Flags, Symbols & Currency of Guam

The Territorial Flag of Guam was adopted on February 9, 1948. The flag has been designed by Mrs Helen L. Paul – the spouse of an American naval officer.

The Territorial Flag of Guam features a dark blue background with a narrow red border on all four sides. Positioned in the center of the flag is the Guam Coat of Arms. The dark blue background color represents the sea. The red color of the border symbolizes the bloodshed during the struggle against oppression. The centrally placed Guam Coat of Arms is composed of a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene: a swift seagoing canoe (a flying proa), and a palm (coconut) tree on the yellow beach; with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters. The proa is seen sailing in Agana Bay near the capital – Hagatna, with the promontory of Punta Dos Amantes cliff depicted in the background.  It alludes to the courage of the first inhabitants of the islands who travelled without fear across the Pacific Ocean. The shape of the central emblem is that of a Chamorro sling stone, used as a weapon for defense or hunting by the native people.  The palm (coconut) tree that grows in the barren sandy beaches symbolizes the determination of the first settlers of the islands, who had to overcome the harsh natural conditions, that were faced by them. The flag has a width-to-length proportion ratio of 22:41. 

History of the Flag of Guam

In 1565, Guam was a part of the Spanish Empire and was represented by the Flag of Spain. As a result of the Spanish-American War in 1888, Spain ceded control of Guam to the United States and hence, Guam became a US territory. The American military bases that were built over the island during this time, displayed the flag of the United States. During WWII, Japan had occupied a part of Guam and the Island was then represented by the flag of the Japanese Empire. After the WWII, the current modern flag of Guam was adopted as the territorial flag in 1948.

National Anthem

Being an Overseas US dependency, the official national anthem of Guam is “The Star-Spangled Banner” – which is also the national anthem of the United States of America.

However, a regional anthem of Guam is "Stand Ye Guamanians" (The Guam Hymn). The music of the anthem and the English version of the lyrics have been created by Dr. Ramon Manalisay Sablan. The lyrics have been translated into the native Chamorro language by Lagrimas Untalan. The regional anthem was adopted in 1919.

The current official currency of Guam is the United States dollar (USD). The US dollar is subdivided into 100 cents.

Coins:

1, 5, 10, 25, 50 cents and $1 coins are currently issued.

Banknotes:

$1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 are currently issued.