Dededo (Chamorro: Dedidu; formerly in Spanish: [deðeðo]) is the most populated village in the United States territory of Guam.[3][4] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Dededo's population was just under 45,000 in 2020.[1] The village is located on the coral plateau of Northern Guam. The greater Dededo-Machanao-Apotgan Urban Cluster had a population of 139,825 as of the 2010 census,[2] making up 87.7% of Guam's population and 29.8% of its area.
Etymology
The origin of the village name Dededo, Dedidu in Chamorro, may come from the practice of measuring using fingers. The Spanish word for finger is dedo. It can be theorized that someone measured out the original village this way. Another possibility is that the word "dededo" is a version of the word "dedeggo," which means "heel of the foot," or that it comes from the word "deggo" which means to "walk on tiptoes."[5]
History
Before World War II, Dededo Village was at the bottom of Macheche Hill. Dededo grew into a major village after the war when the U.S. Navy constructed housing for displaced Guamanians and for laborers coming from off-island to help in Guam's development.[citation needed]
Following Typhoon Karen in 1962, Kaiser Subdivision in Dededo was constructed for islanders displaced by the storm. Further housing subdivisions were constructed increasing the village's population.
In 1984, the Northern Community Health Center opened. In addition to traditional health services provided by the village clinics, this center offered communicable disease control services and dental health as well as chronic disease care and crippled children services.[6]
In October 1988, the island's first large-scale and fully enclosed shopping mall, the Micronesia Mall, opened.[7]
Micronesia Mall is the largest shopping mall in Guam and serves as a cultural and recreational venue as well, with movie theaters and an amusement park.[21]
There is also a popular weekend flea market in town which attracts large crowds of vendors.[22]
Geography
Dededo is situated on a relatively flat limestone plateau in the northern part of the island.[22] It is located at the north central part of the island roughly at the center of population. It encompasses an area of about 30 square miles (78 km2) of Guam's 209 square miles (540 km2). The headquarters for the Guam National Wildlife Refuge are in Dededo.[23]
The Federal government of the United States owns portions of the land in Dededo; the Government of Guam stated that it was one of several villages that are "characterized primarily by the large proportion of land owned by the federal government".[24]
Dededo has several public and private schools to accommodate the growing number of residents of the island's most populous village including Guam Department of Education institutions. The village is served by six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.
^Adams, Evan (2016). Guam History, Culture, Travel guide and Tourism: The origin of the Chamorro race, American Settlement, Government, Politics, Economy, People and tradition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing. Pages 70 and 152. ISBN9781533672735.
^Adams, Evan (2016). Guam History, Culture, Travel guide and Tourism: The origin of the Chamorro race, American Settlement, Government, Politics, Economy, People and tradition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing. Page 152. ISBN9781533672735.
^Rogers, Robert F. (1995). Destiny's Landfall: A History of Guam. University of Hawaii Press. Page 286. ISBN9780824816780.
^Adams, Evan (2016). Guam History, Culture, Travel guide and Tourism: The origin of the Chamorro race, American Settlement, Government, Politics, Economy, People and tradition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing. Page 24. ISBN9781533672735.
^ abcAdams, Evan (2016). Guam History, Culture, Travel guide and Tourism: The origin of the Chamorro race, American Settlement, Government, Politics, Economy, People and tradition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing. Page 70. ISBN9781533672735.
^"North and Central Guam Land Use Plan"(PDF). Government of Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans. September 2009. pp. 2–8 (PDF p. 24/64). Retrieved 2023-07-04.