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.
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates
13 35 S, 172 20 W
Map references
Oceania
Area
total
2,944 sq km
land
2,934 sq km
water
10 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
403 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
contiguous zone
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Climate
tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
Terrain
two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
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
Geography - note
occupies an almost central position within Polynesia
Population
214,265
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
38.1% (male 41,551/female 40,085)
15-64 years
56.3% (male 63,320/female 57,277)
65 years and over
5.6% (male 5,416/female 6,616) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
20.4 years
male
20.7 years
female
20.2 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.291% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
28.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.88 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-9.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.037 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.106 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.819 male(s)/female
total population
1.061 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
25.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male
30.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female
21 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
71.3 years
male
68.49 years
female
74.26 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Samoan(s)
adjective
Samoan
Ethnic groups
Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%
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%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Languages
Samoan (Polynesian), English
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
99.7%
male
99.6%
female
99.7% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Independent State of Samoa
conventional short form
Samoa
local long form
Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
local short form
Samoa
former
Western Samoa
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Capital
name
Apia
geographic coordinates
13 50 S, 171 44 W
time difference
UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
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
Constitution
1 January 1962
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
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
TUIATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi (since 20 June 2007)
head of government
Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)
cabinet
Cabinet consists of 12 members appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice
elections
chief of state is elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 15 June 2007 (next to be held in 2012); 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
election results
TUIATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly
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)
elections: election last held 31 March 2006 (next election to be held not later than March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HRPP 35, SDUP 10, independents 4
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles Court
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]
Australia 48.1%, American Samoa 32.6%, US 3.7% (2006)
Imports
$285 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
Imports - partners
NZ 21.4%, Fiji 14.7%, Singapore 13.2%, Australia 8.6%, Japan 8.6%, US 6.2%, Indonesia 5%, China 4.4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$70.15 million (FY03/04)
Debt - external
$177 million (2004)
Economic aid - recipient
$30.8 million (2004)
Currency (code)
tala (SAT)
Currency code
SAT (former WST code is still in wide use)
Exchange rates
tala per US dollar - 2.7594 (2006), 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002)
Fiscal year
June 1 - May 31
Telephones - main lines in use
13,300 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular
24,000 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
adequate
domestic
NA
international
country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios
174,849 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
2 (2002)
Televisions
8,634 (1999)
Internet country code
.ws
Internet hosts
10,680 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2000)
Internet users
6,000 (2004)
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)
Roadways
total
2,337 km
paved
332 km
unpaved
2,005 km (2004)
Merchant marine
total
1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
by type
cargo 1
foreign-owned
1 (Germany 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Apia
Military branches
no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (2005)
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.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
NA
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
