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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. |
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Location: |
Oceania, group of islands
in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New
Zealand |
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Geographic
coordinates: |
13 35 S, 172 20 W
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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 |
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Coastline: |
403 km |
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Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical; rainy season
(November to April), dry season (May to October) |
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Terrain: |
two main islands (Savaii,
Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal
plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior |
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Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m |
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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 |
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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
|
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Geography -
note: |
occupies an almost central
position within Polynesia |
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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.) |
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Population
growth rate: |
-0.23% (2005 est.)
|
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Birth rate: |
15.95 births/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate: |
6.54 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration
rate: |
-11.73 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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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.) |
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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.) |
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Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
70.72 years
male: 67.93 years
female: 73.65 years (2005 est.) |
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Total
fertility rate: |
3.01 children born/woman
(2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS -
adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
12 |
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HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
3 |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Samoan(s)
adjective: Samoan |
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Ethnic groups: |
Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians
7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4% |
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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) |
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Languages: |
Samoan (Polynesian),
English |
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Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
Independent State of Samoa
conventional short form: Samoa
former: Western Samoa |
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Government
type: |
mix of parliamentary
democracy and constitutional monarchy |
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Capital: |
Apia |
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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 |
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Independence: |
1 January 1962 (from New
Zealand-administered UN trusteeship) |
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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 |
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Constitution: |
1 January 1962 |
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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 |
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Suffrage: |
21 years of age; universal
|
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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 |
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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 |
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Judicial
branch: |
Court of Appeal; Supreme
Court; District Court; Land and Titles Court |
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Political
parties and leaders: |
Christian Democratic Party
[leader NA]; Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi
TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoan Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA
Ropati, chairman] (opposition) |
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Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International
organization participation: |
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU,
MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO (observer) |
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Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197
FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797 |
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Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa
embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor,
Apia
mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone: [685] 21631/22696
FAX: [685] 22030 |
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Flag
description: |
red with a blue rectangle
in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars
representing the Southern Cross constellation |
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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. |
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GDP
(purchasing power parity): |
$1 billion (2002 est.)
|
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GDP - real
growth rate: |
5% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$5,600 (2002 est.) |
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GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture:
14%
industry: 23%
services: 63% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force: |
90,000 (2000 est.)
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Labor force -
by occupation: |
NA |
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Unemployment
rate: |
NA; note - substantial
underemployment |
|
Population
below poverty line: |
NA |
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Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
4% (2001 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues:
$105 million
expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2001-02) |
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Agriculture -
products: |
coconuts, bananas, taro,
yams, coffee, cocoa |
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Industries: |
food processing, building
materials, auto parts |
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Industrial
production growth rate: |
2.8% (2000) |
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Electricity -
production: |
122 million kWh (2002)
|
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Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel:
58%
hydro: 42%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption: |
113.5 million kWh (2002)
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Electricity -
exports: |
0 kWh (2002) |
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Electricity -
imports: |
0 kWh (2002) |
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Oil -
production: |
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil -
consumption: |
1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
NA |
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Oil - imports: |
NA |
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Exports: |
$14 million f.o.b. (2002)
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Exports -
commodities: |
fish, coconut oil and
cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer |
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Exports -
partners: |
Australia 67.2%, US 5.7%,
Indonesia 5.3% (2004) |
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Imports: |
$113 million f.o.b. (2002)
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Imports -
commodities: |
machinery and equipment,
industrial supplies, foodstuffs |
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Imports -
partners: |
New Zealand 25.1%, Fiji
21.5%, Taiwan 9.1%, Australia 8.9%, Singapore 8.5%, Japan 7.5%, US 4.7%
(2004) |
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Debt -
external: |
$197 million (2000)
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Economic aid -
recipient: |
$42.9 million (1995)
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Currency
(code): |
tala (SAT) |
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Currency code: |
SAT (former WST code is
still in wide use) |
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Exchange
rates: |
tala per US dollar - 2.7807
(2004), 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002), 3.478 (2001), 3.2864 (2000)
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Fiscal year: |
June 1 - May 31
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Telephones -
main lines in use: |
11,800 (2002) |
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Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
2,700 (2002) |
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Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0
(2004) |
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Radios: |
174,849 (1997) |
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Television
broadcast stations: |
2 (2002) |
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Televisions: |
8,634 (1999) |
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Internet
country code: |
.ws |
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Internet
hosts: |
8,225 (2003) |
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Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
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Internet
users: |
4,000 (2002) |
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Highways: |
total:
790 km
paved: 332 km
unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.) |
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Ports and
harbors: |
Apia |
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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) |
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Airports: |
4 (2004 est.) |
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Airports -
with paved runways: |
total:
3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Airports -
with unpaved runways: |
total:
1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military
branches: |
no regular armed services;
Samoa Police Force |
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Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
NA |
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Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA |
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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 |
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Transnational Issues |
Samoa |
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Disputes -
international: |
none |
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