From 1565 to 1815, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, the only Spanish outposts in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, were reprovisioning stops for the Manila galleons, a fleet that covered the Pacific trade route between Acapulco and Manila. Spanish colonization commenced on June 15, 1668 with the arrival of a mission led by Diego Luis de San Vitores, who established the first Catholic church.
Intermittent warfare, plus the typhoons of 1671 and 1693, and in particular the smallpox epidemic of 1688, reduced the Chamoru population from 50,000 to 10,000, finally to less than 5,000. The island became a rest stop for whalers starting in 1823.
A devastating typhoon struck the island on August 10, 1848, followed by a severe earthquake on January 25, 1849, which resulted in many refugees from the Caroline Islands, victims of the resultant tsunami.
A devastating typhoon struck the island on August 10, 1848, followed by a severe earthquake on January 25, 1849, which resulted in many refugees from the Caroline Islands, victims of the resultant tsunami.
After a smallpox epidemic killed 3,644 Guamanians in 1856, Carolinians and Japanese were permitted to settle in the Marianas. === American era === After almost four centuries as part of the Kingdom of Spain, the United States occupied the island following Spain's defeat in the 1898 Spanish–American War, as part of the Treaty of Paris of 1898.
During the Spanish–American War, the United States captured Guam on June 21, 1898.
Under the Treaty of Paris, signed December 10, 1898, Spain ceded Guam to the U.S.
After a smallpox epidemic killed 3,644 Guamanians in 1856, Carolinians and Japanese were permitted to settle in the Marianas. === American era === After almost four centuries as part of the Kingdom of Spain, the United States occupied the island following Spain's defeat in the 1898 Spanish–American War, as part of the Treaty of Paris of 1898.
Guam was transferred to the United States Navy control on December 23, 1898, by Executive Order 108-A from 25th President William McKinley. Guam was a station for American merchants and warships traveling to and from the Philippines (another American acquisition from Spain) while the Northern Mariana Islands were sold by Spain to Germany for part of its rapidly expanding German Empire.
Defending Paradise: The United States and Guam, 1898–1950 (Garland, 1988). Rogers, Robert F.
Library of Congress. 1898 establishments in Oceania English-speaking countries and territories Former Spanish colonies Geography of Micronesia Insular areas of the United States Island countries Islands of Oceania Members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization Pacific islands of the United States Small Island Developing States States and territories established in 1898 World War II sites
effective April 11, 1899. Before World War II, Guam was one of five American jurisdictions in the Pacific Ocean, along with Wake Island in Micronesia, American Samoa and Hawaii in Polynesia, and the Philippines.
Navy yard was established at Piti in 1899, and a United States Marine Corps barracks at Sumay in 1901.
Mainland due to being at the junction of undersea cables. In 1899, the local postage stamps were overprinted "Guam" as was done for the other former Spanish colonies, but this was discontinued shortly thereafter and regular U.S.
Typhoons that have caused major damage on Guam in the American period include the Typhoon of 1900, Karen (1962), Pamela (1976), Paka (1997), and Pongsona (2002). Since Typhoon Pamela in 1976, wooden structures have been largely replaced by concrete structures.
Navy yard was established at Piti in 1899, and a United States Marine Corps barracks at Sumay in 1901.
The Commercial Pacific Cable Company built a telegraph/telephone station in 1903 for the first trans-Pacific communications cable, followed by Pan American World Airways established a seaplane base at Sumay for its trans-Pacific China Clipper route. ====World War II==== During World War II, Guam was attacked and invaded by Japan on Monday, December 8, 1941, at the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor, across the International Date Line.
A marine seaplane unit was stationed in Sumay from 1921 to 1930, the first in the Pacific.
A possible source for these stones, the Rota Latte Stone Quarry, was discovered in 1925 on Rota. === Spanish era === The first European to travel to Guam was Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for the King of Spain, when he sighted the island on March 6, 1521, during his fleet's circumnavigation of the globe.
A marine seaplane unit was stationed in Sumay from 1921 to 1930, the first in the Pacific.
On December 8, 1941, hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Guam was captured by the Japanese, who occupied the island for two and a half years.
The Commercial Pacific Cable Company built a telegraph/telephone station in 1903 for the first trans-Pacific communications cable, followed by Pan American World Airways established a seaplane base at Sumay for its trans-Pacific China Clipper route. ====World War II==== During World War II, Guam was attacked and invaded by Japan on Monday, December 8, 1941, at the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor, across the International Date Line.
American forces recaptured the island on July 21, 1944, which is commemorated as Liberation Day.
The United States returned and fought the Battle of Guam from July 21 to August 10, 1944, to recapture the island from Japanese military occupation.
July 21 is now celebrated as Liberation Day, a territorial holiday. ====Post-war==== After World War II, the Guam Organic Act of 1950 established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the United States, provided for the structure of the island's civilian government, and granted the people U.S.
The most rainfall in a single day occurred on October 15, 1953, when fell. The mean high temperature is and mean low is .
