Guam
By: Paige LaBlonde
History
Guam is believed to have been found around 2000 B.C by sailors coming from Indonesia. The people of Guam are called Chamorros. When Europeans first arrived on Guam the society fell into three different classes: matua (upper class), achaot (middle class), and mana’chang (lower class). There were also medicine men skilled with healing and medicine, who were called “makana” (shamans). In 1898 the United States took control of Guam during the Spanish-American War. Guam was established as an unincorporated organized government of the United States for the structure of the island’s civilian government.
Geography
This country is the 32nd largest United States island. It is the largest island in Micronesia and the most southern island in Mariana island chain. Guam is only 30 miles long and 4 miles-12 miles wide. Mount Lamlam is the highest point in the country, reaching 1,332 feet high. Since the island is on the western edge of the Pacific Plate and Philippine Plate, causing it to have occasional earthquakes. The northern part of the island is “a forested coralline limestone platea”, while the southern part is volcanic peaks covered in forest and grassland. There is a corral reef that also surrounds most of the island.
Climate
December through June are the dry months in Guam. All of the other months are considered the rainy season. January and February are the coldest months in the country, with generally lower humidity levels and the tempurature getting into the low 70s. October and November are the months with the highest risks of typhoons, though they can happen at any time. Every year, there are roughly 3 tropical storms and one typhoon that passes within 180 nautical miles.
Demographics
An exact population hasn’t been conducted for Guam since 2000, which was 154,805 people. In 2007, the estimated population was 173,460. The annual population growth of this country was 1.76% in 2005. 57% of the total...