Guide to Samoa Introduction 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.
Geography 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
Map references: Oceania
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 403 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
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
Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: NA
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Environment - current issues: soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: occupies an almost central position within Polynesia
People Population: 177,287 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: -0.23% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 15.95 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -11.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 3.01 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 12
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 3
Nationality: noun
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%, other Christian 4.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Languages: Samoan (Polynesian), English
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: mix of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
Capital: Apia
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
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
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles Court
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoan Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman] (opposition)
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
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 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 manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000 tourists visited the islands in 2001. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, meantime 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 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 90,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: NA; note - substantial underemployment
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues
Agriculture - products: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa
Industries: food processing, building materials, auto parts
Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (2000)
Electricity - production: 122 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 113.5 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Exports: $14 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities: fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer
Exports - partners: Australia 67.2%, US 5.7%, Indonesia 5.3% (2004)
Imports: $113 million f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: New Zealand 25.1%, Fiji 21.5%, Taiwan 9.1%, Australia 8.9%, Singapore 8.5%, Japan 7.5%, US 4.7% (2004)
Debt - external: $197 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $42.9 million (1995)
Currency (code): tala (SAT)
Currency code: SAT (former WST code is still in wide use)
Exchange rates: tala per US dollar - 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002), 3.478 (2001), 3.2864 (2000)
Fiscal year: June 1 - May 31
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 11,800 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,700 (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment
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: 8,225 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 4,000 (2002)
Transportation Highways: total
Ports and harbors: Apia
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military 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
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: none
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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