Judicial branch: Federal District Court, judge is appointed by the president; Territorial Superior Court, judges appointed for eight-year terms by the governor
Political parties and leaders: Republican Party (controls the legislature); Democratic Party (party of the Governor)
International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of the US)
Flag description: 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, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; US flag is the national flag
Economy
Economy - overview: The economy depends mainly on US military spending and on revenue generated by the tourism industry. Over the past 20 years, the tourist industry has grown rapidly, creating a construction boom for new hotels and the expansion of older ones. More than one million tourists visit Guam each year. Most food and industrial goods are imported, with about 75% from the US. Guam faces the problem of building up the civilian economic sector to offset the impact of military downsizing.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $3 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,000 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services : NA%
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 4% (1992 est.)
Labor force: total : 46,930 (1990) by occupation: federal and territorial government 40%, private 60% (trade 18%, services 15.6%, construction 13.8%, other 12.6%) (1990)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)
Budget: revenues : $525 million expenditures: $395 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
Industries: US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 302,000 kW (1993)
Electricity - production: 750 million kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,566 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: fruits, copra, vegetables; eggs, pork, poultry, beef
Exports: total value : $34 million (f.o.b., 1984) commodities: mostly transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, food and beverage products partners: US 25%, former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 63%, other 12%
Imports: total value: $493 million (c.i.f., 1984) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods partners: US 23%, Japan 19%, other 58%
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid: recipient: although Guam receives no foreign aid, it does receive large transfer payments from the general revenues of the US Federal Treasury into which Guamanians pay no income or excise taxes; under the provisions of a special law of Congress, the Guamanian Treasury, rather than the US Treasury, receives federal income taxes paid by military and civilian Federal employees stationed in Guam
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
The 1997 Cia World Factbook · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.