The United States territory of Guam is divided into nineteen municipalities, called villages.( Ghostarchive) 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.Population of Guam: 2010 and 2020, U.S. Census Bureau.
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 Land areaPopulation, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Municipality for Guam: 2010, U.S. Census Bureau. Population Population density (2020) sq mi km2 2020 2010 per sq mi per km2Agana HeightsCentral 1.03 2.67 3,673 3,808 3,566 1,377Asan-MainaCentral 5.69 14.74 2,011 2,137 353 136BarrigadaCentral 8.50 22.01 7,956 8,875 936 361Chalan Pago-OrdotCentral 5.67 14.69 7,064 6,822 1,246 481DededoNorth 30.52 79.05 44,908 44,943 1,471 568Hågat (formerly Agat)South 10.33 26.75 4,515 4,917 437 169HagåtñaCentral 0.95 2.46 943 1,051 993 383Humåtak (formerly Umatac)South 6.25 16.19 647 782 104 40Inalåhan (formerly Inarajan)South 18.74 48.54 2,317 2,273 124 48Malesso' (formerly Merizo)South 6.26 16.21 1,604 1,850 256 99MangilaoCentral 10.19 26.39 13,476 15,191 1,322 511Mongmong-Toto-MaiteCentral 1.82 4.71 6,380 6,825 3,505 1,353PitiCentral 7.54 19.53 1,585 1,454 210 81Sånta Rita-Sumai (formerly Santa Rita)South 16.26 42.11 6,470 6,084 398 154SinajanaCentral 0.89 2.31 2,611 2,592 2,934 1,133Talo'fo'fo (formerly Talofofo)South 17.79 46.08 3,550 3,050 200 77Tamuning North 5.65 14.63 18,489 19,685 3,272 1,263YigoNorth 35.61 92.23 19,339 20,539 543 210YonaSouth 20.12 52.11 6,298 6,480 313 121Guam 209.81 543.41 153,836 159,358 733 283
See also List of census-designated places in Guam List of villages in the Northern Mariana Islands Geography of Guam Village (United States)
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.
External links