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| Samoa |
 Click to enlarge |
Home Reference Maps Appendixes
| 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 half way between Hawaii and New Zealand |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
14 20 S, 170 00 W |
| Map
references: |
Oceania |
| Area: |
total: 199 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island water: 0 sq km land: 199 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger than Washington, DC |
| Land
boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
116 km |
| 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% other: 85% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
NA sq km |
| 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: |
70,260 (July 2003 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 37.5% (male 13,557; female 12,818) 15-64 years: 57% (male 19,712; female 20,346) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 2,081; female 1,746) (2003 est.) |
| Median
age: |
total: 21.6 years male: 21.1 years female: 22.2 years (2002) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.22% (2003 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
23.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.19 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 11.61 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 75.75 years male: 71.35 years female: 80.41 years (2003 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.3 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| 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.) |
| 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 most 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: |
6% (2000) |
| 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 supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock |
| Exports: |
$345 million (1999) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
canned tuna 93% |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 99.6% (2000) |
| Imports: |
$452 million (1999) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 62%, Australia 11%, Japan 9%, NZ 7%, Fiji 4%, other 7% (2000) |
| Debt
- external: |
$NA |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 |
| Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
| Currency
code: |
USD |
| Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is used |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 October - 30 September |
| |
