Guam is an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean, roughly between Hawaii and Japan. It is an unicorporated territory of the United States, much like Puerto Rico. Originally colonized by the Spanish, Guam was then taken over by the US during the Spanish American War of 1898. During WWII, Japan briefly had control over the island, but America won it back.
The native culture of Guam is called Chamorro and they make up nearly 60% of the population. The predominant religion on Guam is Roman Catholicism. While many residents there do still speak the native language of Chamorro and maintain culinary and cultural traditions, Guam is very Americanized.
29% of the island is covered by U.S. military bases. The US military is planning to make Guam the key Pacific military outpost by 2014. Currently, Okinawa, Japan holds that title. These plans mean an increase of over 40,000 residents to Guam. That is a 25% population increase on an island with an area of 209 square miles (less than half the area of the City of Los Angeles.)
Guam is much like Hawaii as it’s tropical beaches serve as a popular tourist attaction. However, Guam caters more to Japanese and other Asian tourists who fuel much of the local economy. Guam is only a 3-hour plane flight from Tokyo, and four hours from Seoul.
The following is a video taken on a trip there with friends. It shows the Chamorro Village, a gathering place for locals open every Wednesday night.
