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Guide
Introduction
| |
| Background: |
Settled as early as 1000 B.
C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th
century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century
were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the
Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller
group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the
following year. |
| Location: |
Oceania, group of islands in
the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New
Zealand |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
14 20 S, 170 00 W |
| Area: |
total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger than
Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical marine, moderated by
southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season
from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal
temperature variation |
| Terrain: |
five volcanic islands with
rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island,
Swains Island) |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m |
| Natural
resources: |
pumice, pumicite |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 10%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 70%
other: 15% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
typhoons common from December
to March |
| Environment
- current issues: |
limited natural fresh water
resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial
funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines |
| Geography
- note: |
Pago Pago has one of the best
natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape
from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds;
strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean |
| Population: |
67,084 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
38.44% (male 13,278; female 12,512)
15-64 years: 56.57% (male 18,784; female 19,163)
65 years and over: 4.99% (male 1,779; female 1,568) (2001
est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.42% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
24.88 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.31 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
3.58 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.06
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
10.36 deaths/1,000 live
births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
75.32 years
male: 70.89 years
female: 80.02 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.5 children born/woman (2001
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun: American
Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Samoan (Polynesian) 89%,
Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5% |
| Religions: |
Christian Congregationalist
50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30% |
| Languages: |
Samoan (closely related to
Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English
note: most people are bilingual |
| Literacy: |
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS |
| Dependency
status: |
unincorporated and
unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular
Affairs, US Department of the Interior |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none (territory of the US);
there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are three districts and two islands* at the second
order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western |
| Independence: |
none (territory of the US) |
| National
holiday: |
Flag Day, 17 April (1900) |
| Constitution: |
ratified 1966, in effect 1967 |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001) and Vice
President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Tauese P. SUNIA (since 3
January 1997) and Lieutenant Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 3 January
1997)
cabinet: NA
elections: US president and vice president elected on the
same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor
elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election
last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
election results: Tauese P. SUNIA reelected governor;
percent of vote - Tauese P. SUNIA (Democrat) 50.7%, Lealaifuaneva Peter
REID (independent) 47.8% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral Fono or Legislative
Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of
which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting
delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the
Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs and serve
four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November
2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); Senate - last held 7 November
2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - only independents elected
note: American Samoa elects one delegate to the US House of
Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA
November 2002); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as
delegate for a sixth term |
| Judicial
branch: |
High Court (chief justice and
associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party [leader NA];
Republican Party [leader NA] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau),
IOC, SPC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (territory of the US) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none (territory of the US) |
| Flag
description: |
blue, with a white triangle
edged in red that is based on the outer side and extends to the hoist
side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side
is carrying two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a
war club |
| Economy
- overview: |
This is a traditional
Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally
owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US, with which
American Samoa conducts the great bulk of its foreign trade. Tuna
fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private
sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US
Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being.
Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are
restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and
its devastating hurricanes. Tourism, a developing sector, has been held
back by the recurring financial difficulties in East Asia. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$500 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
NA% |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$8,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
NA% |
| Labor
force: |
14,000 (1996) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
government 33%, tuna
canneries 34%, other 33% (1990) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
16% (1993) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $121
million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures
of $NA (FY96/97) |
| Industries: |
tuna canneries (largely
dependent on foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
130 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
120.9 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, coconuts,
vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy
products, livestock |
| Exports: |
$500 million (1998) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
canned tuna 93% |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 99.6% |
| Imports: |
$471 million (1996) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
materials for canneries 56%,
food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 62%, Japan 9%, NZ 7%,
Australia 11%, Fiji 4%, other 7% |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
important financial support
from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 |
| Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is used |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 October - 30 September |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
13,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
2,550 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular
telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth
station
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
14,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.as |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 350 km
paved: 150 km
unpaved: 200 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Aunu'u (new construction),
Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the responsibility
of the US |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
