Barrigada Barigåda |
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Village | |
Location of Barrigada within the Territory of Guam. |
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Country | United States |
Territory | Guam |
Government | |
• Mayor | June U. Blas (D) |
• Vice mayor | Jessie P. Bautista (D) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 8,875 |
• Ethnic groups | Chamorro |
Time zone | ChST (UTC+10) |
Barrigada (Chamorro: Barigåda) is a village in the United States territory of Guam. A largely residential municipality, its main village is located south of the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport near the intersections of Routes 8, 10, and 16. The community east of the airport known as Barrigada Heights is considered an affluent neighborhood on the island, where homes have excellent views overlooking much of Guam including the island's airport and hotels along Tumon Bay.
From 2 to 4 August 1944, the United States Marine Corps engaged troops from the Empire of Japan at present-day Barrigada Heights during the battle of Guam, a year before the end of the Second World War. When the Japanese line collapsed, American forces pursued them to the north, winning the battle.
In recent years, the three main highways in Barrigada have been renamed in honor of the U.S. Military. Route 8 is designated Purple Heart Memorial Highway; Route 10 is designated Vietnam Veterans Highway; and Route 16 is designated Army Drive.
North of Routes 8 and 16 is the former Naval Air Station (NAS) Agana, most of which lies within the boundary of Barrigada. When NAS Agana (now Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport; (IATA: GUM, ICAO: PGUM)) was closed in the mid-1990s, the land and buildings were handed over to the Government of Guam, which utilized many former base buildings as government offices; some agencies, such as the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation, have since moved elsewhere. Most of the original NAS housing facilities have been demolished to make room for airport-related commercial buildings. The original Chamorro-language toponym for the area, Tiyan (/ˈtiːdʒən/, "belly"), has been restored and is in common use.