Geography (Guam)
================


     Total area:
         541.3 km2
     Land area:
         541.3 km2
     Comparative area:
         slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
     Land boundaries:
         none
     Coastline:
         125.5 km
     Maritime claims:
       Contiguous zone:
         12 nm
       Continental shelf:
         200 m (depth)
       Exclusive economic zone:
         200 nm
       Territorial sea:
         12 nm
     Disputes:
         none
     Climate:
         tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade
         winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December;
         little seasonal temperature variation
     Terrain:
         volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coraline
         limestone plateau (source of most fresh water) with steep coastal cliffs and
         narrow coastal plains in north, low-rising hills in center, mountains in
         south
     Natural resources:
         fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)
     Land use:
         arable land 11%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and
         woodland 18%; other 45%
     Environment:
         frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively rare, but
         potentially very destructive typhoons (especially in August)
     Note:
         largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago;
         strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean 5,955 km west-southwest of
         Honolulu about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines