1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 2,860 km2 land area: 2,850 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Climate
tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
Coastline
403 km
Environment
subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 19% permanent crops: 24% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 47% other: 10%
Location
Oceania, 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
Map references
Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
hardwood forests, fish
Terrain
narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
People and Society
Birth rate
33 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
6.17 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%
Infant mortality rate
38.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
38,000 by occupation: agriculture 22,000 (1987 est.)
Languages
Samoan (Polynesian), English
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.58 years male: 65.19 years female: 70.08 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1971) total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97%
Nationality
noun: Western Samoan(s) adjective: Western Samoan
Net migration rate
-3.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
199,652 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
2.37% (1993 est.)
Religions
Christian 99.7% (about half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Total fertility rate
4.28 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Apia
Chief of State
Chief Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963)
Constitution
1 January 1962
Digraph
WS
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Neroni SLADE chancery: (temporary) suite 510, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: (202) 833-1743
Executive branch
chief, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet
FAX
(685) 22-030
Flag
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
Head of Government
Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)
Independence
1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
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 Assembly
last held 5 April 1991 (next to be held by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) HRPP 28, SNDP 18, independents 1
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)
Member of
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Names
conventional long form: Independent State of Western Samoa conventional short form: Western Samoa
National holiday
National Day, 1 June
Political parties and leaders
Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal, but only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly
Type
constitutional monarchy under native chief
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)
Budget
revenues $95.3 million; expenditures $95.4 million, including capital expenditures of $41 million (FY92)
Currency
1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $18 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $306 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million
Electricity
29,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.5681 (January 1993), 2.4655 (1992), 2.3975 (1991), 2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988)
Exports
$9 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: coconut oil and cream 54%, taro 12%, copra 9%, cocoa 3% partners: NZ 28%, American Samoa 23%, Germany 22%, US 6% (1990)
External debt
$83 million (December 1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$75 million (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12% partners: New Zealand 41%, Australia 18%, Japan 13%, UK 6%, US 6%
Industrial production
growth rate -4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP
Industries
timber, tourism, food processing, fishing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
15% (1990)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $115 million (1990)
National product per capita
$690 (1990)
National product real growth rate
-4.5% (1990 est.)
Overview
Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and furnishes 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 several times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
total: 3 usable: 3 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
Highways
2,042 km total; 375 km sealed; 1,667 km mostly gravel, crushed stone, or earth
Merchant marine
1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT
Ports
Apia
Telecommunications
7,500 telephones; 70,000 radios; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground station
Military and Security
Branches
Department of Police and Prisons
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 NA; fit for military service NA