2007 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.1% (male 23,492/female 22,653) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 74,202/female 44,894) 65 years and over: 6.6% (male 5,299/female 6,368) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

Airports

4 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

under 914 m

2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1

under 914 m

1 (2006)

Area

land

2,934 sq km

total

2,944 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Background

New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997. Geography Samoa

Birth rate

16.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$78.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY04/05 est.)

revenues

$171.3 million

Capital

geographic coordinates

13 50 S, 171 45W

name

Apia

time difference

UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)

Coastline

403 km

Constitution

1 January 1962

Country name

conventional long form

Independent State of Samoa

conventional short form

Samoa

former

Western Samoa

local long form

Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa

local short form

Samoa

Currency (code)

tala (SAT)

Currency code

SAT (former WST code is still in wide use)

Current account balance

$-2.428 million (FY03/04)

Death rate

6.62 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$177 million (2004)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa

embassy

Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor, Beach Road, Apia

mailing address

P. O. Box 3430, Apia, 0815

telephone

[685] 21436/21452/21631/22696

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6196, 6197

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Economic aid - recipient

$30.8 million (2004)

Economy - overview

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and fishing. 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. The fish catch declined during the El Nino of 2002-03, but returned to normal by mid-2005. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 100,000 tourists visited the islands in 2005. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time protecting the environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low.

Electricity - consumption

100.5 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

108 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

58%

hydro

42%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

tala per US dollar - 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice

chief of state

Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)

elections

upon the death of Malietoa TANUMAFILI II, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term (no term limits); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from 1992 and assumed the duties of acting prime minister in 1996, when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after TOFILAU died; Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)

Exports

$94 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer

Exports - partners

Australia 75.9%, American Samoa 13.6%, US 6.5% (2005)

FAX

[1] (212) 599-0797

[685] 22030

Fiscal year

June 1 - May 31 Communications Samoa

Flag description

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

11.4%

industry

58.4%

services

30.2% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,100 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.5% (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$399 million (2005)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1 billion (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

13 35 S, 172 20 W

Geography - note

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia People Samoa

Government type

mix of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

12

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$285 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

NZ 31%, Australia 22.6%, US 13.5%, Japan 7.5%, Fiji 6%, China 4.6% (2005)

Independence

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

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2000)

Industries

food processing, building materials, auto parts

Infant mortality rate

female

21.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

31.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

26.85 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.3% (2005)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Internet country code

.ws

Internet hosts

10,680 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

6,000 (2004) Transportation Samoa

Irrigated land

NA

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles Court

Labor force

90,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

21.13%

other

54.57% (2005)

permanent crops

24.3%

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian), English

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 voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly non-Samoan or part-Samoan, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP 35, SDUP 10, independents 4

elections

election last held 31 March 2006 (next election to be held not later than March 2011)

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.94 years (2006 est.)

male

68.2 years

total population

71 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.7% (2003 est.) Government Samoa

male

99.6%

total population

99.7%

Location

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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49

58,722 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49

45,294 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49

2,306 (2005 est.)

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

22 years (2006 est.)

male

28.1 years

total

25.2 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1

foreign-owned

1 (Germany 1) (2006)

total

1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT

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 Samoa

Military branches

no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (2005)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA

National holiday

Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, however it is observed in June

Nationality

adjective

Samoan

noun

Samoan(s)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Natural resources

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Net migration rate

-11.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA]; Samoa Christian Party or TCP [Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA]; Samoa Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati]; Samoa Party or SP [Su'a Rimoni Ah CHONG]; Samoa Progressive Political Party or SPPP [Toeolesulusulu SIUEVA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

176,908 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

-0.2% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Apia Military Samoa

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios

174,849 (1997)

Religions

Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, other Christian 4.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$70.15 million (FY03/04)

Roadways

paved

332 km

total

2,337 km

unpaved

2,005 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.39 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.65 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

adequate

international

country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

13,300 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

24,000 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

2 (2002)

Televisions

8,634 (1999)

Terrain

two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior

Total fertility rate

2.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%