Hagatna

"Hagåt" (also romanized as haga', with a glottal stop instead of a syllable-final "t") means "blood" in the Chamorro language. The suffix "-ña" can be translated as either the possessive pronouns his, hers or its in English (cognate to -nya in Malay and Indonesian, and niya in Tagalog), or a signification of greater comparative degree, similar to some uses of the English suffix "-er". There is much speculation that the indigenous peoples originally migrated from the village of Agat/Hagåt. Therefore, "Hagåtña" can be translated "his or her blood" possibly meaning "related to him, her or it", or it could be translated to what might roughly mean "more Hagåt", as in, an extension of the village of Hagåt. It could also mean "better Hagåt", or "more than, surpassing or superior to Hagåt" in a sense of being "more Hagåt than Hagåt itself". …

Hagåtña was a prominent village before Guam's colonization by the Spanish. In 1668, the first Spanish missionary led by the Spanish priest San Vitores and his team arrived on the island. The colonizers proselytized and forced the indigenous Chamorro people to convert to Christianity, in many cases without consent. One of those who converted, Chief Kepuha, donated land in Hagåtña enabling San Vitores to build the first church (Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica) on Guam, which was used by San Vitores to further colonize the indigenous peoples and their lands. Under Spanish rule, and particularly the Spanish-Chamorro Wars, much of the indigenous population of Guam and other Mariana Islands were forced to relocate to the city after a genocide was instigated and conducted by the Spanish, led by San Vitores, against the indigenous population. …

Hagåtña is located at the mouth of the Hagåtña River on Guam's west coast. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1 square mile (2.6 km²). It is (by direction of travel) the westernmost state or territorial capital city of the United States. The village is bounded by the sandy beaches of Agana Bay to the north, the Hagåtña River and associated wetlands to the east, and a cliff (above which is the village of Agana Heights) to the South. Several high-rise office buildings are in the center of the village, while the western portion of the city known as Anigua is more residential. Unlike many villages, central Hagåtña is divided into city blocks with shops and small restaurants throughout the center of the village. Highly populated residential areas in the villages of Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Sinajana, and Agana Heights surround Hagåtña. …

As Guam's historic population and administrative center, many traditional celebrations take place in Hagåtña. On December 8, Santa Marian Kamalen, Patroness of the Mariana Islands, is honored with a procession in which a statue of the patroness is pulled on a cart amid the prayers of thousands of the island's Catholics. Guam's most celebrated patriotic holiday, Liberation Day, is on July 21. The annual Liberation Day Parade takes place on Marine Corps Drive in Hagåtña. In addition to the historic sites at the Plaza de España and the Basilica, Latte Stone Park and the Chamorro Village shopping area offer further information about the island's history and culture.

The U.S. Census Bureau has designated the municipality a single census-designated place. As of the 2020 census, there were 943 people living within the Hagåtña census-designated place. The Census Bureau recorded 407 total housing units, of which 84.5% were occupied and 15.5% were vacant. The average household size was 2.58 residents.