Guam Map

Guam is among the 16 territories of the United States that have a non-self-governing status. It is part of the Mariana islands in the Pacific Ocean, and is the largest island in that group. See the Guam map for the important locations.

Demographics
The population data available is from the 2000 census, which says that the population of Guam is about 175,000. The native Chamorros are the largest ethnic group, making up about 37.1% of the entire population. There are other ethnic groups as well, such as the Filipino, White (mostly Europeans), as well as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The largest religion is Roman Catholicism.

History
The Spanish-American War saw United States taking control of Guam, which was part of the Treaty of Paris. During the Second World War, the island was attacked and captured by Japan. After an occupation lasting 31 months, Guam was freed by United States in 1944 during the Battle of Guam.

Economy
Most of the economy is driven by tourism, with contribution from local businesses as well. The island is popular among the Japanese, from where it receives about 75% of the total number of tourists. Even though Guam receives payment transfers from the US federal treasury, the local taxes are paid into the Guam treasury.