Home » Travel & Places » Oceania » Guam

Guam, Map and Sites of an Island

Ranked #1,529 in Travel & Places, #57,681 overall

Guam and the Navy

For a 14 year old freshman in high school, the words Navy and Guam brought a lot of panic. It was late 1979 when my mom told me we were moving to the small Pacific island of Guam. The humorous recollection of that conversation is forever etched in my mind.

Guam is a unique melting of several cultures including Chamorro (native peoples), Asian, Micronesian and Western influences. Guam truly offers something for everyone.

The initial thought of living on Guam was scary to a teenager and the experience has left an indelible imprint on my life. It started out like a jail sentence in my adolescent mind but my 15 months on the island turned into one of my most cherished memories. Join me in learning about Guam in this sort of Travel Memoir.

Image Credit: Apra Harbor, Big Navy, Guam - US Government Public Domain Photo

Where is Guam?

From Seattle, WA to Navy Base, Guam

The first leg of our trip was a train from Seattle, WA to San Francisco, CA. It took 22 hours with all stops.

We stayed in California long enough to get our dependent military ID's, immunizations and watch my dad be sworn in to the US Navy, for a second time.

A couple of days later, we started the second leg of our journey. We flew out of San Francisco to Honolulu (6 hours) and then from Honolulu to Guam (7 hours).

Guam is approximately 30 miles long,
12 miles wide at the widest
point and 4 miles wide
at the narrowest point.

Guam's Exact Location

And What time is it there?

Guam is situated at the southern end of the Mariana's Island chain in the Pacific Ocean, a part of Oceania.
  • 1Guam is at approximately 13° N. lat. and 144° E. long. - That puts Guam at only 900 miles north of the equator.
  • 2How far is Guam from...
    Hawaii is 3,828 miles
    Japan is 1,607 miles
    Philippines is 1,534 milesLos Angles is 6,098 miles
    New Zealand is 4,188 miles
    Hong Kong is 2,107 miles
    Brisbane, Australia is 2,870 miles
  • 3Since Guam is a US Territory and is west of the International Date Line, they use the motto "Where America's Day Begins"
    Guam's Official Time Zone is GMT +10 -- or +15 from Eastern Standard Time and +18 for PST

Two Lovers Leap

Tumon, Guam

Cliffs with City in the Distance, Amantes Point (Two Lovers Point), Tumon, Guam



Buy This Allposters.com

The asphalt used for roads on Guam is made with coral. The coral produces an oil when it rains and it can be like driving on black ice.

Guam Facts

Guam MapPopulation - According to a 2010 estimate, the population of Guam is - 180,000

Ethnicity - 39% Chamorro (indigenous people) , 26.3% Filipino, 11.3% Pacific, 6.9% white, 6.3% other Asian, 2.3% other, 9.8% Mixed

Leading Industry - US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles.

Religion - 85% of the population is Roman Catholic the remaining 15% is mixed religions

Official Languages - English and Chamorro

Currency - US Dollar

Capitol City - Hagatna (Agana)

Image Credit: Public Domain

Pictures of Guam

from Flickr Members

Guam Island holidays by Vick the Viking
Guam by cytech
the view in guam by showbizsuperstar
Guam by PYONKO
Guam by bvalium
GUAM by Shalom Kao
curated content from Flickr

Guam does not have traditional sand. The beach sand is made from ground coral. Anderson Air Force Base has a beach with white sand that was brought in.

Guam Weather

Guam Airport


Guam enjoys a tropical climate. Average lows for a day are usually mid to upper 70's and the highs are usually mid to upper 80's. It is humid (85% to 89% humidity levels) but the trade winds make it seem less humid.

Guam has 2 seasons - Rainy and Dry. The rainy season is July thru December and the dry season is January thru June. Rainfall on Guam is very different than in the states. It usually blows up quickly, rains in buckets and then blows away. I don't ever remember there being an overcast sky for days like can happen in the states. Typhoons can occur during the rainy season.

A Few Activities on Guam

Guam is full of history, environment and fun things to do. Here are a few favorites:
  • 1Guam JungleBoonie Stomping - Hike the undeveloped jungle areas of Guam, see creatures in their natural habitats, and be rewarded with beautiful waterfalls and mountains. This pastime is not for the faint of heart. Wear good shoes and bring lots of fresh water!

    Image Credit - NOAA.Gov
  • 2Guam SnorkelingSnorkeling - Guam is almost completely surrounded by coral reefs. Snorkeling gives you a chance to see the under sea world up close and personal. I had a friend that actually lived on a yacht docked at Big Navy. A couple of times a month, her dad would take us out to to reef or to Coco's Island to snorkel. I have never seen such beautiful colors and creatures since.

