Cities in
Guam
Guam is a western Pacific Ocean island that is an organized, unincorporated territory of the U.S. The island is home to 178,000 residents and the capital is Hagatna formerly Agana. It is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands. It was the only American held island in the region before World War 2 and was captured and occupied by the Japanese for 2 and a half years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
The number one industry of the island is tourism while the United States military is the second largest source of income.
People from the southeastern part of Indonesia discovered Guam around 2000 BC. The history of this people the “Chamorros” is derived from myths, archaeological evidence, Jesuit missionaries, and visiting scientists.
Upon first contact with Europeans the Chamorro society was divided into three separate classes, matua (upper class), achaot (middle class) and mana’chang (lower class), also there existed the makahna who were skilled in healing and medicine.
Being the only Spanish outpost in the Pacific Ocean eastward of the Philippines, Guam became a regular port between Mexico and Manila during 1565 to 1815.
In 1521 the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the island during the fleet’s circumnavigation of the globe. Guam was claimed for Spain in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. It was not until 1668 that Spanish colonization began with the arrival of Padre San Vitores. During the 333 years of rule Guam’s Chamorro culture was heavily influenced by Spanish culture and their traditions.
As part of the Treaty of Paris the United States gained control of Guam in 1898 at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. The island became a station to serve American ships that traveled to and from the Philippines.
During World War II, Japan attacked and successfully invaded the island. The U.S. Navy anticipated the attack beforehand and had moved all military dependents off the island; however they failed to communicate their knowledge of an imminent invasion with the Chamorros. The Japanese treated the Guamanian Chamorros as an occupied enemy and with the assistance of Chamorros from the Northern Marianas, treated the locals uncompassionate. This caused much resentment in the future towards the Chamorros from Northern Mariana who they feel should of sided with their fellow Chamorros.
During the occupation that lasted for thirty-one months, the indigenous people of Guam were subjected to forced labor, family separation, incarceration, execution, concentration camps and forced prostitution.
The United States returned in 1944 for the Battle of Guam in which they defeated the Japanese heavily and recaptured the island.
The Guam Organic Act of 1950 established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the United States. This led to the people of the island being granted U.S. citizenship and also provided the structure of the Guam’s government. However the people don’t have the right to vote for president and their Congressional Representative is a non-voting member.
Source:
Wikipedia
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