Since the 1960s, Guam's economy has been supported primarily by tourism and the U.S.
Kennedy in 1963 allowed for the development of a tourism industry.
The Governor of Guam was federally appointed until 1968, when the Guam Elective Governor Act provided for the office's popular election.
The [sea turtle] (Eretmochelys imbricata) has been on the endangered list since 1970.
During the 1970s Dr.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Guam was on April 18, 1971, and April 1, 1990.
A record low of was set on February 1, 2021, while the lowest recorded temperature was 65 °F (18.3 °C), set on February 8, 1973. Guam lies in the path of typhoons and it is common for the island to be threatened by tropical storms and possible typhoons during the wet season.
Guam hosted the Pacific Games in 1975 and 1999.
Guam is home to various basketball organizations, including the Guam Basketball Association. The Guam national football team was founded in 1975 and joined FIFA in 1996.
The wettest calendar year has been 1976 with and the driest was in 1998 with .
Typhoons that have caused major damage on Guam in the American period include the Typhoon of 1900, Karen (1962), Pamela (1976), Paka (1997), and Pongsona (2002). Since Typhoon Pamela in 1976, wooden structures have been largely replaced by concrete structures.
The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) was harvested legally on Guam before August 1978, when it was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
During the 1980s, wooden utility poles began to be replaced by typhoon-resistant concrete and steel poles.
Federal Government spending during the 1980s and 1990s.
These delegates are elected by local party conventions. ===Political status=== In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a significant movement in favor of this U.S.
The wet season runs from July through November with an average annual rainfall between 1981 and 2010 of around .
In a 1982 plebiscite, voters indicated interest in seeking commonwealth status.
Guam is among the 17 non-self-governing territories listed by the United Nations, and has been a member of the Pacific Community since 1983. == Geography and environment == It is long and wide, giving it an area of (three-fourths the size of Singapore) and making it the 32nd largest island of the United States.
Defending Paradise: The United States and Guam, 1898–1950 (Garland, 1988). Rogers, Robert F.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Guam was on April 18, 1971, and April 1, 1990.
Federal Government spending during the 1980s and 1990s.
Naval Base Subic Bay and Clark Air Base bases in the Philippines after the expiration of their leases in the early 1990s, many of the forces stationed there were relocated to Guam.
Military cutbacks in the 1990s also disrupted the island's economy.
These delegates are elected by local party conventions. ===Political status=== In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was a significant movement in favor of this U.S.
Navy (Dededo), sometimes referred to "NCTS Finegayan" Naval Radio Station Barrigada (Barrigada), often referred to as "Radio Barrigada" Joint Region Marianas Headquarters (Asan), at Nimitz Hill Annex Naval Hospital Guam (Agana Heights) South Finegayan (Dededo), a military housing complex Andersen South (Yigo), formerly Marine Barracks Guam until its closure in 1992 Fort Juan Muña, Guam National Guard (Tamuning) The U.S.
Destiny's Landfall: A History of Guam (U of Hawaii Press, 1995). Spear, Jane E.
Guam is home to various basketball organizations, including the Guam Basketball Association. The Guam national football team was founded in 1975 and joined FIFA in 1996.
The wettest month on record at Guam Airport has been August 1997 with and the driest was February 2015 with .
The 1997 Asian financial crisis, which hit Japan particularly hard, severely affected Guam's tourism industry.
Economic recovery was further hampered by devastation from Supertyphoons Paka in 1997 and Pongsona in 2002, as well as the effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks on tourism. ==Demographics== According to the 2010 United States Census, the largest ethnic group are the native CHamorus, accounting for 37.3% of the total population.
statehood for Guam, union with the state of Hawaii, or union with the Northern Mariana Islands as a single territory, or independence. A Commission on Decolonization was established in 1997 to educate the people of Guam about the various political status options in its relationship with the U.S.: statehood, free association and independence.
Guam was added to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in 1997 (country code 671 became NANP area code 671), removing the barrier of high-cost international long-distance calls to the U.S.
An economic downturn in Guam since the mid-1990s has compounded the problems in schools. Before September 1997, the U.S.
In September 1997, the DoDEA opened its own schools for children of military personnel.
The wettest calendar year has been 1976 with and the driest was in 1998 with .
The island has been considering another non-binding plebiscite on decolonization since 1998, however, the group was dormant for some years.
Guam hosted the Pacific Games in 1975 and 1999.
Significant sources of revenue include duty-free designer shopping outlets, and the American-style malls: Micronesia Mall, Guam Premier Outlets, the Agana Shopping Center, and the world's largest Kmart. The economy had been stable since 2000 due to increased tourism.
In 2000, 32,000 students attended Guam's public schools, including 26 elementary schools, eight middle schools, and six high schools and alternative schools.
DoDEA schools, which also serve children of some federal civilian employees, had an attendance of 2,500 in 2000.
