XTEEN

Guam is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated insular area of the United States. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. The island's capital is Hagåtña. Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands. Guam lies between 13.2N and 13.7N and between 144.6E and 145.0E, and has an area of 209 square miles (541 km2), making it the 32nd largest island of the United States. It is the southernmost island in the Mariana island chain and is the largest island in Micronesia. The climate is characterized as tropical marine. The weather is generally hot and very humid with little seasonal temperature variation. Traditional Chamorro culture is visually manifested in dance, sea navigation, unique cuisine, fishing, games (such as batu, chonka, estuleks, and bayogu), songs and fashion influenced by the immigration of peoples from other lands. Guam's economy depends primarily on tourism, Department of Defense installations, and locally owned businesses. Guam is governed by a popularly elected governor and a unicameral 15-member legislature, whose members are known as senators.

The Chamorros, Guam's indigenous inhabitants, first populated the island approximately 4,000 years ago. The island has a long history of European colonialism beginning in 1668 with the arrival of Spanish settlers including Padre San Vitores, a Catholic missionary. The island was taken over from Spain by the United States during the Spanish American War in 1898. As the largest island in Micronesia and the only American-held Island in the region before World War II, Guam was occupied by the Japanese in December 1941, and was subject to fierce fighting when American troops recaptured the island in July 1944. Today, Guam's economy is mainly supported by tourism and U.S. military bases.

edit @ 2 Feb 2009 19:55:16 by xteenn

edit @ 2 Feb 2009 20:25:09 by xteenn