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This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
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| Introduction | Samoa | Top of Page

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 | Samoa | Top of Page

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

| People | Samoa | Top of Page

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: 1.1 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 (persons of European and Polynesian blood) 7%, Europeans 0.4% (2001 census)
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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): | total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years (2001)
Education expenditures: | 4.3% of GDP (2002)

| Government | Samoa | Top of Page

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 Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Matafele, Apia telephone: [685] 21436/21631/21452/22696 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 | Samoa | Top of Page

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): | $1.029 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $397 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $5,400 (2007 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%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget: | revenues: $171.3 million expenditures: $78.1 million (FY04/05 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 6% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate: | 12.65% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money: | $69.97 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money: | $168.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit: | $215.1 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products: | coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa
Industries: | food processing, building materials, auto parts
Industrial production growth rate: | 2.8% (2000)
Electricity - production: | 109 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption: | 101.4 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 1,130 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports: | 1,128 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance: | -$24 million (2007 est.)
Exports: | $131 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities: | fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer
Exports - partners: | Australia 48.1%, American Samoa 30%, Taiwan 8% (2007)
Imports: | $324 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: | NZ 22.1%, Fiji 17.2%, Singapore 16.1%, Australia 7.9%, Japan 6.8%, Indonesia 5.4%, US 5.3% (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $70.15 million (FY03/04)
Debt - external: | $177 million (2004)
Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA
Currency (code): | tala (SAT)
Exchange rates: | tala (SAT) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.7594 (2006), 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003)

| Communications | Samoa | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 19,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 86,000 (2007)
Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 50 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations: | 2 (2002)
Internet country code: | .ws
Internet hosts: | 11,307 (2008)
Internet users: | 8,000 (2006)

| Transportation | Samoa | Top of Page

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 (2001)
Merchant marine: | total: 1 by type: cargo 1 foreign-owned: 1 (Cyprus 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals: | Apia

| Military | Samoa | Top of Page

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 militarily significant age annually: | male: 2,571 female: 2,454 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures: | 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 | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008