Local time--:--:--Hagåtña ·

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.

At a glance

Capital: Hagåtña
Language guide: Languages spoken & official status
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 map

Geography & environment

Landscape

Guam is an island in the western Pacific with a northern limestone plateau and more rugged volcanic terrain in the south. The two regions differ in relief, soils and drainage. Coastal cliffs, beaches and bays surround the island.

Northern water often moves through porous limestone, while southern areas have more visible streams and valleys. Reefs and shallow coastal waters add another important part of the landscape. Settlement and infrastructure are concentrated on the more accessible ground.

Climate & seasons

Guam is warm and humid throughout the year. A wetter season alternates with a drier period, with trade winds moderating temperatures.

Island water

Rainfall supplies both groundwater and surface catchments. Tropical storms can bring intense rain and strong coastal waves. Forest, wetland and reef habitats depend on conditions across the island rather than only at the shoreline.

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

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Landscapes & nature

Languages

Public and official use

English and CHamoru, also commonly spelled Chamorro, are official languages. CHamoru is the Indigenous language of Guam and the Mariana Islands.

Community and regional languages

Tagalog and other Philippine languages, along with languages from neighboring Pacific islands, are also spoken. CHamoru has its own Austronesian roots despite significant Spanish influence in its vocabulary.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

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.

1898
Spain cedes Guam to the United States
1941
Japanese occupation begins
1944
US forces retake Guam
1950
The Organic Act establishes civilian government and US citizenship

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

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.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Thousands of people

169.02025 · thousands of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
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 dollars

5.72022 · 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

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
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.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

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.