They were first settled around 1500 to 1400 BC, by migrants departing from the Philippines. It was also the first and the longest of the ocean-crossing voyages of the Austronesian peoples, and is separate from the later Polynesian settlement of the rest of Remote Oceania. Guam, along with the Mariana Islands, were the first islands settled by humans in Remote Oceania. History Ī map showing the Neolithic Austronesian migrations into the islands of the Indo-Pacific Guam is among the 17 non-self-governing territories listed by the United Nations, and has been a member of the Pacific Community since 1983. Īn unofficial but frequently used territorial motto is "Where America's Day Begins", which refers to the island's proximity to the International Date Line. military, for which Guam is a major strategic asset. Since the 1960s, Guam's economy has been supported primarily by tourism and the U.S. American forces recaptured the island on July 21, 1944, which is commemorated as Liberation Day. During the occupation, Guamanians were subjected to forced labor, incarceration, torture and execution. On December 8, 1941, hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Guam was captured by the Japanese, who occupied the island for two and a half years. effective April 11, 1899.īefore World War II, Guam was one of five American jurisdictions in the Pacific Ocean, along with Wake Island in Micronesia, American Samoa and Hawaii in Polynesia, and the Philippines. Under the 1898 Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded Guam to the U.S. During the Spanish–American War, the United States captured Guam on June 21, 1898. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Guam was an important stopover for the Spanish Manila Galleons. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, while in the service of Spain, was the first European to visit the island on March 6, 1521. The Chamorro people settled the island approximately 3,500 years ago. The territory spans 210 square miles (540 km 2 130,000 acres) and has a population density of 775 per square mile (299/km 2). Chamorros are the largest ethnic group, but a minority on the multi-ethnic island. Rather, like Palauan, it possibly constitutes an independent branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family. But unlike most of its neighbors, Chamorro language is not classified as a Micronesian or Polynesian language. Indigenous Guamanians are the Chamoru, historically known as the Chamorro, who are related to the Austronesian peoples of Malay archipelago, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Polynesia. Guam delegates to the United States House of Representatives have no vote on the floor. People born on Guam are American citizens but are politically disenfranchised, having no vote in the United States presidential elections while residing on Guam. In Oceania, Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands and the largest island in Micronesia. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States, reckoned from the geographic center of the U.S. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, and the most populous village is Dededo. Guam ( / ˈ ɡ w ɑː m/ ( listen) Chamorro: Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean.
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