1995 Edition

Area

total area: 2,860 sq km land area: 2,850 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Climate

tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)

Coastline

403 km

Environment

current issues: soil erosion natural hazards: occasional typhoons; active volcanism international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 19% permanent crops: 24% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 47% other: 10%

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 40% (female 41,503; male 42,844) 15-64 years: 56% (female 55,683; male 61,065) 65 years and over: 4% (female 4,323; male 3,942) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

31.74 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

5.88 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%

Infant mortality rate

35.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

NA by occupation: agriculture 60%

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.38 years male: 65.99 years female: 70.88 years (1995 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

-2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

209,360 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

2.37% (1995 est.)

Religions

Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Total fertility rate

4.04 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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

Constitution

1 January 1962

Digraph

WS

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE chancery: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197

Executive branch

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) head of government: Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the head of state with the prime minister's advice

FAX

[1] (212) 599-0797

[685] 22030

Flag

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

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 (Fono)

elections 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 note: only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, 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 (1962)

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type

constitutional monarchy under native chief

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia mailing address: P.O. Box 3430, Apia telephone: [685] 21631

Agriculture

accounts for about 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)

Budget

revenues: $95.3 million expenditures: $76.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

Currency

1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Economic aid

recipient: 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

capacity: 29,000 kW production: 50 million kWh consumption per capita: 200 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.4600 (January 1995), 2.5349 (1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992), 2.3975 (1991), 2.3095 (1990)

Exports

$6.4 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa partners: New Zealand 34%, American Samoa 21%, Germany 18%, Australia 11%

External debt

$141 million (June 1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$11.5 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12% partners: New Zealand 37%, Australia 25%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%

Industrial production

growth rate -0.3% (1992 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP

Industries

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

14% (1994 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $400 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$2,000 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

-4.3% (1992 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 much greater than export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry. The economy continued to falter in 1994, as remittances and tourist earnings remained low. Production of taro, the primary food export crop, has dropped 97% since a fungal disease struck the crop in 1993. The rapid growth in 1994 of the giant African snail population in Western Samoa is also threatening the country's basic food crops, such as bananas and coconuts.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: 70,000

Telephone system

7,500 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Television

broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 3 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2

Highways

total: 2,042 km paved: 375 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, earth 1,667 km

Merchant marine

total: 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT

Ports

Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

Railroads

0 km

Branches

no regular armed services; Western Samoa Police Force

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP ________________________________________________________________________ WORLD