n.
Island (pop., 2000: 154,805), largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands , Micronesia.
Guam is an unincorporated U.S. territory; its capital is Agana . With an area of 209 sq mi (541 sq km), it is divided into a northern plateau and a southern chain of volcanic hills. The indigenous population is Chamorro, Malayo-Indonesian with a considerable admixture of Spanish, Filipino, and Mexican stock as well. They speak Chamorro in addition to English, the official language. Possibly visited by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, Guam was formally claimed by Spain in 1565 and remained Spanish for two centuries. It was ceded to the U.S. after the Spanish-American War in 1898. In World War II the Japanese occupied the island (194144). It subsequently became a major U.S. air and naval base. In 1950 it was made a U.S. territory and placed under the Department of the Interior. The military bases and tourism are the island's economic mainstays.