from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Samoa
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 13 35 S, 172 20 W
coordinates:
Map Oceania
references:
Area: total: 2,944 sq km
land: 2,934 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Rhode Island
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 403 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m
Natural hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
resources:
Land use: arable land: 21.13%
permanent crops: 24.3%
other: 54.57% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural occasional typhoons; active volcanism
hazards:
Environment - soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species,
current overfishing
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous
agreements: Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - occupies an almost central position within Polynesia
note:
People
Population: 176,908 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.1% (male 23,492/female 22,653)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 74,202/female 44,894)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 5,299/female 6,368) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 25.2 years
male: 28.1 years
female: 22 years (2006 est.)
Population -0.2% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 16.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.62 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -11.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.65 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 26.85 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 31.7 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 21.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 71 years
expectancy at male: 68.2 years
birth: female: 73.94 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 12
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 3
deaths:
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
local long form: Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
local short form: Samoa
former: Western Samoa
Government mix of parliamentary democracy and constitutional
type: monarchy
Capital: name: Apia
geographic coordinates: 13 50 S, 171 45W
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua,
divisions: 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 Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1
holiday: 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 chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief
branch: 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 (no term
limits); 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 unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47
branch: 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 Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land
branch: and Titles Court
Political Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele
parties and Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA]; Samoa Christian Party or TCP
leaders: [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 NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
organization IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IPU, ITU,
participation: MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA
representation chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY
in the US: 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197
FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797
Diplomatic chief of mission: US Ambassador to New Zealand is
representation accredited to Samoa
from the US: embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building,
5th Floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia, 0815
telephone: [685] 21436/21452/21631/22696
FAX: [685] 22030
Flag red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
description: quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars
representing the Southern Cross constellation
Economy
Economy - The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent
overview: 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, 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 $1 billion (2002 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $399 million
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 5.5% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $2,100 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 11.4%
composition by industry: 58.4%
sector: services: 30.2% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 90,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: NA%
by occupation: industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment NA%
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 3.3% (2005)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $171.3 million
expenditures: $78.1 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2001-02)
Agriculture - coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa
products:
Industries: food processing, building materials, auto parts
Industrial 2.8% (2000)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 116 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 58%
production by hydro: 42%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 107.9 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 1,000 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:
Current $-2.428 million
account
balance:
Exports: $94 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive
commodities: parts, garments, beer
Exports - Australia 75.9%, American Samoa 13.6%, US 6.5% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $285 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, industrial supplies,
commodities: foodstuffs
Imports - NZ 31%, Australia 22.6%, US 13.5%, Japan 7.5%, Fiji 6%,
partners: China 4.6% (2005)
Reserves of $70.15 million
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $177 million (2004)
external:
Economic aid - $30.8 million (2004)
recipient:
Currency tala (SAT)
(code):
Currency code: SAT (former WST code is still in wide use)
Exchange tala per US dollar - 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004),
rates: 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002), 3.478 (2001)
Fiscal year: June 1 - May 31
Communications
Telephones - 13,300 (2003)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 24,000 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: adequate
system: domestic: NA
international: country code - 685; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 174,849 (1997)
Television 2 (2002)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 8,634 (1999)
Internet .ws
country code:
Internet 10,680 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 2 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 6,000 (2004)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 4 (2006)
Airports - total: 3
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with unpaved under 914 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 790 km
paved: 332 km
unpaved: 458 km (1999)
Merchant total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) (2006)
Ports and Apia
terminals:
Military
Military no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (2005)
branches:
Manpower males age 18-49: 58,722 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 45,294 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 2,306 (2005 est.)
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed
note: 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
Disputes - none
international: