1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 2,860 sq km land: 2,850 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Climate
tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
Coastline
403 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m
Environment--current issues
soil erosion
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geographic coordinates
13 35 S, 172 20 W
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 19% permanent crops: 24% permanent pastures: 0% forests 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 hazards
occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Natural resources
hardwood forests, fish
Terrain
narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 39% (male 45,647; female 44,141) 15-64 years: 57% (male 68,054; female 62,612) 65 years and over: 4% (male 4,477; female 5,048) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
28.81 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
5.4 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%
Infant mortality rate
30.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Samoan (Polynesian), English
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 69.82 years male: 67.43 years female: 72.33 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1971 est.)
Nationality
noun: Samoan(s) adjective: Samoan
Net migration rate
-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
229,979 (July 1999 est.) note: other estimates range as low as 162,000
Population growth rate
2.3% (1999 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
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.61 children born/woman (1999 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
Constitution
1 January 1962
Country name
conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa conventional short form: Samoa former: Western Samoa
Data code
WS
Executive branch
chief of state: Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963) head of government: Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi (since 24 November 1998); note--TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister since 1992; he assumed the prime ministership in November 1998 when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; the post of deputy prime minister is currently vacant cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice elections: upon the death of Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
Flag description
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
Government type
constitutional monarchy under native chief
Independence
1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
International organization participation
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE chancery: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800D, New York, NY 10017 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN (Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand) embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia mailing address: P.O. Box 3430, Apia
Judicial branch
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party or
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
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats--47 elected by Samoans, 2 elected by non-Samoans; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26 April 1996 (next to be held by NA April 2001) election results: percent of vote by party--HRPP 45.17%, SNDP 27.1%, independents 23.7%; seats by party--HRPP 25, SNDP 13, independents 11
National holiday
National Day, 1 June (1962)
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
coconuts, bananas, taro, yams
Budget
revenues: $52 million expenditures: $99 million, including capital expenditures of $37 million (FY96/97 est.)
Currency
1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene
Debt--external
$167 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$42.9 million (1995)
Economy--overview
The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, private family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. Outside of a large automotive wire harness factory, the manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Tourism is an expanding sector; more than 70,0000 tourists visited the islands in 1996. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances.
Electricity--consumption
65 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
65 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 61.54% hydro: 38.46% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
tala (WS$) per US$1--2.9011 (January 1999), 2.9429 (1998), 2.5562 (1997), 2.4618 (1996), 2.4722 (1995), 2.5349 (1994)
Exports
$14.6 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities
coconut oil and cream, copra, fish, beer
Exports--partners
Australia 82%, New Zealand 6%, Slovakia, Germany, American Samoa (1996)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$470 million (1997 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 40% industry: 25% services: 35% (1996 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$2,100 (1997 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
3.4% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$99.7 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Imports--commodities
intermediate goods, food, capital goods
Imports--partners
Australia 33%, New Zealand 25%, Japan 15%, Fiji 8%, US 8% (1996)
Industrial production growth rate
14% (1996 est.)
Industries
timber, tourism, food processing, fishing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.2% (1998 est.)
Labor force
82,500 (1991 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
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
6 (1997)
Televisions
6,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
3 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 790 km paved: 332 km unpaved: 458 km (1996 est.) Ports and harbors: Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
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
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none