2021 Edition

Background

The first Austronesian settlers arrived in Samoa around 1000 B.C., and early Samoans traded and intermarried with Fijian and Tongan nobility. The fa’amatai system of titles and nobility developed, which dominates Samoan politics to this day; all but two seats in the legislature are reserved for matai, or heads of families. Dutch explorer Jacob ROGGEVEEN was the first European to spot the islands in 1722. Christian missionaries arrived in the 1830s, converting most of the population. In the 1850s, Apia became a center for Pacific trading and hosted an American commercial agent and British and German consuls. In 1892, American traders convinced the Samoan king to align his country’s date with the US, moving to the east of the International Date Line.Following the death of the Samoan king in 1841, rival families competed for his titles, devolving into civil war in 1886 with factions getting support from either Germany, the UK, or the US. All three countries sent warships to Apia in 1889, presaging a larger war, but a cyclone destroyed the ships and Malietoa LAUPEPA was installed as king. Upon LAUPEPA’s death in 1898, a second civil war over succession broke out. The war ended in 1899 and the Western powers abolished the monarchy, giving the western Samoan islands to Germany and the eastern Samoan islands to the US. The UK abandoned claims in Samoa and received former German territory in the Solomon Islands.The Mau, a non-violent popular movement to advocate for Samoan independence, formed in 1908. New Zealand annexed Samoa in 1914 after the outbreak of World War I. Opposition to New Zealand’s rule quickly grew. In 1918, a New Zealand ship introduced the Spanish flu, infecting 90% of the population and killing more than 20%. In 1929, New Zealand police shot into a crowd of peaceful protestors, killing 11, in an event known as Black Sunday. In 1962, Samoa became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish its independence as Western Samoa but dropped the “Western” from its name in 1997. The Human Rights Protection Party has dominated politics since 1982, especially under Prime Minister Sailele TUILAEPA, who has been in power since 1998.In the late 2000s, Samoa began making efforts to align more closely 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 side 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

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

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

12.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 7.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1.8% (2018 est.)

forest

60.4% (2018 est.)

other

27.2% (2018 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

29.31% (male 30,825/female 28,900)

15-24 years

19.61% (male 20,519/female 19,439)

25-54 years

37.4% (male 39,011/female 37,200)

55-64 years

7.5% (male 7,780/female 7,505)

65 years and over

6.18% (male 5,513/female 7,082) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

19.32 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.4% (2019/20)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

16.6% (2019/20)

Current Health Expenditure

5.2% (2018)

Death rate

5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

8.8

potential support ratio

11.4 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

73.3

youth dependency ratio

64.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 96.8% of population

improved: total

total: 97.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 3.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 2.6% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

4.8% of GDP (2020)

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: data represent the population by country of citizenship

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

15.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

22.25 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.75 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.98 years (2021 est.)

male

72.01 years

total population

74.92 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.2% (2018)

male

99%

total population

99.1%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Major urban areas - population

36,000 APIA (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

26 years (2020 est.)

male

25.3 years

total

25.6 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

23.6 years (2009 est.)

note

note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Samoan

noun

Samoan(s)

Net migration rate

-7.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

47.3% (2016)

Physicians density

0.35 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

204,898 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.61% (2021 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%, Church of Jesus Christ 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

rural: 98.1% of population

improved: total

total: 98.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.5% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.8% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.5% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.06 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.78 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.46 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

43.4% (2017 est.)

male

24.6%

total

31.9%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

17.7% of total population (2021)

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

etymology

name derives from the native village around which the capital was constructed in the 1850s; the village still exists within the larger modern capital

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 2020

history

several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962

Country name

conventional long form

Independent State of Samoa

conventional short form

Samoa

etymology

the meaning of Samoa is disputed; some modern explanations are that the "sa" connotes  "sacred" and "moa" indicates "center," so the name can mean "Holy Center"; alternatively, some assertions state that it can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology; the name, however, may go back to Proto-Polynesian (PPn) times (before 1000 B.C.); a plausible PPn reconstruction has the first syllable as "sa'a" meaning "tribe or people" and "moa" meaning "deep sea or ocean" to convey the meaning "people of the deep sea"

