|
Background: |
New Zealand occupied the German
protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It
continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust
territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation
to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the
'Western' from its name in 1997. |
|
Location: |
Oceania, group of islands in
the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
|
|
Geographic coordinates: |
13 35 S, 172 20 W |
|
Map references: |
Oceania |
|
Area: |
total: 2,944 sq km
land: 2,934 sq km
water: 10 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Rhode
Island |
|
Land boundaries: |
0 km |
|
Coastline: |
403 km |
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200
nm |
|
Climate: |
tropical; rainy season
(November to April), dry season (May to October) |
|
Terrain: |
two main islands (Savaii,
Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal
plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific
Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m |
|
Natural resources: |
hardwood forests, fish,
hydropower |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 21.13%
permanent crops: 24.3%
other: 54.57% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land: |
NA |
|
Natural hazards: |
occasional typhoons; active
volcanism |
|
Environment - current issues: |
soil erosion, deforestation,
invasive species, overfishing |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
|
Geography - note: |
occupies an almost central
position within Polynesia |
|
Population: |
217,083
note: prior
estimates used official net migration data by sex, but a highly unusual
pattern for 1993 lead to a significant imbalance in the sex ratios (more
men and fewer women) and a seeming reduction in the female population; the
revised total was calculated using a 1993 number that was an average of
the 1992 and 1994 migration figures (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 37.9% (male
41,834/female 40,343)
15-64 years: 56.5% (male 64,402/female
58,257)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male 5,481/female 6,766) (2008
est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 20.6 years
male: 20.8 years
female: 20.4 years (2008 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
1.322% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
28.2 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
5.84 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
-9.14 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81
male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 25.04
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29.56 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 71.58
years
male: 68.76 years
female: 74.55 years (2008
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
4.18 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Samoan(s)
adjective: Samoan |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7%
(persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4% |
|
Religions: |
Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman
Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God
6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian
4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census) |
|
Languages: |
Samoan (Polynesian), English
|
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
|
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
Independent State of Samoa
conventional short form: Samoa
local long form: Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
local
short form: Samoa
former: Western Samoa |
|
Government type: |
parliamentary democracy |
|
Capital: |
name: Apia
geographic coordinates: 13 50 S, 171 44 W
time
difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time) |
|
Administrative divisions: |
11 districts; A'ana,
Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli,
Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano |
|
Independence: |
1 January 1962 (from New
Zealand-administered UN trusteeship) |
|
National holiday: |
Independence Day Celebration, 1
June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the
New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship; it is observed in June |
|
Constitution: |
1 January 1962 |
|
Legal system: |
based on English common law and
local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to
fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage: |
21 years of age; universal
|
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state: TUIATUA
Tupua Tamasese Efi (since 20 June 2007)
head of government:
Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 1998); Deputy Prime
Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet consists
of 12 members appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's
advice
elections: chief of state is elected by the Legislative
Assembly to serve a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 15
June 2007 (next to be held in 2012); following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the
chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
election results: TUIATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi unanimously
elected by the Legislative Assembly |
|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral Legislative Assembly
or Fono (49 seats, 47 elected by voters affiliated with traditional
village-based electoral districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly
non-Samoan or part-Samoan, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish
a village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the
Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve five-year terms)
elections: election last held 31 March 2006 (next election to
be held not later than March 2011)
election results: percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - HRPP 35, SDUP 10, independents 4
|
|
Judicial branch: |
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court;
District Court; Land and Titles Court |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
Human Rights Protection Party
or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA]; Samoa Christian Party or TCP
[Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA]; Samoa Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA
Ropati]; Samoa Party or SP [Su'a Rimoni Ah CHONG]; Samoa Progressive
Political Party or SPPP [Toeolesulusulu SIUEVA] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
|
International organization participation: |
ACP, ADB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IPU, ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA
chancery: 800 Second
Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212)
599-6196, 6197
FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: none;
US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa
embassy:
Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia, 0815
telephone: [685] 21436/21452/21631/22696
FAX: [685]
22030 |
|
Flag description: |
red with a blue rectangle in
the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars
representing the Southern Cross constellation |
|
Economy - overview: |
The economy of Samoa has
traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from
overseas, agriculture, and fishing. The country is vulnerable to
devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force and
furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra.
The fish catch declined during the El Nino of 2002-03 but returned to
normal by mid-2005. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural
products. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to
make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia.
Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; 116,000
tourists visited the islands in 2006. The Samoan Government has called for
deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and
continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time protecting the
environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a
basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a
relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is
low. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$1.218 billion (2006 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$387 million (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
5.5% (2005 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$2,100 (2005 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 11.4%
industry: 58.4%
services: 30.2% (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
90,000 (2000 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
|
Unemployment rate: |
NA% |
|
Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3.3% (2005) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $171.3 million
expenditures: $78.1 million (FY04/05 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
coconuts, bananas, taro, yams,
coffee, cocoa |
|
Industries: |
food processing, building
materials, auto parts |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
2.8% (2000) |
|
Electricity - production: |
105 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 42%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
97.65 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
1,100 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
0 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports: |
1,060 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Current account balance: |
-$2.428 million (FY03/04)
|
|
Exports: |
$131 million f.o.b. (2006)
|
|
Exports - commodities: |
fish, coconut oil and cream,
copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer |
|
Exports - partners: |
Australia 44.1%, American Samoa
29.9%, Taiwan 11.3% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$324 million f.o.b. (2006)
|
|
Imports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment,
industrial supplies, foodstuffs |
|
Imports - partners: |
NZ 21.5%, Fiji 14.8%, Singapore
13.2%, Australia 8.6%, Japan 8.6%, US 6.2%, Indonesia 5%, China 4.4%
(2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$43.95 million (2005) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$70.15 million (FY03/04) |
|
Debt - external: |
$177 million (2004) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
|
|
Currency (code): |
tala (SAT) |
|
Currency code: |
SAT (former WST code is still
in wide use) |
|
Exchange rates: |
tala per US dollar - NA (2007),
2.7594 (2006), 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003) |
|
Fiscal year: |
June 1 - May 31 |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
19,500 (2005) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
24,000 (2005) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code -
685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
|
|
Radios: |
174,849 (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
2 (2002) |
|
Televisions: |
8,634 (1999) |
|
Internet country code: |
.ws |
|
Internet hosts: |
10,156 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
8,000 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
4 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 3
2,438 to
3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 1
under
914 m: 1 (2007) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 2,337 km
paved: 332 km
unpaved: 2,005 km (2004) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT
or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
by type: cargo 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Cyprus 1) (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Apia |
|
Military branches: |
no regular military forces;
Samoa Police Force (2008) |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49: 53,417
(2008 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 42,359
(2008 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 16-49: 2,571
(2008 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA |
|
Military - note: |
Samoa has no formal defense
structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with NZ,
which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the
1962 Treaty of Friendship |
| Transnational Issues |
Samoa |
|
Disputes - international: |
none |
|
