Guam, a U.S. territory in the Western Pacific, often makes headlines due to its strategic military importance and proximity to potential conflict zones. But just how big is this island compared to a U.S. state? This article explores Guam’s size and provides context by comparing it to familiar U.S. locations.
Guam’s total land area is 210 square miles. To put this into perspective, it’s slightly smaller than Chicago, which covers roughly 234 square miles. This makes Guam significantly smaller than even the smallest U.S. state, Rhode Island, which boasts 1,214 square miles of land. In fact, you could fit Guam into Rhode Island nearly six times over.
To further illustrate Guam’s size, consider these comparisons:
- Guam is about 3.5 times the size of Manhattan: The island of Manhattan in New York City encompasses approximately 59 square miles.
- Guam is roughly one-third the size of Washington D.C.: The nation’s capital occupies about 68 square miles.
While Guam may be small in terms of land area, its strategic location and role as a military base give it outsized importance on the global stage. The island hosts significant U.S. military installations, including Andersen Air Force Base and U.S. Naval Base Guam. These bases house thousands of military personnel and their families, contributing significantly to the island’s economy and cultural diversity.
Guam’s relatively small size also means that its population of approximately 160,000 people lives in a relatively dense area. This population includes a diverse mix of Chamorro people (the indigenous population), Filipinos, other Micronesians, and Americans. Despite its distance from the U.S. mainland, Guamanians are U.S. citizens.
In conclusion, while Guam is a small island compared to any U.S. state, its strategic importance, unique culture, and diverse population make it a significant territory. Understanding its size relative to more familiar locations helps to better grasp the island’s geographic context and the impact of its relatively small landmass on its inhabitants and its role in global affairs.
