from
CIA World Factbook 2006
American Samoa
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.
Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean,
about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Geographic 14 20 S, 170 00 W
coordinates:
Map Oceania
references:
Area: total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Area - slightly larger than Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 116 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds;
annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season
(November to April), dry season (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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Lata Mountain 964 m
Natural pumice, pumicite
resources:
Land use: arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 15%
other: 75% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural typhoons common from December to March
hazards:
Environment - limited natural fresh water resources; the water
current division of the government has spent substantial funds
issues: in the past few years to improve water catchments and
pipelines
Geography - Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors
note: 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
People
Population: 57,794 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.7% (male 10,388/female 9,654)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 18,698/female 17,350)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 633/female 1,071) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 23.2 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 23.4 years (2006 est.)
Population -0.19% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 22.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 3.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -21.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 9.07 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 8.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 76.05 years
expectancy at male: 72.48 years
birth: female: 79.82 years (2006 est.)
Total 3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: American Samoan(s) (US nationals)
adjective: American Samoan
Ethnic groups: native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%,
mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census)
Religions: Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%,
Protestant and other 30%
Languages: Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other
Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other
Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2%
note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS
Dependency unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US;
status: administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US
Department of the Interior
Government NA
type:
Capital: name: Pago Pago
geographic coordinates: 14 16 S, 170 42 W
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative none (territory of the US); there are no first-order
divisions: 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 Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
holiday:
Constitution: ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US
branch: (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B.
CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7
April 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet made up of 12 department directors
elections: under the US Consitution, residents of
unincorporated territories, such as American Samoa, do
not vote in elections for US president and vice
president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on
the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms
(eligible for a second term); election last held 2 and
16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor;
percent of vote - Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega
LUTU 44.3%
Legislative bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the
branch: 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 2
November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Senate -
last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November
2008)
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 -
independents 18
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting
representative to the US House of Representatives;
election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held
November 2006); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
(Democrat) reelected as delegate
Judicial High Court (chief justice and associate justices are
branch: appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)
Political Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party
parties and [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO]
leaders:
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC, UPU
organization
participation:
Diplomatic none (territory of the US)
representation
in the US:
Diplomatic none (territory of the US)
representation
from the US:
Flag blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based
description: 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
Economy - American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy in
overview: 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 is a promising
developing sector.
GDP $510.1 million (2003 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $333.8 million
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 3% NA%
growth rate:
GDP - per $5,800 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: NA%
composition by industry: NA%
sector: services: NA%
Labor force: 17,630 (2005)
Labor force - agriculture: 34%
by occupation: industry: 33%
services: 33% (1990)
Unemployment 29.8% (2005)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate NA%
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in
US grants)
expenditures: $127 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY96/97)
Agriculture - bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams,
products: copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock
Industries: tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing
vessels), handicrafts
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 130 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 120.9 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 4,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $445.6 million (FY04 est.)
Exports - canned tuna 93% (2004 est.)
commodities:
Exports - Indonesia 28.2%, India 22.3%, Australia 15.3%, Japan
partners: 11.2%, NZ 7.1% (2005)
Imports: $308.8 million (FY04 est.)
Imports - materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum
commodities: products 7%, machinery and parts 6% (2004 est.)
Imports - Australia 66%, Samoa 13.8%, NZ 10.8% (2005)
partners:
Debt - $NA
external:
Economic aid - important financial support from the US, more than $40
recipient: million in 1994
Currency US dollar (USD)
(code):
Currency code: USD
Exchange the US dollar is used
rates:
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications
Telephones - 15,000 (2001)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 2,377 (1999)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular
telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1
Comsat earth station
international: country code - 684; satellite earth
station - 1 (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean)
Radio AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 57,000 (1997)
Television 1 (Low Power TV); note - one cable TV station (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 14,000 (1997)
Internet .as
country code:
Internet 1,456 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet NA
users:
Transportation
Airports: 3 (2006)
Airports - total: 2
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with unpaved under 914 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 185 km (2004)
Ports and Pago Pago
terminals:
Military
Military - defense is the responsibility of the US
note:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: