American Samoa

Airports

4 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440 to 3,659 m (international airport at Tafuna, near Pago Pago); small airstrips on Ta'u and Ofu

Highways

350 km total; 150 km paved, 200 km unpaved

Ports

Pago Pago, Ta'u

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

6,500 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; good telex, telegraph, and facsimile services; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station, 1 COMSAT earth station

Note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Agriculture

bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas, dairy farming

Budget

revenues $126,394,000 (consisting of $46,441,000 local revenue and $79,953,000 grant revenue); including capital expenditures of $NA million (1990)

Currency

US currency is used

Economic aid

$21,042,650 in operational funds and $5,948,931 in construction funds for capital improvement projects from the US Department of Interior (1991)

Electricity

42,000 kW capacity; 85 million kWh produced, 2,020 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$307 million (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: canned tuna 93% partners: US 99.6%

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GNP

purchasing power equivalent - $128 million, per capita $2,500; real growth rate NA% (1990)

Imports

$377.9 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum 7%, machinery and parts 6% partners: US 72%, Japan 7%, NZ 7%, Australia 5%, other 9%

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign supplies of raw tuna), meat canning, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.3% (1989)

Overview

Economic development is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa does nearly 90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private-sector economy, with canned tuna the primary export. The tuna canneries and the government are by far the two largest employers. Other economic activities include a slowly developing tourist industry.

Unemployment rate

12% (1991)

Climate

tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages 124 inches; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

116 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Washington, DC

Disputes

none

Environment

typhoons common from December to March

Land area

199 km2; includes Rose Island and Swains Island

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land 10%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 75%; other 10%

Maritime claims

Contiguous zone: 12 nm Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

pumice and pumicite

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 about 3,700 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Terrain

five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls

Total area

199 km2

Administrative divisions

none (territory of the US)

Capital

Pago Pago

Constitution

ratified 1966, in effect 1967; note - a comprehensive revision is awaiting ratification by the US Congress (1992)

Diplomatic representation

none (territory of the US)

Elections

Governor: last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results - Peter T. COLEMAN was elected (percent of vote NA) House of Representatives: last held November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results - representatives popularly elected from 17 house districts; seats - (21 total, 20 elected, and 1 nonvoting delegate from Swain's Island) Senate: last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results - senators elected by county councils from 12 senate districts; seats - (18 total) number of seats by party NA US House of Representatives: last held 19 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results - Eni R. F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA reelected as a nonvoting delegate

Executive branch

popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor

Flag

blue with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly 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

Independence

none (territory of the US)

Judicial branch

High Court, district courts, and village courts

Leaders

Chief of State: President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989) Head of Government: Governor Peter Tali COLEMAN (since 20 January 1989); Lieutenant Governor Galea'i POUMELE (since NA 1989)

Legislative branch

bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Long-form name

Territory of American Samoa

Member of

ESCAP, IOC, SPC

National holiday

Territorial Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

Suffrage

universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not US citizens

Type

unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the US Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not citizens of the US

Birth rate

37 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Samoan (Polynesian) 90%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 2%, other 6%

Infant mortality rate

19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

14,400 (1990); government 48%, tuna canneries 33%, other 19% (1986 est.)

Languages

Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages) and English; most people are bilingual

Life expectancy at birth

71 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Literacy

97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Nationality

noun - American Samoan(s); adjective - American Samoan; US, noncitizen nationals

Net migration rate

6 immigrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

NA

Population

51,115 (July 1992), growth rate 3.9% (1992); about 65,000 American Samoans live in the states of California and Washington and 20,000 in Hawaii

Religions

Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant denominations and other 30%

Total fertility rate

4.5 children born/woman (1992)