Samoa

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

76,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

7,500 (1988 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0

Televisions

6,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, bananas, taro, yams

Budget

revenues: $118 million expenditures : $128 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97)

Currency

1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Debt - external

$178.3 million (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA; $8.7 million bilateral aid from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $5 million bilateral aid from NZ (FY95/96)

Economy - overview

The economy of Western Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, private family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports. Increasingly, tourism is becoming a significant source of revenue, earning approximately $34 million in 1995. While registering an overall economic improvement in 1995, however, the country continues to struggle with a series of natural disasters from the early 1990s which wiped out the nation's infrastructure as well as its then-major export crop, taro root. Agriculture continues to be a key source of wealth for Apia, employing more than one-half of the labor force, and furnishing 90% of exports. The bulk of these export earnings comes from the sale of coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. Family remittances also play a key role in economic viability for the island nation - in 1995, remittances totaled $34.9 million, four times export earnings. The economy did well in 1996, supported by a steady flow of foreign aid and remittances.

Electricity - capacity

29,000 kW (1990)

Electricity - consumption per capita

287 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

60 million kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.4570 (January 1997), 2.4618 (1996), 2.4722 (1995), 2.5349 (1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992)

Exports

total value: $8.7 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities : coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa partners: New Zealand 44%, Australia 22%, American Samoa, Germany

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $415 million (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 50% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,900 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.7% (1995 est.)

Imports

total value: $91 million (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12% partners : New Zealand 37%, Australia 21%, US/American Samoa 13%

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate - consumer price index

1% (1995)

Labor force

total: 45,635 (1986 est.) by occupation : agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 2,860 sq km land: 2,850 sq km water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Climate

tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)

Coastline

403 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m

Environment - current issues

soil erosion

Environment - international agreements

party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

13 35 S, 172 20 W

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land : 19% permanent crops: 24% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 47% other: 10%

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Natural resources

hardwood forests, fish

Terrain

narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior

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

Constitution

1 January 1962

Country name

conventional long form: Independent State of Western Samoa conventional short form: Western Samoa

Data code

WS

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN (Ambassador to New Zealand and Western Samoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand) embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia mailing address: P.O. Box 3430, Apia telephone : [685] 21631

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE chancery: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197

Executive branch

chief of state : Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963) head of government: Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988); Deputy Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi (since NA 1992) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice elections : upon the death of Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

FAX

[1] (212) 599-0797

FAX

[685] 22030

Flag description

red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

Government type

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Independence

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

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26 April 1996 (next to be held 26 April 2001) election results : percent of vote by party - HRPP 45.17%, SNDP 27.1%, independents 23.7%; seats by party - HRPP 25, SNDP 13, independents 11

National capital

Apia

National holiday

National Day, 1 June (1962)

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party, LEOTA Ituau Ale; Samoa All People's Party (SAPP), Matatumua MAIMOAGA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Military branches

no regular armed services; Western Samoa Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: NA

Military manpower - fit for military service

males : NA

Age structure

0-14 years: 40% (male 44,281; female 42,876) 15-64 years: 56% (male 64,433; female 59,006) 65 years and over : 4% (male 4,225; female 4,688) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

30.4 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

5.63 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

33 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population : 69.09 years male: 66.7 years female : 71.6 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population : 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1971 est.)

Nationality

noun: Western Samoan(s) adjective: Western Samoan

Net migration rate

-1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

219,509 (July 1997 est.) note: other estimates range as low as 162,000

Population growth rate

2.34% (1997 est.)

Religions

Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.82 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none WORLD [Map of World]

Airports

3 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total : 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Highways

total : 2,030 km paved: 373 km unpaved: 1,657 km (1988 est.)

Merchant marine

total : 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

Railways

0 km