01
Physical geography
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 hills in center, mountains in south.
Local timeHagåtña ·
Oceania / Micronesia · Card 009
Guam
Guam is a US territory in Micronesia and the southernmost of the Mariana Islands. Its capital is Hagåtña.
Find Guam
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Hagåtña
- Languages
- Chamorro & English
- Currency
- United States dollar (USD)
- Population
- 168,9992025 · World Bank
- Area
- 549 km²211.97 square miles
- Civilian government
- 1950US territory under the Organic Act.
Guam in context
Oceania and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Hagåtña; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Chamorro (also written CHamoru) and English are official languages. Other languages reflect the island’s diverse population.
03
Location
Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines.
Flag
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, a proa ( outrigger canoe with sail), and a palm tree; the word GUAM in red is centered in the ellipse; the proa is sailing in Agana Bay with the promontory of Puntan Dos Amantes in the background
History & status
The CHamoru people inhabited Guam long before Spanish colonisation. Spain ceded the island to the United States in 1898. Japan occupied Guam in 1941, and US forces retook it in 1944 after heavy fighting. The 1950 Organic Act established civilian government and granted US citizenship. Guam remains a US territory.
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Spain cedes Guam to the United States
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Japanese occupation begins
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US forces retake Guam
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The Organic Act establishes civilian government and US citizenship
Economy
Main activities
US military spending, tourism and government services are major economic supports. Hotels, retail, construction and transport provide related employment. The economy is exposed to changes in visitor arrivals, typhoons and the cost of imported fuel and goods.
Industry and production
Tourism services, military-related construction, retail, transport and public administration.
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people169.02025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 88,365 | 88.365 |
| 1980 | 110,141 | 110.141 |
| 1990 | 138,610 | 138.610 |
| 2000 | 160,065 | 160.065 |
| 2010 | 166,522 | 166.522 |
| 2020 | 162,158 | 162.158 |
| 2025 | 168,999 | 168.999 |
Real GDP, 2002–2022
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars5.72022 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 4,800,664,422 | 4.801 |
| 2003 | 4,842,877,343 | 4.843 |
| 2004 | 5,157,363,603 | 5.157 |
| 2005 | 5,345,211,101 | 5.345 |
| 2006 | 5,149,976,342 | 5.150 |
| 2007 | 5,186,912,648 | 5.187 |
| 2008 | 5,292,444,950 | 5.292 |
| 2009 | 5,315,662,056 | 5.316 |
| 2010 | 5,435,968,881 | 5.436 |
| 2011 | 5,440,190,173 | 5.440 |
| 2012 | 5,556,275,705 | 5.556 |
| 2013 | 5,650,199,454 | 5.650 |
| 2014 | 5,751,510,464 | 5.752 |
| 2015 | 5,799,000,000 | 5.799 |
| 2016 | 5,809,553,230 | 5.810 |
| 2017 | 5,861,264,058 | 5.861 |
| 2018 | 5,812,719,199 | 5.813 |
| 2019 | 5,959,409,099 | 5.959 |
| 2020 | 5,332,547,225 | 5.333 |
| 2021 | 5,442,300,819 | 5.442 |
| 2022 | 5,719,850,773 | 5.720 |
Government
An organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. An elected Governor heads the executive, and an elected single-chamber Legislature makes local laws. Guam is subject to US federal authority and elects a Delegate with limited voting rights in Congress.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Guam.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
What is the capital of Guam?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.