Samoa

§1. 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.

§2. Samoa Geography

Location:
  Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the
  way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
  13 35 S, 172 20 W

Map references:
  Oceania

Area:
  total: 2,944 km²
  land: 2,934 km²
  water: 10 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  403 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  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 extremes:
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m

Natural resources:
  hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Land use:
  arable land: 21.13%
  permanent crops: 24.3%
  other: 54.57% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA

Natural hazards:
  occasional typhoons; active volcanism

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

Geography - note:
  occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

§3. Samoa 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 growth rate:
  -0.2% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
  -11.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 mortality rate:
  total: 26.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 31.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 21.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71 years
  male: 68.2 years
  female: 73.94 years (2006 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  12

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  3

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.)

§4. Samoa Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa
  conventional short form: Samoa
  former: Western Samoa

Government type:
  mix of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

Capital:
  Apia

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

Independence:
  1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)

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

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 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

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

Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles Court

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)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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

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

Flag description:
  red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five
  white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

§5. Samoa Economy

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, 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 (purchasing power parity):
  $1 billion (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  5% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $5,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 14%
  industry: 23%
  services: 63% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
  90,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4% (2001 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $105 million
  expenditures: $119 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2001-02)

Agriculture - products:
  coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

Industries:
  food processing, building materials, auto parts

Industrial production growth rate:
  2.8% (2000)

Electricity - production:
  116 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  107.9 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  1,000 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:
  $94 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer

Exports - partners:
  Australia 65.7%, US 5.6%, Indonesia 5.2% (2004)

Imports:
  $285 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
  New Zealand 25%, Fiji 21.4%, Taiwan 9.1%, Australia 8.9%, Singapore 8.5%,
  Japan 7.5%, US 4.7% (2004)

Debt - external:
  $197 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $42.9 million (1995)

Currency (code):
  tala (SAT)

Exchange rates:
  tala per US dollar - 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763
  (2002), 3.478 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  June 1 - May 31

§6. Samoa Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  13,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  10,500 (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
    (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Television broadcast stations:
  2 (2002)

Internet country code:
  .ws

Internet hosts:
  9,170 (2005)

Internet users:
  6,000 (2004)

§7. Samoa Transportation

Airports:
  4 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  under 914 m: 2 (2005)

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

Roadways:
  total: 790 km
  paved: 332 km
  unpaved: 458 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
  by type: cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Apia

§8. Samoa Military

Military branches:
  no regular armed services; Samoa Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  NA

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

§9. Samoa Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
