Republican Party (controls the legislature) [leader NA] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 157,557 (July 2001 est.) | 361 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 2.09% (2001 est.) | 0% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Apra Harbor | Flying Fish Cove |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 4, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Radios | 221,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.) | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) |
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.) |
NA |
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) |
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 84,134 (1998) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 55,000 (1998) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 5 (1997) | NA |
Terrain | 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 | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
Total fertility rate | 3.85 children born/woman (2001 est.) | NA |
Unemployment rate | 15% (2000 est.) | - |
Waterways | none | - |