cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low-rising
hills in center, mountains in south
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Lamlam 406 m

Natural resources: fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism
(especially from Japan)

Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 11%
meadows and pastures: 15%
forest and woodland: 18%
other: 45%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively
rare, but potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in
August)
international agreements: NA

Geographic note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana
Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific
Ocean

People
------

Population: 156,974 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 2.34% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 24.24 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 3.86 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
all ages: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 15.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.29 years
male: 72.42 years
female: 76.13 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.25 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guamanian(s)
adjective: Guamanian

Ethnic divisions: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, white 10%, Chinese,
Japanese, Korean, and other 18%

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%

Languages: English, Chamorro, Japanese

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam

Data code: GQ

Type of government: organized, unincorporated territory of the US
with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction
of the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US
Department of the Interior

Capital: Agana

Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)

Independence: none (territory of the US)

National holiday: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March)