    Image Credit: Dorothy Hess at Flickr
  • 3Guam Fish EyeFish Eye Park - This is an undersea observatory built into one of the bomb holes left from WWII. You can be dry and in the air conditioning and still see the marine life in all its' glory (and maybe some scuba divers too).

    Image Credit: Hisayo on Flickr
  • 4Statue of LibertyStatue of Liberty - Guam has its' own 8 ft. Statue of Liberty. The original was constructed by the Boy Scouts of America in 1950 as a 40th anniversary project. It welcomes sea vessels into Hagatna Harbor. Damaged in a typhoon, she was replaced with a new statue weighing over 1200 lbs.

    Image Credit: Video4Net on Flickr
  • 5War Dog MemorialWar Dog Memorial - The war dog memorial "Always Faithful" honors the Doberman's that were a huge part of WWII. They served with the Marines in 1944 and helped lead scout parties, served as sentries and explored caves. 25 dogs were killed in action and buried on Guam. Today there is a memorial with flag poles in their honor at Naval Base, Guam.

    Image Credit: Joelk75 on Flickr

Guam - Online Info

More Things to do on Guam

Everything from 5 star hotels near the middle of the island to trekking through jungles and mountains to see the natural landscape of Guam is available to vacationers on Guam. To name a few:Guam Coast

  • Deep Sea Fishing
  • Scuba Diving
  • Chamorro Village to experience the island's lifestyle, culture and cuisine
  • Visit the Spanish Fort Soledad and WWII memorials and historic sites
  • Learn about Latte Stones and the Latte of Freedom
  • Natural Pool at Inarajan Village
  • 3 Botanical Gardens

and so much more!

Image Credit - NOAA Photo Library

Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese imperial army straggler lived in the jungles of Guam for 28 years after World War II ended. He was found by hunters on January 24, 1972.

Guam and Me

My short ,15 months on Guam is a time I look back on with a smile. I learned a lot about history, changes, another culture and people in general. I will always remember Guam with fondness. I have lost touch with my fellow Navy brats but hope they look back on our time together with a smile as well.

To read the short story of how I was told we were moving to Guam, check out Memoir Examples | Learn by Example.

Whether we were:GW Cheerleader

  • Swimming at Gab Gab Beach
  • Playing Pac Man and Space Invaders at the based bowling alley
  • Swimming at the base pool
  • Hanging out in the Lockwood housing area
  • Watching each other play in league baseball games
  • Cheering on the Warriors and Geckos at George Washington High School
  • Boonie Stomping to Talofofo Falls
  • Visiting the Natural Salt Pools at Inarajan
  • Attending Village Fiestas
  • Dancing to "Funky Town" at the NCO Club on teen night (Club Macambo)
  • Or watching the sunset from Two Lovers Leap


I will always remember you all and the fun we had together.

Have you been or would you go to Guam?

Follow MandeeSears on Twitter Join DecoratingforEvents' Fan Club
Contact Me!

  • Michey Feb 27, 2012 @ 11:41 pm | delete
    I like that you put the map in the lens. The presentation and pictures are very good, and I find out a lot of new info.
  • EditorDave Feb 18, 2012 @ 6:57 pm | delete
    I spent 12 years on Guam ... traveled there when I was 13 with my folks (my dad had been in the U.S. Navy during WWII) where they were going to teach there at the public schools. Attended junior high, high school, and college there. Then taught school there for 2 years. Met my wife there. We now live in California, but my mother-in-law still lives on Guam. Many fond memories of the place--and I plan on going back someday soon. Congrats on a Squidoo masterpiece!
  • VillaDejaBlue Jan 9, 2012 @ 4:26 pm | delete
    Nice lens.
  • Mike Sep 15, 2011 @ 9:40 am | delete
    I spent three and a half years on Guam as a kid -- My father was in the Navy and we lived on the NCS base from 1971-1974. Guam is an amazing place, and a great place to be a kid. I enjoyed your article about Guam very much...brought back a lot of memories.
  • ArtByLinda Apr 1, 2011 @ 12:32 pm | delete
    Your no fool, great lens Happy April Fools Day Blessing to you!
  • Load More
Show All

Who is Mandee?

Mandee was a US Navy Brat growing up and landed on Guam with her family in 1980. She is passionate about writing memoir and loves to share and read other's life stories.
Loading

Table of Contents

Click on Any Button to Return to That Section

More RocketMom's Travel Articles

Loading

by

DecoratingforEvents

Guam will always hold a special place in my heart. Located in located in Oceania and a US Territory. Hafa Adai and join me on this journey throug... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

Related Tags