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

email address and website

ApiaConsular@state.govhttps://ws.usembassy.gov/

embassy

5th Floor, Accident Corporation Building, Matafele Apia

FAX

[685] 22-030 (2018)

mailing address

4400 Apia Place, Washington DC 20521-4400

telephone

[685] 21-436 (2018)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

685 Third Avenue, 44th Street, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Pa’olelei LUTERU (since 7 July 2021)

consulate(s) general

Pago Pago (American Samoa)

email address and website

samoanymission@outlook.comhttps://www.un.int/samoa/samoa/embassy-independent-state-samoa-united-states-america

FAX

[1] (212) 599-0797

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6196

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 FIAME Naomi Mata’afa (since 24 May 2021)

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

note

note: similar to the flag of Taiwan

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 (51 seats for 2021-2026 term); members from 51 single-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote, with a minimum 10% representation of women in the Assembly required; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - HRPP 55%, FAST 37%, TSP 3%, independents 5%; seats by party – initial election results - FAST 25, HRPP 25, independents 1; composition - men 46, women 5, percent of women 9.8% note - on 2 June 2021, the Court of Appeals declared that a sixth seat for women is required to meet the minimum 10% representation for women, but that the seat would not be filled until after all election petitions and by-elections are settled

elections

election last held on 9 April 2021 (next election to be held in 2026)note - head of state TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II declared 9 April 2021 election void on 4 May 2021, new elections set for 21 May 2021; on 17 May 2021, the Supreme Court invalidated the head of state's order allowing the 9 April 2021 election results to stand

National anthem

lyrics/music

Sauni Liga KURESA

name

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

note

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, 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]Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi or FAST [FIAME Naomi Mata'afa]Tautua Samoa Party or TSP [Afualo Wood Uti SALELE]

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, taro, bananas, yams, tropical fruit, pineapples, mangoes/guavas, papayas, roots/tubers nes, pork

Budget

expenditures

276.8 million (2017 est.)

revenues

237.3 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$37 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$19 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2013

$447.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Economic 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

currency

tala (SAT) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

2.3318 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

2.5609 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

2.57069 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

2.65534 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

2.54712 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$310 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, fish, fruit juice, coconut oil, beer (2019)

Exports - partners

American Samoa 21%, United States 13%, New Zealand 12%, Australia 10%, Tokelau 6%, Taiwan 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

June 1 - May 31

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

27.2% (2015 est.)

government consumption

NA

household consumption

NA

imports of goods and services

-50.5% (2015 est.)

investment in fixed capital

NA

investment in inventories

NA

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.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2013

38.7 (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$312.6 million (2016 est.)

Imports 2018

$430 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, iron products, poultry meats, cars, insulated wiring (2019)

Imports - partners

New Zealand 22%, China 16%, Singapore 13%, United States 10%, Australia 9%, South Korea 8%, Fiji 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-1.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, building materials, auto parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

0.1% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.3% (2017 est.)

Labor force

50,700 (2016 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

65%

industry

6%

services

29% (2015 est.)

Population below poverty line

20.3% (2013 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

52.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

49.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$1.24 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1.28 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$1.25 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

1.6% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

7.1% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

2.5% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$6,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$6,500 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$6,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2015

$122.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$133 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

28.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

NA

Unemployment rate 2016

5.5% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

5.2% (2017 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

43.4% (2017 est.)

male

24.6%

total

31.9%

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 - 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.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

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

less than 1 (2019 est.)

total

1,692 (2017 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 (2019)

Internet country code

.ws

Internet users

percent of population

33.61% (2019 est.)

total

67,000 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 64 telephones per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

development of infrastructure is hampered by geography of remote islands, vulnerable to devastating storms; telecom sector has been inhibited by lack of international connectivity; most households have at least one mobile phone; businesses in the capital area have access to broadband and Wi-Fi; rural islands have some access to Internet and Wi-Fi; liberalized regulatory infrastructure and competition in the mobile market increased coverage and reduced cost; access to submarine cables improved Internet data rates and reliability; Australian companies countering Chinese companies in the acquisition of Pacific operations; importer of broadcasting equipment from USA (2020)

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)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4.33 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions

8,454 (2018)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

63.58 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

124,211 (2018)

Airports

total

4 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2019)

total

1

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

3

under 914 m

3 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5W

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 3, oil tanker 3, other 6 (2021)

total

12

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

137,770 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

4

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Apia

Roadways

total

1,150 km (2018)

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 and security forces

no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (Ministry of Police)

Disputes - international

none

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.25 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.27 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

10.56 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

12.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 7.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 1.8% (2018 est.)

forest

60.4% (2018 est.)

other

27.2% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.27% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

17.7% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

27,399 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

9,864 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

36% (2013 est.)