Census Bureau: Island Areas Census 2000 Geology and Hydrology of Guam Portals to the World: Guam from the U.S.
Economic recovery was further hampered by devastation from Supertyphoons Paka in 1997 and Pongsona in 2002, as well as the effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks on tourism. ==Demographics== According to the 2010 United States Census, the largest ethnic group are the native CHamorus, accounting for 37.3% of the total population.
In 2003, Guam had a 14% unemployment rate, and the government suffered a $314 million shortfall.
Approximately 1,000 people died during the occupation, according to later Congressional committee testimony in 2004.
The Guam national rugby union team played its first match in 2005 and has never qualified for a Rugby World Cup. ==Economy== Guam's economy depends primarily on tourism, Department of Defense installations and locally owned businesses.
At the 2007 Games, Guam finished 7th of 22 countries in the medal count, and 14th at the 2011 Games. Guam men's national basketball team and the women's team are traditional powerhouses in the Oceania region, behind the Australia men's national basketball team and the New Zealand national basketball team.
It was once considered one of FIFA's weakest teams, and experienced their first victory over a FIFA-registered side in 2009.
The wet season runs from July through November with an average annual rainfall between 1981 and 2010 of around .
Economic recovery was further hampered by devastation from Supertyphoons Paka in 1997 and Pongsona in 2002, as well as the effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks on tourism. ==Demographics== According to the 2010 United States Census, the largest ethnic group are the native CHamorus, accounting for 37.3% of the total population.
According to the Pew Research Center, the religious denominations constitute of the following, in 2010: Roman Catholicism: 75% Protestantism: 17.7% Other religions: 1.6% Folk religions: 1.5% Other Christianity: 1.4% Buddhism: 1.1% Eastern Orthodoxy: <1% Hinduism: <1% Islam: <1% Judaism: <1% ==Culture== The culture of Guam is a reflection of traditional Chamoru customs in combination with American, Spanish and Mexican traditions.
Marine Corps' 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, currently in Okinawa, Japan, (approximately 8,000 Marines, along with their 10,000 dependents), to Guam between 2010 and 2015.
Including the required construction workers, this buildup would increase Guam's population by a total of 79,000, a 49% increase over its 2010 population of 160,000.
In a February 2010 letter, the United States Environmental Protection Agency sharply criticized these plans because of a water shortfall, sewage problems and the impact on coral reefs.
At the 2007 Games, Guam finished 7th of 22 countries in the medal count, and 14th at the 2011 Games. Guam men's national basketball team and the women's team are traditional powerhouses in the Oceania region, behind the Australia men's national basketball team and the New Zealand national basketball team.
By 2012, these plans had been cut to have only a maximum of 4,800 Marines stationed on the island, two thirds of whom would be there on a rotational basis without their dependents. ==Government and politics== Guam is governed by a popularly elected governor and a unicameral 15-member legislature, whose members are known as senators.
In 2012 Slate stated that the island has "tremendous bandwidth" and internet prices comparable to those of the U.S.
In 2013, the commission began seeking funding to start a public education campaign.
2, Gale, 2014), pp. 263–273.
The wettest month on record at Guam Airport has been August 1997 with and the driest was February 2015 with .
Guam hosted qualifying games on the island for the first time in 2015 and, in 2018, clinched their first FIFA World Cup Qualifying win.
Marine Corps' 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, currently in Okinawa, Japan, (approximately 8,000 Marines, along with their 10,000 dependents), to Guam between 2010 and 2015.
There were few subsequent developments until late 2016.
In early December 2016, the Commission scheduled a series of education sessions in various villages about the current status of Guam's relationship with the U.S.
The commission's May 2016 report states: "With academics from the University of Guam, [the Commission] was working to create and approve educational materials.
The Office of the Governor was collaborating closely with the Commission" in developing educational materials for the public. The United States Department of the Interior had approved a $300,000 grant for decolonization education, Edward Alvarez told the United Nations Pacific Regional Seminar in May 2016.
A private hospital, the Guam Regional Medical City, opened its doors in early 2016. ==See also== 51st State Index of Guam-related articles Lists of hospitals in the United States#Insular areas List of people from Guam Outline of Guam Voting in Guam ==References== ===Further reading=== Maga, Timothy P.
Guam hosted qualifying games on the island for the first time in 2015 and, in 2018, clinched their first FIFA World Cup Qualifying win.
As of 2019 the unemployment rate had dropped to 6.1%.
However, the move was delayed until late 2020, the number of marines decreased to 5,000, and expected to be complete in 2025.
By September 2020, however, the unemployment rate had risen again to 17.9%. The Compacts of Free Association between the United States, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau accorded the former entities of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands a political status of "free association" with the United States.
As of 2021, Guam's population is 168,801.
A record low of was set on February 1, 2021, while the lowest recorded temperature was 65 °F (18.3 °C), set on February 8, 1973. Guam lies in the path of typhoons and it is common for the island to be threatened by tropical storms and possible typhoons during the wet season.
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