1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

13 35 S, 172 20 W -- Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

land area

2,850 sq km

total area

2,860 sq km

Climate

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

Coastline

403 km

Environment

current issues

soil erosion

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

natural hazards

occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Geographic coordinates

13 35 S, 172 20 W

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

19%

forest and woodland

47%

meadows and pastures

0%

other

10%

permanent crops

24%

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

highest point

Mauga Silisili 1,857 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 40% (male 43,540; female 42,185) 15-64 years: 56% (male 62,742; female 57,323) 65 years and over: 4% (male 4,089; female 4,505) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

31.12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.75 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

34.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.24 years (1996 est.)

male

66.35 years

total population

68.73 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1971 est.)

female

97%

male

97%

total population

97%

Nationality

adjective

Western Samoan

noun

Western Samoan(s)

Net migration rate

-1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

214,384 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.37% (1996 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)

Sex ratio

all ages

1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

3.93 children born/woman (1996 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

Data code

WS

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6196, 6197

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice

chief of state

Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II (co-chief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963); upon his death, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term

head of government

Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988) was appointed by the chief of state with approval of the Legislative Assembly

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 New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation

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, WMO

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 26 April 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

Name of country

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; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party, LEOTA Ituau Ale; Samoa All People's Party (SAPP), Matatumua MAIMOAGA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type of government

constitutional monarchy under native chief

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN (Ambassador to New Zealand and Western Samoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand)

embassy

5th floor, Beach Road, Apia

mailing address

P.O. Box 3430, Apia

telephone

[685] 21631

Agriculture

coconuts, bananas, taro, yams

Budget

expenditures

$81.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

revenues

$78.6 million

Currency

1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

Agriculture employs more than one-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 supplement GDP and 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, dropped 97% in 1993/94 when a fungal disease threatened the country's basic food crops. Nevertheless, the government is relying on recovery and further expansion in agricultural production to sustain economic growth of around 5% over the next several years.

Electricity

capacity

29,000 kW

consumption per capita

200 kWh (1993)

production

50 million kWh

Exchange rates

tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.5195 (January 1996), 2.4722 (1995), 2.5349 (1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992), 2.3975 (1991)

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $415 million (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

50%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$1,900 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5% (1995 est.)

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

NA%

Industries

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

18% (1994)

Labor force

45,635 (1986 est.)

by occupation

agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

no regular armed services; Western Samoa Police Force

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

NA

males fit for military service

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

76,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

7,500 (1988 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1987 est.)

Televisions

6,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

3

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

2 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

373 km

total

2,030 km

unpaved

1,657 km (1988 est.)

Merchant marine

total

1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports

Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

Railways

0 km