Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad": Volume 12, Slice 6Various
Science
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad": Volume 12, Slice 6
Various
Encyclopedias and dictionaries
GUAM (Span. _Guajan_; _Guahan_, in the native Chamorro), the largest and
most populous of the Ladrone or Mariana Islands, in the North Pacific,
in 13 deg. 26' N. lat. and 144 deg. 39' E. long., about 1823 m. E. by S.
of Hong Kong, and about 1450 m. E. of Manila. Pop. (1908) about 11,360,
of whom 363 were foreigners, 140 being members of the U.S. naval force.
Guam extends about 30 m. from N.N.E. to S.S.W., has an average width of
about 6-1/2 m., and has an area of 207 sq. m. The N. portion is a
plateau from 300 to 600 ft. above the sea, lowest in the interior and
highest along the E. and W. coast, where it terminates abruptly in
bluffs and headlands; Mt Santa Rosa, toward the N. extremity, has an
elevation of 840 ft. A range of hills from 700 to nearly 1300 ft. in
height traverses the S. portion from N. to S. a little W. of the
middle--Mt Jumullong Mangloc, the highest peak, has an elevation of 1274
ft. Between the foot of the steep W. slope of these hills and the sea is
a belt of rolling lowlands and to the E. the surface is broken by the
valleys of five rivers with a number of tributaries, has a general slope
toward the sea, and terminates in a coast-line of bluffs. Apra (formerly
San Luis d'Apra) on the middle W. coast is the only good harbour; it is
about 3-1/2 m. across, has a depth of 4-27 fathoms, and is divided into
an inner and an outer harbour by a peninsula and an island. It serves as
a naval station and as a port of transit between America and the
Philippines, at which army transports call monthly. Deer, wild hog,
duck, curlew, snipe and pigeon are abundant game, and several varieties
of fish are caught. Some of the highest points of the island are nearly
bare of vegetation, and the more elevated plateau surface is covered
with sword grass, but in the valleys and on the lower portions of the
plateaus there is valuable timber. The lowlands have a rich soil; in
lower parts of the highlands raised coralliferous limestone with a light
covering of soil appears, and in the higher parts the soil is entirely
of clay and silt. The climate is agreeable and healthy. From December to
June the N.E. trade winds prevail and the rainfall is relatively light;
during the other six months the monsoon blows and produces the rainy
season. Destructive typhoons and earthquakes sometimes visit Guam. The
island is thought to possess little if any mineral wealth, with the
possible exception of coal. Only a small part of Guam is under
cultivation, and most of this lies along the S.W. coast, its chief
products being cocoanuts, rice, sugar, coffee and cacao. A United States
Agricultural Experiment Station in Guam (at Agana) was provided for in
1908.
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