Overview

The island of Guam is in the North Pacific Ocean, south of the Northern Mariana Islands and north of Papua New Guinea. It has a population of approximately 165,000.

Political overview

Guam is a self-governing territory of the United States of America. The President of the United States is Guam's Head of State. A locally elected Governor is Head of Government.

Guam's Legislature consists of 15 members elected by popular vote every two years. It is empowered to enact legislation on local matters, including taxation and fiscal appropriations. The principal parties in Guam are the Democrats and the Republicans.

Executive power is vested in a civilian Governor who is elected by popular vote every four years.

Guam has an elected delegate to the US Congress. The delegate is a member of the US House of Representatives but does not have voting rights.

The judiciary consists of the Federal District Court of Guam, whose judge is appointed by the US President for a term of eight years. There are three levels of local trial courts: the Supreme Court of Guam, which serves as the highest appellate court on the island; the Superior Court of Guam for criminal and civil cases; and the traffic, juvenile and small-claims courts. Judges are appointed by the Governor with consent of the Legislature, and are reconfirmed by majority public vote every four years. Appeals may be made to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and to the US Supreme Court.

Each of the island's villages is headed by a popularly elected mayor. The mayors are organised into the Mayors' council of Guam under the Executive Branch, although the mayors are not answerable to the Governor.

Bilateral relations

Australia enjoys good relations with Guam and there is a commitment to look constructively at expanding these contacts where feasible.

Australia has no resident representation in Guam. The Australian Consulate-General in Honolulu, United States of America is responsible for Australian affairs in Guam.

Economic overview

Guam’s per capita GDP is around US$40 000. The US armed forces own one-third of the land in Guam and provide about 40-45 per cent of its income. The second most important source of income is tourism. Guam's fisheries and services sectors are major employers.

Trade and investment

The Australia-US Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) does not apply to Guam because it is outside the US Customs territory.