The Human Truth Foundation

Guam (Territory of Guam)

http://www.humantruth.info/guam.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Guam
StatusDependency (Territory)
SovereigntyUSA
CapitalHagatna
Land Area 540km21
LocationAustralasia, Micronesia
GroupingsSmall Islands
Population
GNI
ISO3166-1 CodesGU, GUM, 3162
Internet Domain.gu3
CurrencyDollar (USD)4
Telephone+5

1. Overview

#japan #spain #USA

Spain ceded Guam to the US 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.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)6

Book CoverNorthern Guam is mainly taken up by the US military´s Andersen Base but the south is a must-see, with its rural kaleidoscope of historical villages, stunning waterfalls and pristine beaches. As Micronesia´s most populous island, Guam is about as `cosmopolitan´ as it gets, so it cops a lot of attitude from Pacific snobs who reckon it lacks `real island culture´. Sure, American accents are everywhere (it´s an unincorporated US territory and many Guamanian homes fly the US flag) and the Chamorro language isn´t spoken quite as widely as it used to be. And if you never stray from Tumon Bay - the island´s glitzy duty-free shopping and accommodation hub - then undeniably you´ll be over- (or under-) whelmed.

But the island is currently in the throes of retooling itself. The tourism authorities talk of how `Product Guam´ (there´s that American influence) needs a complete overhaul from its current status as a Pacific theme park for Japanese tourists. There may come a day soon when Chamorro culture (long subsumed by various invasions and occupations) is promoted above all else, with an increased focus on local food and the fascinating stories underlying many of the villages.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)7

As a territory of the USA I do not have many specific statistics for this territory in its own right.

2. Guam's Modernity and Learning

#the_internet

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
8
Pos.20168
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
47=Cayman Islands74%
48Macau73%
49=Israel73%
49=Guam73%
51Poland72%
52Brunei72%
53Slovenia72%
54Cyprus72%
Australasia Avg44.3%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.

3. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below9:

Christian94.2%
Muslim0.1%
Hindu0.1%
Buddhist1.1%
Folk Religion1.5%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated1.7%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states simply: Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.)10.

Links:

There isn't much information in the database for Guam, most likely because it is either a part of another country (i.e., a territory or possession) and therefore most international statistics are counted for the country as a whole, or, this is such an exotic place that little data exists about it.