Hagåtña, Territorial capital in Asan Municipality, Guam.
Hagåtña is the territorial capital in Asan Municipality on Guam, located at the mouth of the Hagåtña River on the west coast. The settlement includes commercial districts, government buildings, and residential neighborhoods that spread from the waterfront inland.
Spanish missionaries established their first settlement in 1668 after Chief Kepuha provided land for building a church. The site became the administrative center of the Spanish colony and has remained the seat of government ever since.
The annual procession of Santa Marian Kamalen on December 8 draws thousands of participants who carry a statue through the streets. The name comes from the Chamorro language and means "blood of life," referring to the brackish springs that once fed the area.
The District Court of Guam, United States Postal Service, and numerous federal agencies operate from offices in the central business district. The streets follow a grid pattern that makes it easier to navigate between different building complexes.
In 1998, the Guam Legislature officially changed the city's name from Agana back to its original Chamorro designation. This renaming reflected a broader movement to restore indigenous place names across the region.
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