FACTS ABOUT GUAM

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT GUAM

1.                 Guam is officially known as the “Territory of Guam”

2.                 Hagatna is the capital city of Guam.

3.                 The total population of Guam is 167,358.

4.                 The natives of Guam are called Guamanians.

5.                 The United States dollar (USD) is official currency of Guam.

6.                 Guam is located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, and was formerly known as the Territory of Guam.

7.                 The island was first visited by the Portuguese (learn some interesting facts about Portugal) explorer Ferdinand Magellan on March 6, 1521, while sailing for the King of Spain.

8.                 Guamanians get American citizenship by birth under Title 8 of the U.S. Code. However, the downside is that in the United States, the people of Guam are not given the full range of opportunities that many native-born Americans are given.

9.                 There is a beach in Guam known as ‘The Gun Beach’. The beach also houses Guam’s largest beach bar.

10.            Beaches in Guam does not have sand. It is actually coral, and not sand. Paved roads in Guam are also made by mixing coral and cement together.

11.            As per a study, the coral cover on Guam declined from 19 percent to 10 percent from 2003 to 2011. The coral reefs are estimated to be responsible for providing more than $20 million to Guam’s economy.

12.            A Japanese soldier hid in Guam’s jungle for nearly three decades. The soldier was waiting for the war to end; however, he spent the time unaware that the war had already ended. The soldier was discovered in 1972, and soon he went back to his home country, eventually getting married. Surprisingly, this soldier visited Guam several times, even after marriage.

13.            The economy of the country is supported by tourism and the United States Armed Forces.

14.            The descendants of Austronesian people are the original inhabitants of Guam.

15.            The U.S. House of Representatives has a member from Guam; however, that person is a non-voting delegate.

16.            Guam is also known as the “Island of Warriors”.

17.            Guamanians have to fly 4000 miles to Hawaii to receive PTSD treatment (post-traumatic stress disorder).

18.            Guam is located roughly 7,000 miles from the U.S. mainland.

19.            Guam was also bombed after the attack (just over four hours) on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941). The lives of 7,000 Americans and 17,500 Japanese were lost during the battle.

20.            Japan renamed the island “Omiya Jima” meaning “Great Shrine Island” during their siege between 1941 and 1944.

21.            The official tree of Guam is ‘ifil’.

22.            ‘ABC’ is the name of a famous beach club in Guam (Alupang Beach Club).

23.            The country is a strategic Army base for the U.S. in the Pacific.

24.            The Guam Pacific War Museum, established by the late Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran John Gerber in 2011, is a great place to see artifacts like weapons, helmets and personal belongings of the soldiers of the Allied forces and Japan.

25.            Guam is also one of the five U.S. territories that have an established civilian government.

26.            About 99% of the foreign workers on the island come from the Philippines.

27.            In 1957, a UFO was spotted in the skies of Guam by 1st Lt. Ted Brunson from his aircraft. The Lt. tried to follow the UFO, but to no avail. The speed of his aircraft could simply not match that of the UFO, the colonel said.

28.            The country is the largest island in Micronesia.

29.            Guam was a Spanish colony for 300 years.

30.            Tumon Bay is the most-visited area of the island.

31.            Guam observes only two national holidays.

32.            The island nation is roughly the shape of a footprint. It is approximately 30 miles long, and its width varies between 4 and 12 miles at various points.

33.            Ray Robson, one of the youngest players in history to become a Chess Grandmaster, was a Guamanian. Born on October 25, 1994, he defeated a National Master in tournament play at the tender age of nine.

34.            The international calling code for Guam is +1-671.

35.            Guam Exports: transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, foodstuffs and beverages.

36.            Guam Imports: petroleum and petroleum products, food and manufactured goods.

37.            The internet country code for Guam is .gu