|
|
Introduction |
American Samoa |
|
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
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island |
|
Area -
comparative: |
slightly larger than
Washington, DC |
|
Land
boundaries: |
0 km |
|
Coastline: |
116 km |
|
Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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:
10%
permanent crops: 15%
other: 75% (2001) |
|
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: |
57,881 (July 2005 est.)
|
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years:
35.7% (male 10,705/female 9,956)
15-64 years: 61.3% (male 18,351/female 17,125)
65 years and over: 3% (male 664/female 1,080) (2005 est.)
|
|
Median age: |
total:
22.76 years
male: 22.5 years
female: 23.05 years (2005 est.) |
|
Population
growth rate: |
-0.11% (2005 est.)
|
|
Birth rate: |
23.13 births/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
3.33 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
|
Net migration
rate: |
-20.89 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
|
Infant
mortality rate: |
total:
9.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
|
Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
75.84 years
male: 72.27 years
female: 79.62 years (2005 est.) |
|
Total
fertility rate: |
3.25 children born/woman
(2005 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS -
adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
NA |
|
Nationality: |
noun:
American Samoan(s)
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 |
American Samoa |
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS |
|
Dependency
status: |
unincorporated and
unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular
Affairs, US Department of the Interior |
|
Government
type: |
NA |
|
Capital: |
Pago Pago |
|
Administrative
divisions: |
none (territory of the US);
there are no first-order 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
holiday: |
Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
|
|
Constitution: |
ratified 2 June 1966,
effective 1 July 1967 |
|
Legal system: |
NA |
|
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001) and 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: US president and vice president elected on the same
ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on
the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; 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
branch: |
bicameral Fono or
Legislative Assembly consists of the 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
branch: |
High Court (chief justice
and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)
|
|
Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party [Oreta M.
TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO] |
|
Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
|
International
organization participation: |
Interpol (subbureau), IOC,
UPU |
|
Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (territory of the US)
|
|
Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none (territory of the US)
|
|
Flag
description: |
blue, with a white triangle
edged in red that is based 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 -
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 is a promising developing sector. |
|
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% |
|
Labor force: |
14,000 (1996) |
|
Labor force -
by occupation: |
tuna canneries 34%,
government 33%, other 33% (1990) |
|
Unemployment
rate: |
6% (2000) |
|
Population
below poverty line: |
NA |
|
Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
NA% |
|
Budget: |
revenues:
$121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(FY96/97) |
|
Agriculture -
products: |
bananas, coconuts,
vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy
products, livestock |
|
Industries: |
tuna canneries (largely
supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts |
|
Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
|
Electricity -
production: |
130 million kWh (2002)
|
|
Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
|
Electricity -
consumption: |
120.9 million kWh (2002)
|
|
Electricity -
exports: |
0 kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity -
imports: |
0 kWh (2002) |
|
Oil -
production: |
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
|
|
Oil -
consumption: |
3,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
NA |
|
Oil - imports: |
NA |
|
Exports: |
$30 million (2002)
|
|
Exports -
commodities: |
canned tuna 93%
|
|
Exports -
partners: |
Samoa 39.8%, Australia
19.9%, Japan 15.1%, New Zealand 10.5% (2004) |
|
Imports: |
$123 million (2002)
|
|
Imports -
commodities: |
materials for canneries
56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% |
|
Imports -
partners: |
Japan 31.4%, New Zealand
27.9%, Germany 17.1%, Australia 8.9% (2004) |
|
Debt -
external: |
$NA |
|
Economic aid -
recipient: |
important financial support
from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 |
|
Currency
(code): |
US dollar (USD)
|
|
Currency code: |
USD |
|
Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is used
|
|
Fiscal year: |
1 October - 30 September
|
|
Communications |
American Samoa |
|
Telephones -
main lines in use: |
15,000 (2001) |
|
Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
2,377 (1999) |
|
Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone
services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
international: country code - 1-684; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
|
Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 1
(2004) |
|
Radios: |
57,000 (1997) |
|
Television
broadcast stations: |
1; note - one cable TV
station (2004) |
|
Televisions: |
14,000 (1997) |
|
Internet
country code: |
.as |
|
Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
|
Internet
users: |
NA |
|
Transportation |
American Samoa |
|
Highways: |
total:
185 km
paved: 185 km
unpaved: 0 km (2004) |
|
Ports and
harbors: |
Pago Pago |
|
Airports: |
3 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports -
with paved runways: |
total:
2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports -
with unpaved runways: |
total:
1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
|
Military -
note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the US |
|
Transnational Issues |
American Samoa |
|
Disputes -
international: |
none |
|
