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The World Factbook 2002
| Samoa |

Introduction | Samoa

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

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: 2,944 sq km water: 10 sq km land: 2,934 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 403 km
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% other: 57% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: | NA sq km
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
Geography - note: | occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

People | Samoa

Population: | 178,631 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 30.6% (male 27,774; female 26,854) 15-64 years: 63.5% (male 71,358; female 42,150) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 4,859; female 5,636) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: | -0.25% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: | 15.53 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: | 6.35 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: | -11.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.69 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | 30.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 69.8 years female: 72.69 years (2002 est.) male: 67.06 years
Total fertility rate: | 3.3 children born/woman (2002 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 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: 80% male: 81% female: 79% (1999)

Government | Samoa

Country name: | conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa conventional short form: Samoa former: Western Samoa
Government type: | constitutional monarchy under native chief
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: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 24 November 1998); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from 1992 until 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 Tanumafili II MALIETOA, 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 or matai may stand for election to the Fono; members serve five-year terms)
elections: byelection last held NA November 2001 (next byelection to be held 29 March 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoa All People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua NAIMOAGA]; Samoan National Development Party or SNDP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman] (opposition); Samoa National Party [FETU Tiatia, party secretary]; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale]; Samoan United Independent Party or SUIP [leader NA]

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, IOC, ITU, OPCW (signatory), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197 chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: the Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa 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 | Samoa

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. The decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 16% 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 - $618 million (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 16% industry: 18% services: 66% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.5% (2001 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: $105 million expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001/2002)
Industries: | food processing, building materials, auto parts
Industrial production growth rate: | 2.8% (2000)
Electricity - production: | 103 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 59.22% hydro: 40.78% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: | 95.79 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: | coconuts, bananas, taro, yams
Exports: | $17 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: | fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, garments, beer
Exports - partners: | Australia 62%, Indonesia 13%, US 11%, American Samoa 3%, New Zealand 3% (2000)
Imports: | $90 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: | Australia 27%, US 26%, New Zealand 14%, Fiji 12%, Japan 9% (2000)
Debt - external: | $192 million (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: | $42.9 million (1995)
Currency: | tala (WST)
Currency code: | WST
Exchange rates: | tala per US dollar - 3.5236 (January 2002), 3.4722 (2001), 3.2712 (2000), 3.0120 (1999), 2.9429 (1998), 2.5562 (1997)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Samoa

Telephones - main lines in use: | 8,183 (1998)
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)
Radios: | 174,849 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 6 (1997)
Televisions: | 8,634 (1999)
Internet country code: | .ws
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)
Internet users: | 500 (2000)

Transportation | Samoa

Railways: | 0 km
Highways: | total: 836 km paved: 267 km unpaved: 569 km (1983)
Waterways: | none
Ports and harbors: | Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa
Merchant marine: | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,091 GRT/ 8,127 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: | 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2001)

Military | Samoa

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 | Samoa

Disputes - international: | none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002