| 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 one-half of the
way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
13 35 S, 172 20 W |
| Area: |
total:
2,860 sq km
land: 2,850 sq km
water: 10 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller
than Rhode Island |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical; rainy
season (October to March), dry season (May to October) |
| Terrain: |
narrow coastal
plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m |
| Natural
resources: |
hardwood forests,
fish, hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
19%
permanent crops: 24%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 47%
other: 10% |
| Natural
hazards: |
occasional
typhoons; active volcanism |
| Environment
- current issues: |
soil erosion |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Population: |
179,058 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
31.88% (male 29,009; female 28,069)
15-64 years: 62.44% (male 70,491; female
41,304)
65 years and over: 5.68% (male 4,739; female
5,446) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
-0.23% (2001
est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
15.59
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
6.29 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-11.62 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.71 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
31.75
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 69.5 years
male: 66.77 years
female: 72.37 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.4 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Samoan(s)
adjective: Samoan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Samoan 92.6%,
Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood),
Europeans 0.4% |
| Religions: |
Christian 99.7%
(about one-half of population associated with the London
Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic,
Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist) |
| Languages: |
Samoan
(Polynesian), English |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1971 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Independent State of Samoa
conventional short form: Samoa
former: Western Samoa |
| Government
type: |
constitutional
monarchy under native chief |
| 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, 1 June 1962 is the date that independence is
celebrated |
| 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: Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II (cochief
of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of
state 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister TUILA'EPA
Sailele Malielegaoi (since 24 November 1998); note -
TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister since 1992; he
assumed the prime ministership in November 1998 when former
Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health;
the post of deputy prime minister is currently vacant
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members,
appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's
advice
elections: upon the death of Chief Susuga
MALIETOA Tanumafili II, a new chief of state will be elected
by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; prime
minister appointed by the chief of state with the approval
of the Legislative Assembly |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47 elected by
Samoans, 2 elected by non-Samoans; only chiefs (matai) may
stand for election to the Fono; members serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 4 March 2001 (next to be
held by March 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - HRPP 23, SNDP 13, independents 13 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court;
Court of Appeal |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Human Rights
Protection Party or HRPP [TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi,
chairman]; Samoa All People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua
NAIMOAGA]; Samoan National Development Party or SNDP [TAPUA
Tamasese Efi, chairman] (opposition); Samoa National Party [FETU
Tiatia, party secretary]; Samoan Progressive Conservative
Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, AsDB, C,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU,
OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE
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: Ambassador Carol MOSELEY BRAUN
(Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, resides in Wellington,
New Zealand)
embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone: [685] 21631
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, and agricultural exports.
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 manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural
products. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 15%
of GDP; about 85,000 tourists visited the islands in 2000.
The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the
financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued
fiscal discipline. 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 - $571 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
6.8% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
15%
industry: 24%
services: 61% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
0.8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
90,000 (2000
est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 65%,
services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
NA%; note -
substantial underemployment |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$74.8 million
expenditures: $81.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
food processing,
building materials, auto parts |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
10% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
100 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
60%
hydro: 40%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
93 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coconuts,
bananas, taro, yams |
| Exports: |
$17 million
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
coconut oil and
cream, copra, fish, beer |
| Exports
- partners: |
American Samoa
59%, US 18%, Germany 9%, New Zealand 8% (2000 est.) |
| Imports: |
$90 million
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
New Zealand 37%,
Australia 24%, Fiji 14%, US 14% (2000 est.) |
| Debt
- external: |
$180 million
(1998 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$42.9 million
(1995) |
| Exchange
rates: |
tala per US
dollar - 3.3400 (January 2001), 3.2712 (2000), 3.0120
(1999), 2.9429 (1998), 2.5562 (1997), 2.4618 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
8,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
1,545 (February
1998) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 3,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
6 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
11,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ws |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
500 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
835 km
paved: 267 km
unpaved: 569 km (1983) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Apia, Asau,
Mulifanua, Salelologa |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
2
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
no regular armed
services; Samoa Police Force |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA |
| 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 |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
