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The village of Yigo, Guam is the northernmost municipality on the island and the location of Andersen Air Force Base. It includes the census-designated villages of Anao, Asatdas, Chaguian, Mataguac, North Gayinero, and South Gayinero.

The land in the northern part of Guam is a fairly flat limestone plateau. By land area, Yigo is the largest municipality on the island. Historically, the region of Yigo was one of the island's most important agricultural areas. Before the arrival of Europeans on the island, the northern coast of Guam was home to several villages.

During the Spanish Chamorro Wars in the late 17th-century, Yigo was a place of refuge, or shelter, for the Chamorro resistance but, in August of 1679, a fierce battle was fought there, which resulted in the defeat of the Chamorros. By the early 1700s, the indigenous population of Guam was greatly diminished by war and disease, and the remaining Chamorros were relocated to church-centered villages in central and southern Guam, leaving the region of Yigo largely unpopulated, but open for hunting and fishing.

During the 1800s, wealthy residents of Hagåtña began buying up large tracts of land in northern Guam, where they grew cocoa and coffee beans, citrus, and copra. Cattle were also grazed there. During the early years of US occupation, some Chamorros began resettling the land. The first school opened in 1912, and the United State government issued land-use permits in order to encourage more farmers to the area in 1919. Given the rich soil of the land, the new village of Yigo was largely self-sufficient, but residents still had to travel to Hagåtña to buy several household items until Jose Torres established a village store in 1925. When the Second World War began, most residents of Yigo were allowed to remain and some landowners from Hagåtña relocated to their ranches in Yigo in order to avoid the Japanese. However, the Japanese established a concentration camp there. Later, Yigo became the site of Guam's final battle during the War. Currently, South Pacific Memorial Park is situated at the foot of Mount Matagi, the site of the battle, commemorating the American and Japanese soldiers who died there.

Although the Air Force base takes up much of the land in Yigo, and it has grown to become the second most populated municipality on the island, there are still large open spaces and even dense forests there. Among its attractions is Ritidian Point, a national wildlife refuge at the northernmost tip of the island that is well-known for its pristine beach. The Yigo Race Track is a popular local entertainment venue.

 

 

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