Samoa

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

178,000 (1997)

Telephone system

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

Telephones - main lines in use

8,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,200 (1994)

Television broadcast stations

6 (1997)

Televisions

11,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, bananas, taro, yams

Budget

revenues: $52 million expenditures: $99 million, including capital expenditures of $37 million (FY96/97 est.)

Currency

1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Debt - external

$156 million (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$42.9 million (1995)

Economy - overview

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, private family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. Outside of a large automotive wire harness factory, the manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Tourism is an expanding sector; more than 70,000 tourists visited the islands in 1996. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances.

Electricity - consumption

60 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

65 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 61.54% hydro: 38.46% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

Exchange rates

tala (WS$) per US$1 - 3.0460 (January 2000), 3.0120 (1999), 2.9429 (1998), 2.5562 (1997), 2.4618 (1996), 2.4722 (1995)

Exports

$20.3 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

coconut oil and cream, copra, fish, beer

Exports - partners

American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, US, Germany

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $485 million (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 40% industry: 25% services: 35% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,100 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.8% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$96.6 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Fiji, US

Industrial production growth rate

14% (1996 est.)

Industries

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.2% (1998 est.)

Labor force

82,500 (1991 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

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, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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, hydropower

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

Capital

Apia

Constitution

1 January 1962

Country name

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

Data code

WS

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Carol MOSELEY BRAUN (Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand) embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia telephone: [685] 21631 FAX: [685] 22030

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197 FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797

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 TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi (since 24 November 1998); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister since 1992; he assumed the prime ministership in November 1998 when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; the post of deputy prime minister is currently vacant cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, 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

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, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, 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 - 47 elected by Samoans, 2 elected by non-Samoans; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 26 April 1996 (next to be held by NA 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 holiday

National Day, 1 June (1962)

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi, chairman]; Samoa All People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua MAIMOAGA]; Samoan National Development Party or SNDP [TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman] (opposition); Samoan Progressive Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale]

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

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.

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 branches

no regular armed services; Samoa Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Age structure

0-14 years: 33% (male 30,288; female 29,323) 15-64 years: 61% (male 69,566; female 40,402) 65 years and over: 6% (male 4,623; female 5,264) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

15.59 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.24 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

32.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.2 years male: 66.48 years female: 72.06 years (2000 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Samoan(s) adjective: Samoan

Net migration rate

-11.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

179,466 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.22% (2000 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: 1.72 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.5 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports

3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Highways

total: 790 km paved: 332 km unpaved: 458 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

Railways

0 km