2019 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. In the late 2000s, Samoa began making efforts to more closely align with Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, Samoa changed its driving orientation to the left side of the road, in line with other Commonwealth countries. In 2011, Samoa jumped forward one day - skipping December 30 - by moving to the west of the International Date Line so that it was one hour ahead of New Zealand and three hours ahead of the east coast of Australia, rather than 23 and 21 hours behind, respectively.

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

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

0 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

12.4% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

2.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

7.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

1.8% (2011 est.)

Forest

60.4% (2011 est.)

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 cyclones; active volcanismvolcanism: Savai'I Island (1,858 m), which last erupted in 1911, is historically active

Natural Resources

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Population Distribution

about three-quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu

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

30.67% (male 31,862 /female 29,875)

15 24 Years

19.76% (male 20,413 /female 19,357)

25 54 Years

36.68% (male 37,944 /female 35,893)

55 64 Years

7.05% (male 7,223 /female 6,973)

65 Years And Over

5.85% (male 5,126 /female 6,650) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

20.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

3.2% (2014)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

26.9% (2014)

Current Health Expenditure

5.5% (2016)

Death Rate

5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

9.3 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

10.8 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

74.2 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

64.9 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

99.3% of population

Improved Total

99% of population

Improved Urban

97.5% of population

Unimproved Rural

0.7% of population

Unimproved Total

1% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

2.5% of population

Education Expenditures

4.1% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic Groups

Samoan 96%, Samoan/New Zealander 2%, other 1.9% (2011 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

14.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

21.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

18 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Somoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 0.2%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

77.3 years

Male

71.3 years

Total Population

74.2 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

98.8% (2015)

Male

99.1%

Total Population

99%

Major Infectious Diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Major Urban Areas Population

36,000 APIA (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

43 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

25.1 years

Male

24.5 years

Total

24.8 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

23.6 years (2009 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Samoan

Noun

Samoan(s)

Net Migration Rate

-8.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

47.3% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.34 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

201,316 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.61% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 54.9% (Congregationalist 29%, Methodist 12.4%, Assembly of God 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, other Protestant 2.3%), Roman Catholic 18.8%, Mormon 16.9%, Worship Centre 2.8%, other Christian 3.6%, other 2.9% (includes Baha'i, Muslim), none 0.2% (2016 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

91.1% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

91.5% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

93.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

8.9% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

8.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

6.7% 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

1.06 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 (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.64 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

43.4% (2017 est.)

Male

24.6%

Total

31.9%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

-0.47% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

18.1% of total population (2019)

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

Daylight Saving Time

+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

Amendments

proposed as an act by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the third reading - provided at least 90 days have elapsed since the second reading, and assent of the chief of state; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles on customary land or constitutional amendment procedures also requires at least two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2015 (2017)

History

several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Independent State of Samoa

Conventional Short Form

Samoa

Etymology

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

Former

Western Samoa

Local Long Form

Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa

Local Short Form

Samoa

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

the US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa

Embassy

Accident Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia

Fax

[685] 22-030 (2018)

Mailing Address

P. O. Box 3430, Matafele, Apia

Telephone

[685] 21-631 (2018)

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

TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017)

Election Results

TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly on 5 July 2017

Elections Appointments

chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (2- term limit); election last held on 4 July 2017 (next to be held in 2022); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is 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 23 November 1998); Deputy Prime Minister FIAME Naomi Mata’afa (since 2016)

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 republic

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 Courts

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 chief 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 serve 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 (50 seats for 2016-2021 term); members from 49 single-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote and 1 seat for a woman, added for the 2016 election to meet the mandated 10% representation of women in the Assembly; members serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - HRPP 89.8%, Tautua Samoa 4.1%, independent 6.1%; seats by party – initial election results - HRPP 44, Tautua Samoa 2, independents 3; post-election party affiliation – HRPP 47, (informal) opposition 3; composition - men 45, women 5, percent of women 10%

Elections

election last held on 4 March 2016 (next election to be held no later than March 2021)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Sauni Liga KURESA

Name

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

National Holiday

Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, but 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 [TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi]

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures

276.8 million (2017 est.)

Revenues

237.3 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-4.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

9.09%

31 December 2017

8.76%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$37 million

2017

-$19 million

Debt External

31 December 2013

$447.2 million

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 $844 million. Agriculture, including fishing, furnishes 90% of exports, featuring fish, coconut oil, nonu products, and taro. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Industry accounts for nearly 22% of GDP while employing less than 6% of the work force. The service sector accounts for nearly two-thirds 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 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 on Samoa's Upolu Island.The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the country's financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time protecting the environment. Foreign reserves are relatively healthy and inflation is low, but external debt is approximately 45% of GDP. Samoa became the 155th member of the WTO in May 2012, and graduated from least developed country status in January 2014.

Exchange Rates

2013

2.3318

2014

2.5609

2015

2.565

2016

2.565

2017

2.566

Currency

tala (SAT) per US dollar -

Exports

2014

$27.5 million

Exports Commodities

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

Exports Partners

Australia 22.9%, NZ 22.8%, American Samoa 22.1%, Afghanistan 14.9%, US 5.9% (2017)

Fiscal Year

June 1 - May 31

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

27.2% (2015 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-50.5% (2015 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

10.4% (2017 est.)

Industry

23.6% (2017 est.)

Services

66% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$841 million (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$5,300

2016

$5,700

2017

$5,700

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$1.036 billion

2016

$1.11 billion

2017

$1.137 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

1.6%

2016

7.1%

2017

2.5%

Imports

2016

$312.6 million

2018

$89.29 billion

Imports Commodities

machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Imports Partners

NZ 22%, Singapore 20.7%, US 12.5%, China 10.1%, Australia 8.6%, Fiji 5.2% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

-1.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, building materials, auto parts

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

0.1%

2017

1.3%

Labor Force

50,700 (2016 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

65%

Industry

6%

Services

29% (2015 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

NA

Public Debt

2016

52.6% of GDP

2017

49.1% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2015

$122.5 million

31 December 2017

$133 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$131.7 million

31 December 2017

$147 million

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$389.5 million

31 December 2017

$404.3 million

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$131.7 million

31 December 2017

$147 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

28.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

5.5%

2017

5.2%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

341,100 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

122.8 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

48% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

29% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

45,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

132 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

2,400 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

2,363 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

Total

1,692

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 (2019)

Internet Country Code

.ws

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

29.4% (July 2016 est.)

Total

58,508

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 62 telephones per 100 persons (2018)

General Assessment

most households have at least one mobile phone; all businesses in the greater Apia area have access to broadband and Wi-Fi, which is reasonably reliable and fast; in rural Upolu and on Savaii Island there is now readily available high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi; due to the establishment of a regulatory infrastructure, liberalization and competition of the mobile market the telecom market has increased coverage and reduced cost; 4G LTE services accessible to about 95% of residents (2018)

International

country code - 685; landing points for the Tui-Samo, Manatua, SAS, and Southern Cross NEXT submarine cables providing connectivity to Samoa, Fiji, Wallis & Futuna, Cook Islands, Niue, French Polynesia, American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Los Angeles (US), and Tokelau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

4 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

8,454

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

62 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

124,211

Airports

4 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

2 438 To 3 047 M

1 (2017)

Total

1 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

Total

3 (2013)

Under 914 M

3 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

5W (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type

general cargo 4, oil tanker 2, other 7 (2018)

Total

13

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

0 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

270,908 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

1 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

1 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Apia

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (2019)

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

Disputes International

none