Hagatna is the capital city of Guam, which is a United States territory. Earlier it was called as Agana. It is the seat of Guam government and major commercial districts too in the country. It is second smallest of 19 villages of the island.
The city is spread in an area of 1 square mile and is located on the western coast of Guam, at the mouth of the Hagatna River. It is bounded by sandy beaches in north and wetlands to the east. In the south there’s a cliff.
The center part of Hagatna has high-rise office buildings while the west is ore residential. The most populated areas include Sinajana, Mongmong-Toto-Maite and Agana Heights.
Sites of interests
Plaza de Espana – Located in central Hagatna, the Plaza de Espana was the palace of colonial Spanish Governor between 1734 and World War II. Most of it is destroyed with only few structures are surviving which includes Azotea, Tool Shed, Siesta Shed, Chocolate House and Spanish Walls.
Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica – In Spanish it is called as Catedral Basilica del Dulce Nombre de Maria. It was constructed in 1669 and is now a familiar landmark in downtown Hagatna.
Agana Shopping Center – Located in downtown of the city, the shopping center opened in 1978 and is now one of the important malls in the country. It includes five theaters with true stadium seating capacity.
Guam Congress Building – Also called as Guam Legislature Building, it was constructed in 1949 and served as courthouse building.
Agana Spanish Bridge – Built in 1800, it is a stone arch bridge and the only surviving of such Spanish structure in Hagatna. It is also called Sagon I Tolai Acho and in 1974 was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. It originally crossed the Hagatna River.
The other sites of interests not to miss while you visit Hagatna include Latte Stone Park, Guam Museum, Agana Boat Basin and Chamorro Village.
Culture
Many traditional celebrations take place in the city and those include Liberation Day, which is the most celebrated patriotic holiday in Guam. It is celebrated on July 21.
Language
Guam has English and Chamorro as the two official languages and take note that English is the dominant language on the island. The second language is in fact loan words from Spanish phrases. Filipino, Japanese and Spanish too are spoken.
Visa
Foreign citizens can enter Guam with US Visa Waiver Program, Guam/CNMI Visa Waiver Program or a valid US visa.
Climate
The weather is usually warm with no much seasonal temperature variation, but humidity exceeds 84 percent during the night hours across the year. During the wet season it is threatened by tropical storms and even typhoons.
