1989 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US)

1 1 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Capital

Pago Pago

Apia

Communists

none

Constitution

ratified 1966, in effect 1967

1 January 1962

Diplomatic representation

none (territory of the US)

Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT; Chancery (temporary) at the Western Samoan Mission to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196; US— the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa

Elections

Governor — last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results — Peter T. Coleman was elected (percent of vote NA); Senate — last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results — senators elected by county councils from 12 senate districts; seats — (18 total) number of seats by party NA; House of Representatives — last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1990); results — representatives popularly elected from 17 house districts; seats — (21 total, 20 elected and 1 nonvoting delegate from Swain's Island); US House of Representatives — last held 19 November 1988 (next to be held November 1990); results— Eni R. F. H. Faleomavaega elected as a nonvoting delegate

Legislative Assembly — last held 26 February 1988 (next to be held by February 1991); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (47 total) HRPP 25, SNDP 22

Executive branch

US president, governor, lieutenant governor

monarch, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag

blue with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly 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

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

Independence

none (territory of the US)

1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)

Judicial branch

High Court

Supreme Court, Court of Appeal

Leaders

Chief of State — President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989); Head of Government — Governor Peter Tali COLEMAN (since 20 January 1989); Lieutenant Governor Galea'i POUMELE (since NA 1989)

Chief of State — Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963); Head of Government — Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988) Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), Tofilau Eti, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), Tupua Tamasese Efi, chairman

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Legislature (Fono) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)

Member of

ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, WHO

National holiday

Flag Day, 1 7 April (1900)

National Day, 1 June

Note

administered by the US Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not citizens of the US

Suffrage

universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not US citizens

there are two electoral rolls — the matai (head of family) roll and the individuals roll; about 12,000 persons are on the matai roll, hold matai titles, and elect 45 members of the Legislative Assembly; about 1,600 persons are on the individuals roll, lack traditional matai ties, and elect two members of the Legislative Assembly by universal adult suffrage at the age of NA

Type

unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Agriculture

coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $16 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $261 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million

Budget

revenues $90.3 million; expenditures $93.15 million, including capital expenditures of $4.9 million (1988)

revenues $54 million; expenditures $54 million, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1988)

Currency

tala (plural — tala); 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Electricity

35,000 kW capacity; 70 million kWh produced, 1,720 kWh per capita (1989)

23,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

tala (WS$) per US$1 — 2.2857 (January 1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988), 2.1204 (1987), 2.2351 (1986), 2.2437 (1985)

Exports

$288 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities— canned tuna 93%; partners — US 99.6%

$9.9 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— coconut oil and cream 42%, taro 19%, cocoa 14%, copra, timber; partners— NZ 30%, EC 24%, Australia 21%, American Samoa 7%, US 9% (1987)

External debt

SNA

$75 million (December 1988 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$112 million, per capita $615; real growth rate 0.2% (1989 est.)

GNP

$190 million, per capita $5,210; real growth rate NA% (1985)

Imports

$346 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities— building materials 18%, food 17%, petroleum products 14%; partners — US 72%, Japan 7%, NZ 7%, Australia 5%, other 9%

$51.8 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities— intermediate goods 58%, food 1 7%, capital goods 1 2%; partners — New Zealand 31%, Australia 20%. Japan 15%, Fiji 15%, US 5%, EC 4% (1987)

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

growth rate —4.0% (1987)

Industries

tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign supplies of raw tuna)

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.3% (1989)

8.5% (1988)

Overview

Economic development is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa does 90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector economy, with canned tuna the primary export. The tuna canneries are the second-largest employer, exceeded only by the government. Other economic activities include meat canning, handicrafts, dairy farming, and a slowly developing tourist industry. Tropical agricultural production provides little surplus for export.

Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and is the source of 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports about five times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way.

Unemployment rate

13.4% (1986)

NA%; shortage of skilled labor

Airports

4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

NA

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

NA

Highways

2,042 km total; 375 km sealed; remainder mostly gravel, crushed stone, or earth

Merchant marine

3 ships (1,000 CRT or over) totaling 24,930 GRT/34,135 DWT; includes 2 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo

Military manpower

NA

Ports

Apia

Telecommunications

7,500 telephones; 70,000 radio receivers; stations — 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT station Defense Forces