Guam, gwam, a volcanic island, the most southern of the Ladrones. It is situated in the Atlantic, 1,500 miles east of the Philippines. It has been occupied by the United States since 1898 as a coaling station. Its area is about that of Rhode Island. There are about 9,000 inhabitants, chiefly of Malay origin, said to be poor, ignorant, and squalid, but peaceful and pious. The use of domestic animals, together with tobacco, melons, hemp, rice, sugar-cane, coffee, and bananas has been introduced. A large part of the island is covered with jungles in which several kinds of timber, valuable for furniture making, are found. The cocoanuts, pineapples, and breadfruit are of a superior quality. Rats, bats, harmless centipedes, scorpions, and brightly colored birds are found in the island, but there are no ferocious wild animals. Missions have existed for some time. Schools have been established by the United States government. See UNITED STATES.