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: 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; 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: 21.2%; permanent crops: 24.38%; other: 54.42% (2001)

 

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; signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

 

Geography - note: occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

 

People

 

Population: 177,287 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.2% (male 24,517/female 23,660); 15-64 years: 66.4% (male 73,495/female 44,208); 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 5,204/female 6,203) (2005 est.)

 

Median age: total: 24.59 years; male: 27.42 years; female: 21.42 years (2005 est.)

 

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: 1.05 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 1.66 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female; total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 27.71 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 32.68 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 22.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.72 years; male: 67.93 years; female: 73.65 years (2005 est.)

 

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: Samoan(s); adjective: Samoan

 

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: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 99.7%; male: 99.6%; female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

 

Government

 

Country name: conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa; conventional short form: Samoa; former: Western Samoa

 

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: 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 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from 1992 and assumed the duties of acting prime minister in 1996, when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after TOFILAU died; 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: 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; 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

 

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 3 March 2001 (next election to be held not later than March 2006); election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6

 

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles Court

 

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: 14%; industry: 23%; services: 63% (2001 est.)

 

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%: NA; highest 10%: NA

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2001 est.)

 

Budget: revenues: $105 million; expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2001-02)

 

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 - 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 60.7%, Indonesia 17.1%, US 4.9% (2004)

 

Imports: $113 million f.o.b. (2002)

 

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

 

Imports - partners: New Zealand 23.1%, Fiji 17.9%, Taiwan 10.7%, Australia 9.6%, Singapore 9.1%, Japan 8.1%, US 5.3% (2004)

 

Debt - external: $197 million (2000)

 

Economic aid - recipient: $42.9 million (1995)

 

Currency (code): tala (SAT)

 

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: adequate; domestic: NA; 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: 8,225 (2003)

 

Internet users: 4,000 (2002)

 

Transportation

 

Highways: total: 790 km; paved: 332 km; unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.)

 

Ports and harbors: Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

 

Merchant marine: total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT; by type: cargo 1; foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) (2005)

 

Airports: 4 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1; under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1; under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

 

Transnational Issues

 

Disputes - international: none.