Guam is an unincorporated US territory that's considered the largest island in Micronesia and the southernmost island in the Mariana Islands, in the Western Pacific Ocean. Harry S. Truman signed the Organic Act of Guam into law on August 1, 1950, which transferred federal jurisdiction over Guam from the US Navy to the Department of the Interior. It established a government for Guam with all three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial), and confirmed Guam's status as an unincorporated territory of the US. Guam was considered a strategic link between the US and Asia. It is closer to Beijing than to Hawaii, so it is considered important for national defense for air and naval operations in the western Pacific region. Since the island is part of the US and ahead in the international dateline, it is known as the first place in the country to watch the sun rise (or catch a movie premier). ; )
In 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out. Guam had been under Spanish control since the 1600's, and when the war began, it was still under their control. The US wanted to conquer the Spanish Philippines, and since Guam was only 1500 miles away, they took it in order to have more territory. The US sent the second USS Charleston ship to capture Guam, and when they arrived and sent warning signals to tell the Spanish they were there, there was no response at all. The Spanish thought this signal was friendly, so the Americans let them know that they were at war. A letter was sent to the Spanish governor of Guam, giving him 30 minutes to surrender the island. They surrendered, and Guam became American. Liberation Day is on July 21st, and is celebrated as the day the US freed Guam from Japanese occupation during WWII.
The nickname for Guam is the "Land of the Chamorro". Native Guamanians are called Chamorros, and are a combination of Spanish, Filipino, and Mexican, with European and Asian ancestors. They are said to have settled on the island over 3500 years ago when they sailed from Southeast Asia east to the Marianas Islands. There are 168,485 people living in Guam today. The island is only 32 miles long and 8 miles wide. There is one main road that goes all the way around the island. The brown tree snake is prevalent on the island, but prefers to stay in the jungle and isn't seen much around the locals. These snakes are responsible for the flightless bird - the Guam Rail (ko'ko' bird) - almost going extinct. Today, Guam is a popular tourist destination, as a resort island for the Southeastern Asia region.
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