American Samoa

§1. 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.

§2. American Samoa Geography

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 km²
  land: 199 km²
  water: 0 km²
  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 (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 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% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA

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

§3. American Samoa 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 growth rate:
  -0.19% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  22.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  3.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -21.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 mortality rate:
  total: 9.07 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 8.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 76.05 years
  male: 72.48 years
  female: 79.82 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

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.)

§4. American Samoa Government

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: 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; 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, SPC, 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

§5. American Samoa Economy

Economy - overview:
  American Samoa has 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 (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $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 (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  120.9 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
  4,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $10 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  canned tuna 93% (2004 est.)

Exports - partners:
  Samoa 39.8%, Australia 19.9%, Japan 15.1%, New Zealand 10.5% (2004)

Imports:
  $105 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and
  parts 6% (2004 est.)

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)

Exchange rates:
  the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

§6. American Samoa Communications

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 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2006)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (Low Power TV); note - one cable TV station (2006)

Internet country code:
  .as

Internet hosts:
  1,430 (2005)

Internet users:
  NA

§7. American Samoa Transportation

Airports:
  3 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 2
  over 3,047 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 185 km (2004)

Ports and terminals:
  Pago Pago

§8. American Samoa Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US

§9. American Samoa Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
