Guam, U.S.A.

Where America Begins its Day

For me Guam has been a pretty wonderful place. Many people might think it a bit small since it is only 35 miles long and 10 miles wide, but then again after commuting Silicon Valley or any major city one learns to appreciate the compactness of Guam. It is the closest thing Micronesia has to an urban area. Guam has all the amenities of any American city, plus a few more due to the heavy investment in the tourist industry.

Guam is located about 10 degrees north latitude from the equator and is definitely tropical. It is about 4,000 miles southwest from Honolulu and 6,000 miles from Los Angeles. Temperatures are the same year round with highs in the upper 80's and lows in the 70's. The ocean temperature is a constant 83F. Snorkeling and scuba diving has been wonderful in the warm clear tropical waters. The terrain is mountainous and I am actually living on the biggest mountain on the planet. From the bottom of the Mariana Trench at -32,000 feet to the highest peak on Guam at 1,400 feet. Since Guam is Americas first landfall west of the International Date Line, America does begin its day here.

Guam's was first inhabited about 3500 years ago by the native Chamorro people. When the Spanish first arrived in 1521, the native Chamorro population was estimated to be 100,00.

Due to the plentiful food and water, Spain decided to make Guam their provisional seaport in the Acapulco to Manila trade route around 1670. The 400 years of Spanish rule is very evident in the Chamorro culture. Nearly everyone is Catholic and every village has a fiesta each year to honor the patron saint to which the whole island is invited. The Chamorro people are very family oriented and social. I certainly have enjoyed living in Tano Y Chamorro (Land of the Chamorros).

Guam became part of the U.S. in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. It was described as a quiet naval port, until the Japanese invaded Guam the same day as Pearl Harbor was attacked. America returned in 1944 and it remains a U.S. Territory today.

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