|
| Background: |
Settled as early
as 1000 B. C., Samoa was "discovered" by European
explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in
the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899
treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan
archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a
smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor
of Pago Pago - the following year. |
| Location: |
Oceania, group of
islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the
way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
14 20 S, 170 00 W |
| Area: |
total:
199 sq km
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger
than Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical marine,
moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages
about 3 m; rainy season from November to April, dry season
from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Terrain: |
five volcanic
islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two
coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island) |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m |
| Natural
resources: |
pumice, pumicite |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
5%
permanent crops: 10%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 70%
other: 15% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
typhoons common
from December to March |
| Environment
- current issues: |
limited natural
fresh water resources; the water division of the government
has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve
water catchments and pipelines |
| Geography
- note: |
Pago Pago has one
of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific
Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by
peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in
the South Pacific Ocean |
| Population: |
67,084 (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
38.44% (male 13,278; female 12,512)
15-64 years: 56.57% (male 18,784; female
19,163)
65 years and over: 4.99% (male 1,779; female
1,568) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.42% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
24.88
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.31 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
3.58 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
10.36
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 75.32 years
male: 70.89 years
female: 80.02 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.5 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Samoan
(Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5% |
| Religions: |
Christian
Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and
other 30% |
| Languages: |
Samoan (closely
related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English
note: most people are bilingual |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS |
| Dependency
status: |
unincorporated
and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the
Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none (territory
of the US); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are
three districts and two islands* at the second order;
Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western |
| Independence: |
none (territory
of the US) |
| National
holiday: |
Flag Day, 17
April (1900) |
| Constitution: |
ratified 1966, in
effect 1967 |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since
20 January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since
20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Tauese P. SUNIA
(since 3 January 1997) and Lieutenant Governor Togiola
TULAFONO (since 3 January 1997)
cabinet: NA
elections: US president and vice president
elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and
lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular
vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 November 2000
(next to be held NA November 2004)
election results: Tauese P. SUNIA reelected
governor; percent of vote - Tauese P. SUNIA (Democrat)
50.7%, Lealaifuaneva Peter REID (independent) 47.8% |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral Fono or
Legislative Assembly consists of the House of
Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by
popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from
Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate
(18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs and serve
four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held
7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); Senate -
last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
election results: House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Senate
- percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note
- only independents elected
note: American Samoa elects one delegate to the
US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November
2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); results - Eni F. H.
FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate for a sixth
term |
| Judicial
branch: |
High Court (chief
justice and associate justices are appointed by the US
Secretary of the Interior) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party
[leader NA]; Republican Party [leader NA] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ESCAP
(associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (territory
of the US) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none (territory
of the US) |
| Flag
description: |
blue, with a
white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer side
and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American
bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two
traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war
club |
| Economy
- overview: |
This is a
traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the
land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly
linked to the US, with which American Samoa conducts the
great bulk of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna
processing plants are the backbone of the private sector,
with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US
Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic
well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger
and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote
location, its limited transportation, and its devastating
hurricanes. Tourism, a developing sector, has been held back
by the recurring financial difficulties in East Asia. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $500 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
NA% |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $8,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
NA% |
| Labor
force: |
14,000 (1996) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
government 33%,
tuna canneries 34%, other 33% (1990) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
16% (1993) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY96/97) |
| Industries: |
tuna canneries
(largely dependent on foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
130 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
120.9 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas,
coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra,
pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock |
| Exports: |
$500 million
(1998) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
canned tuna 93% |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 99.6% |
| Imports: |
$471 million
(1996) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
materials for
canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and
parts 6% |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 62%, Japan 9%,
NZ 7%, Australia 11%, Fiji 4%, other 7% |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
important
financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 |
| Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is
used |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 October - 30
September |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
13,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
2,550 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and
cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system with
1 Comsat earth station
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 1,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
14,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.as |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
350 km
paved: 150 km
unpaved: 200 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Aunu'u (new
construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
2
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the US |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
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