Villages of Guam explained

Villages of Guam
Category:	County equivalent
Territory:	Guam
Current Number:	19
Population Range:	647 (Umatac) – 44,908 (Dededo)
Area Range:	0.89sqmi (Sinajana) – 35.61sqmi (Yigo)
Government:	Local government

The United States territory of Guam is divided into nineteen municipalities, called villages.^[1] Each village is governed by an elected mayor. Village populations range in size from under 1,000 to over 40,000. In the 2020 census, the total population of Guam was 153,836.^[2] Each municipality,^[3] known as an "election district" by the United States Census Bureau, is counted as a county equivalent by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes.^[4]

History

Many villages have rich histories reaching back thousands of years. Artifacts from ancient Chamorro settlements can be found in every village of Guam. When the Spanish Empire colonized the Marianas Islands as part of its Pacific possessions in the 16th and 17th centuries, the island was divided into separate districts with each district consisting of a parish with a village center governed by a Mayor alcalde, appointed by the island's governor.

In the 18th century, there were six parishes on Guam: Hagåtña, Hagat, Humåtak, Malesso', Inalåjan, and Pago.

Prior to Spanish colonization, Chamorro people regularly held village celebrations. After adopting Christianity, these celebrations became festivals (fiestas) in honor of the patron saint of each village. Annual village fiestas are still held throughout the island every year.

The current division of Guam into municipalities took place in the 1920s under United States Navy Administration. Santa Rita was formerly Sumay, before the U.S. taking of that village after World War II.

List of villages

Village	Region^[5]	Land area		Population		Population density (2020)
Village	Region^[5]	sq mi	km²	2020	2010	per sq mi	per km²
style=text-align:left	Agana Heights	style=text-align:left	Central	1.03	2.67	3,673	3,808	3,566	1,377
style=text-align:left	Asan-Maina	style=text-align:left	Central	5.69	14.74	2,011	2,137	353	136
style=text-align:left	Barrigada	style=text-align:left	Central	8.50	22.01	7,956	8,875	936	361
style=text-align:left	Chalan Pago-Ordot	style=text-align:left	Central	5.67	14.69	7,064	6,822	1,246	481
style=text-align:left	Dededo	style=text-align:left	North	30.52	79.05	44,908	44,943	1,471	568
style=text-align:left	Hågat (formerly Agat)	style=text-align:left	South	10.33	26.75	4,515	4,917	437	169
style=text-align:left	Hagåtña	style=text-align:left	Central	0.95	2.46	943	1,051	993	383
style=text-align:left	Humåtak (formerly Umatac)	style=text-align:left	South	6.25	16.19	647	782	104	40
style=text-align:left	Inalåhan (formerly Inarajan)	style=text-align:left	South	18.74	48.54	2,317	2,273	124	48
style=text-align:left	Malesso' (formerly Merizo)	style=text-align:left	South	6.26	16.21	1,604	1,850	256	99
style=text-align:left	Mangilao	style=text-align:left	Central	10.19	26.39	13,476	15,191	1,322	511
style=text-align:left	Mongmong-Toto-Maite	style=text-align:left	Central	1.82	4.71	6,380	6,825	3,505	1,353
style=text-align:left	Piti	style=text-align:left	Central	7.54	19.53	1,585	1,454	210	81
style=text-align:left	Sånta Rita-Sumai (formerly Santa Rita)	style=text-align:left	South	16.26	42.11	6,470	6,084	398	154
style=text-align:left	Sinajana	style=text-align:left	Central	0.89	2.31	2,611	2,592	2,934	1,133
style=text-align:left	Talo'fo'fo (formerly Talofofo)	style=text-align:left	South	17.79	46.08	3,550	3,050	200	77
style=text-align:left		style=text-align:left	North	5.65	14.63	18,489	19,685	3,272	1,263
style=text-align:left	Yigo	style=text-align:left	North	35.61	92.23	19,339	20,539	543	210
style=text-align:left	Yona	style=text-align:left	South	20.12	52.11	6,298	6,480	313	121
style=text-align:left	Guam		209.81	543.41	153,836	159,358	733	283

References

Rogers, Robert F (1995). Destiny's Landfall: A History of Guam: University of Hawai'i Press.
Carter, Lee D; Carter, Rosa Roberto; Wuerch, William L (1997). Guam History: Perspectives Volume One: MARC.
Sanchez, Pedro C. Guahan, Guam: The History of our Island: Sanchez Publishing House.
Web site: Guam-Election Districts. U.S. Census Bureau. 2023-07-02.

External links

- Web site: Guam Villages . Guampedia . March 19, 2021 . September 15, 2020.
Web site: 1990 COUNTY BLOCK MAP (RECREATED): GUAM. U.S. Census Bureau.

Notes and References

Web site: Village Maps. https://archive.today/20121208173537/http://www.guampdn.com/communities/maps/index.html. Pacific Daily News. 2012-12-08. 2023-07-02. Archive.today. (Archive at Ghostarchive)
https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/island-areas/guam/population-and-housing-unit-counts/guam-phc-table01.pdf Population of Guam: 2010 and 2020
https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/cph/cph-t/cph-t-8/table3a.pdf Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Municipality for Guam: 2010
Web site: Geographic Levels . United States Census Bureau . 31 December 2020 . Suitland, Maryland . September 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20201231035829/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/guidance-geographies/levels.html. 2020-12-31.
Web site: iaea2006report . U.S. Department of the Interior . 2007-12-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071031162830/http://www.doi.gov/oia///reports/iaea2006report.doc . 2007-10-31 . dead .