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| Guam |
An island in the western Pacific Ocean, in the Mariana Islands group. Territory - 549 sq. km. Population - about 102 thousand (1975); the indigenous people are Chamorro, there are also Hawaiians, immigrants from the Philippines, US military personnel (together with family members they make up about 20 thousand). The administrative center is Agana. The official language is English. The island of Guam, the largest in the group of the Mariana Islands, was discovered by Magellan in 1521. It was a Spanish possession until it was captured by the United States in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War. During World War II, Guam was occupied by Japanese troops (until July 1944). After the war, it again became the possession of the United States. For a long time, all power on the island was in the hands of the governor, who was appointed by the President of the United States. By an act of the US Congress in 1950, Guam was granted local self-government, and the Guamans were declared citizens. USA, but without the right to participate in national elections and representation c. Congress of the United States. Since November 1970, the governor has been elected by the people of the island; his assistant is the government secretary, appointed by the President of the United States. The legislature consists of 21 members, elected by the population every 2 years. The political parties - Republican and Democratic - are the local branches of the respective parties in the United States. Guam is the largest strategic base for the US Navy and Air Force in the Pacific Ocean. Almost all the independent population of the island is engaged in the maintenance of the military base. In this regard, the island not only does not develop industry, but also the basis of Guam's economy - agriculture (plantations of coconut palm, rice, coffee, sugar cane, cattle breeding) has fallen into decay. The main food products for the population are imported.
