Micronesia (Guam)
Nature & Environment
The largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Archipelago, Guam lies about 3800km (2356mi) southeast of Tokyo. It was created by an uplift of undersea volcanoes and has two distinct geological regions north and south of a narrow waist. The northern half is a coral limestone plateau, while the southern half is a generally prettier mixture of volcanic hills and valleys.
Guam's only indigenous mammals are a couple of species of bats, and the island's birdlife has been devoured by the infamous brown tree snake. Accidently air-lifted in 50 odd years ago, the snake has cast an eerie silence over Guam's forests by polishing off all nine species of native birds - a disaster that also has huge ramifications for the life cycles of endemic plants and insects.

The island's steady tropical climate maintains temperatures at a pretty constant 25-30°C (77-86°F) all year round. May, June and July are the hottest months. Guamanians really only talk of two seasons, the dry and the rainy. The dry season (fanumnangan) runs from December to June and then it's rainy time (fanuchanan) for the rest of the year. From June to November, Guam is also nestled in the hatchery of the western Pacific typhoons.