Samoa

Internet country code

.ws

Internet hosts

8,225 (2003)

Internet users

4,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: adequate domestic: NA international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

11,800 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2,700 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

2 (2002)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

Budget

revenues: $105 million expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2001-02)

Currency

tala (SAT)

Currency code

SAT (former WST code is still in wide use)

Debt - external

$197 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

$42.9 million (1995)

Economy - overview

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, and agriculture and fishing. 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. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000 tourists visited the islands in 2001. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, meantime protecting the environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low.

Electricity - consumption

97.74 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

105.1 million kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

tala per US dollar - 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002), 3.478 (2001), 3.2864 (2000), 3.0132 (1999)

Exports

$14 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer

Exports - partners

Australia 63.6%, Indonesia 15.2%, US 5.1% (2003)

Fiscal year

June 1 - May 31

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 14% industry: 23% services: 63% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$113 million f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

New Zealand 19.8%, Fiji 17.8%, Australia 15.4%, Japan 11.9%, US 4.7%, Singapore 4.3% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2000)

Industries

food processing, building materials, auto parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (2001 est.)

Labor force

90,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

NA

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

NA%; note - substantial underemployment

Area

total: 2,944 sq km land: 2,934 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 extremes

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

Environment - current issues

soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

13 35 S, 172 20 W

Geography - note

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 21.2% permanent crops: 24.38% other: 54.42% (2001)

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

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Natural resources

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Terrain

two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: the Ambassador to New Zealand, Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS, is accredited to Samoa embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor, Apia mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia telephone: [685] 21631/22696 FAX: [685] 22030

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA 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 Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963) head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from 1992 until he assumed the prime ministership in 1996, when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after TOFILAU died; 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 Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; 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

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, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Land and Titles Court

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 voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly Eurasian, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono; members serve five-year terms) elections: election last held 3 March 2001 (next election to be held not later than March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6

National holiday

Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, 1 June 1962 is the date that independence is celebrated

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoa All People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua MAIMOANA]; Samoan National Development Party or SNDP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman] (opposition); Samoa National Party [FETU Tiatia, party secretary]; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale]; Samoan United Independents Party or SUIP [Dr. Saleimoa VAAI]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

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: 28.3% (male 25,548; female 24,668) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 72,820; female 43,563) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 5,096; female 6,019) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

15.69 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

12

Infant mortality rate

total: 28.72 deaths/1,000 live births male: 33.83 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.41 years male: 67.64 years female: 73.33 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.7% male: 99.6% female: 99.7% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 24.2 years male: 26.8 years female: 20.8 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Samoan(s) adjective: Samoan

Net migration rate

-11.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

177,714 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.25% (2004 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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.67 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

4 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 790 km paved: 332 km unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT by type: cargo 1 foreign-owned: Germany 1 registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)

Ports and harbors

Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa