2015 Edition

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.

Area

land

2,821 sq km

total

2,831 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Climate

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

Coastline

403 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Silisili 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, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

13 35 S, 172 20 W

Geography - note

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 2.8%; permanent crops 7.8%; permanent pasture 1.8%

agricultural land

12.4%

forest

60.4%

other

27.2% (2011 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons; active volcanism

volcanism

Savai'I Island (elev. 1,858 m), which last erupted in 1911, is historically active

Natural resources

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

32.72% (male 33,393/female 31,324)

15-24 years

19.96% (male 20,253/female 19,217)

25-54 years

35.58% (male 36,374/female 33,993)

55-64 years

6.24% (male 6,283/female 6,057)

65 years and over

5.5% (male 4,730/female 6,149) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

20.87 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

28.7% (2009)

Death rate

5.32 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

9.1%

potential support ratio

11% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

74%

youth dependency ratio

64.9%

Drinking water source

urban: 97.5% of population

rural: 99.3% of population

total: 99% of population

urban: 2.5% of population

rural: 0.7% of population

total: 1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.8% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) 7%, Europeans 0.4% (2001 census)

Health expenditures

7.5% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

1 beds/1,000 population (2005)

Infant mortality rate

female

15.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

23.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total

19.57 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian) (official), English

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.48 years (2015 est.)

male

70.58 years

total population

73.46 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.8% (2015 est.)

male

99.1%

total population

99%

Major urban areas - population

APIA (capital) 37,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

51 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

23.8 years (2015 est.)

male

23.3 years

total

23.5 years

Nationality

adjective

Samoan

noun

Samoan(s)

Net migration rate

-9.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

41.6% (2014)

Physicians density

0.45 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population

197,773

note

prior estimates used official net migration data by sex, but a highly unusual pattern for 1993 lead to a significant imbalance in the sex ratios (more men and fewer women) and a seeming reduction in the female population; the revised total was calculated using a 1993 number that was an average of the 1992 and 1994 migration figures (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.58% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant 57.4% (Congregationalist 31.8%, Methodist 13.7%, Assembly of God 8%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.9%), Roman Catholic 19.4%, Mormon 15.2%, Worship Centre 1.7%, other Christian 5.5%, other 0.7%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 93.3% of population

rural: 91.1% of population

total: 91.5% of population

urban: 6.7% of population

rural: 8.9% of population

total: 8.5% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.07 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.77 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.84 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

25.3% (2012 est.)

male

15.6%

total

19.1%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.24% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

19.1% of total population (2015)

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

+1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April

geographic coordinates

13 49 S, 171 46 W

name

Apia

time difference

UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Samoa

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962; amended several times, last in 2015 (2015)

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

note

the name "Samoa" is composed of two parts, "sa" meaning sacred and "moa" meaning center, so the name can mean Holy Center; alternatively, it can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

the US does not have an embassy in Samoa; the US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa

embassy

Accident Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia

FAX

[685] 22030

mailing address

P. O. Box 3430, Matafele, Apia

telephone

[685] 21436/21631/21452/22696

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA (since 4 December 2003)

consulate(s) general

Pago Pago (American Samoa)

FAX

[1] (212) 599-0797

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6196 through 6197

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

TUI ATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi (since 20 June 2007)

election results

TUI ATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly

elections/appointments

chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 20 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state, approved by the Legislative Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi (since 1998); Deputy Prime Minister FONOTOE Pierre Lauofo (since 2011)

Flag description

red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation; red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

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

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 2 Supreme Court judges and meets once or twice a year); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several judges)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice appointed by the head of state upon the advice of the prime minister; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general and an appointee of the Minister of Justice; judges normally appointed until retirement at age 68

subordinate courts

District Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village fono or village chief councils

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats; 47 members - traditional family chiefs or matai and 2 members - part-Samoan or non-Samoan - directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HRPP 29, Tautua Samoa 13, independents 7

elections

election last held on 4 March 2011 (next election to be held no later than March 2016)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Sauni Liga KURESA

name

"O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa" (The Banner of Freedom)

note

adopted 1962; also known as "Samoa Tula'i" (Samoa Arise)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

Southern Cross constellation (five, five-pointed stars); national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA]

Samoa Christian Party or TCP [Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA]

Samoa Progressive Political Party or SPPP [Toalepaiali'i Toesulusulu S'iueva POSE II]

Tautua Samoa [Leatinu'u Salole LESA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

coconuts, nonu, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

Budget

expenditures

$300.2 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$257.3 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10% (31 December 2014 est.)

10.2% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$66 million (2014 est.)

-$21 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$447.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)

$422.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)

Economy - overview

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, tourism, agriculture, and fishing. It has a nominal GDP of $780 million. Agriculture, including fishing, employs roughly two-thirds of the labor force and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring fish, coconut oil, nonu products, and taro. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 1,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia, and is responsible for 65% of total exports. Industry accounts for nearly 15% of GDP while employing less than 6% of the work force. The service sector accounts for nearly three-quarters of GDP and employs approximately 50% of the labor force. Tourism is an expanding sector accounting for 25% of GDP; 132,000 tourists visited the islands in 2013. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. In late September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami severely damaged Samoa, and nearby American Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths. In December 2012, extensive flooding and wind damage from Tropical Cyclone Evan killed four people, displaced over 6,000, and damaged or destroyed an estimated 1,500 homes in Samoa's Upolu Island. 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. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state and inflation is low, but the external debt is approximately 55% of GDP. Samoa became the 155th member of the WTO in May 2012, and graduated from least developed country (LDC) status in January 2014.

Exchange rates

tala (SAT) per US dollar -

2.3318 (2014 est.)

2.3318 (2013 est.)

2.29 (2012 est.)

2.3175 (2011 est.)

2.4847 (2010 est.)

Exports

$24 million (2013 est.)

$31.2 million (2012 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

American Samoa 56.8%, Australia 18.3% (2014)

Fiscal year

June 1 - May 31

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

11.2%

industry

30.2%

services

58.6% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,200 (2014 est.)

$5,100 (2013 est.)

$5,200 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.9% (2014 est.)

-1.1% (2013 est.)

1.2% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$827 million (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$997 million (2014 est.)

$978.3 million (2013 est.)

$989 million (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$325.3 million (2013 est.)

$308.4 million (2012 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Fiji 21.5%, NZ 20.5%, China 13.6%, South Korea 8.1%, Australia 5.9%, US 5.6%, Singapore 5.6% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

-2.1% (2014 est.)

Industries

food processing, building materials, auto parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.4% (2014 est.)

0.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

49,180 (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

65%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

NA%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$140.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$170.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$366 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$318.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$371.4 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$319.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$113.8 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$104.1 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

31.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

161,000 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

90.4 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

71.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

28.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

42,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

97.2 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,100 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,150 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned TV station privatized in 2008; 4 privately owned television broadcast stations; about a half dozen privately owned radio stations and one state-owned radio station; TV and radio broadcasts of several stations from American Samoa are available (2009)

Internet country code

.ws

Internet users

percent of population

14.1% (2014 est.)

total

27,600

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Telephone system

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

adequate

international

country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

6 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

11,800

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

54 (2014 est.)

total

106,500

Television broadcast stations

2 (2002)

Airports

4 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Airports - with unpaved runways

3 (2013)

total

3

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1

foreign-owned

1 (NZ 1) (2010)

total

2

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Apia

Roadways

paved

332 km

total

2,337 km

unpaved

2,005 km (2001)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

47,906 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

38,032 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

38,260

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

2,062 (2010 est.)

male

2,221

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

Military branches

no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (2008)

Disputes - international

none