AH2R Team will be active from Guam Island, IOTA OC - 026, in ARRL DX SSB Contest, 1 - 2 March 2025.
Team - NH2C, WI3O, KH2JU.
Recent DX Spots AH2R
They will operate in Multi Op Category.
QSL via LOTW.
The island of Guam is the highlight of the Mariana Islands
Guam is not only the largest, but also the southernmost island of the entire Mariana Islands. At the same time, it is characterised by its rather small size. Thus, the length of the island is only 50 kilometres, and its width at one of its sections is 12 kilometres.
The origin of the island is of interest. Its northern part was formed from coral and has a limestone base. The south of the island was formed by volcanic activity.
Sella Bay, Agat, Guam. Author - Aaron Lane.
Island regions
The island has the status of an unincorporated organised territory of the United States of America. This means that it is not part of that State, but is under its authority.
Guam is divided into several regions. In its northern part there are US naval bases. For this reason, very few representatives of the local population live here.
Access to these territories for tourists is limited. However, many guests of the island are eager to get here, as there is an incredibly beautiful beach Ritidian Beach.
In the centre of the island is its capital, Hagatna. This region is the most densely populated. In addition, it is here that hotels and establishments designed for a full-fledged tourist holiday are located.
If we talk about the southern region of Guam, it is characterised by incredibly beautiful landscapes and the least developed infrastructure. In this part, the culture of the Chamorro people, whose representatives are the aborigines of the island, is best preserved.
Climate Features
The island is characterised by a tropical monsoon climate. There are two seasons. From June to September the area is characterised by frequent and abundant rainfall. And from October to May the wind season lasts.
The air temperature remains practically unchanged throughout the year. It ranges from +27ºC to +33ºC. In addition, it drops very slightly at night, which is a guarantee of the most comfortable conditions for life and recreation.
Guam suffers from typhoons every few years. However, they almost never bring special destruction. The locals have learnt to erect reliable shelters that provide an adequate level of protection.
A bit of history
Among the interesting historical facts is that it was on Guam that the famous navigator Magellan landed during his round-the-world voyage. Thus, the discovery of the island dates back to 1521. From the surviving records, it can be deduced that at that time the Chamorro people were represented by three categories of people. It consisted of chiefs, commoners and slaves.
In 1565, Guam was officially recognised as a Spanish colony. It was after this that the active physical mixing of the natives with the Spanish and Mexicans who arrived on the island began. After the Spanish government decided to bring Catholic priests to Guam, the natives organised a riot during which a great many Chamorro men were killed. However, despite this, the people managed to preserve not only their own culture and traditions, but also their language.
Guam Island. Author - Majalkita.
The role of tourism in the island's economy
Tourism plays an incredibly important role in the development of the island's economy. All conditions for a comfortable and interesting holiday have been created here, which contributes to the growth of its popularity. Interesting is the fact that the island is completely devoid of sand. The covering of the beaches consists of coral crumbs. It is distinguished by its small size and incredibly bright orange colour, which gives the coastline a special appeal.
In the central part of the island there are numerous hotels, restaurants and shops. You can get to Guam by plane. There is an international airport in the capital of the island, which provides constant connection to various points of the world.
In recent years, you can note a significant development of the island's infrastructure, which only contributes to the growth of its popularity among tourists. Visitors from Japan come here especially often. And thanks to the fact that in 2012 a visa-free regime was introduced for residents of Russia, the flow of tourists from this country has increased significantly.
The most comfortable for life and recreation should be called the rainy season. Despite heavy precipitation, it is short and does not cause any difficulties.
Interesting facts
Just 340km from the island is the deepest point of the world's oceans. Guam is located right along the Mariana Trench.
More than seventy years ago, the brown tree snake appeared on the island. Despite the fact that its venom is not dangerous to humans, it brought a lot of troubles. For example, the snakes have destroyed almost all birds and regularly cause short-circuiting of wires. In order to reduce their population, it was decided to periodically dump poisoned mice on Guam.
