Samoa

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet country code

.ws

Internet users

500 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

178,000 (1997)

Telephone system

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

Telephones - main lines in use

8,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,545 (February 1998)

Television broadcast stations

6 (1997)

Televisions

11,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, bananas, taro, yams

Budget

revenues: $74.8 million expenditures: $81.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Currency

tala (WST)

Currency code

WST

Debt - external

$180 million (1998 est.)

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 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. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 15% of GDP; about 85,000 tourists visited the islands in 2000. 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. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low.

Electricity - consumption

93 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

100 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 60% hydro: 40% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates

tala per US dollar - 3.3400 (January 2001), 3.2712 (2000), 3.0120 (1999), 2.9429 (1998), 2.5562 (1997), 2.4618 (1996)

Exports

$17 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities

coconut oil and cream, copra, fish, beer

Exports - partners

American Samoa 59%, US 18%, Germany 9%, New Zealand 8% (2000 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $571 million (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 15% industry: 24% services: 61% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.8% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$90 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

New Zealand 37%, Australia 24%, Fiji 14%, US 14% (2000 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2000 est.)

Industries

food processing, building materials, auto parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.8% (2000 est.)

Labor force

90,000 (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%; note - substantial underemployment

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, 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, 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

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

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

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

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, 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, WTrO (observer)

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 4 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP 23, SNDP 13, independents 13

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

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

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: 31.88% (male 29,009; female 28,069) 15-64 years: 62.44% (male 70,491; female 41,304) 65 years and over: 5.68% (male 4,739; female 5,446) (2001 est.)

Birth rate

15.59 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate

6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2001 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

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

31.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.5 years male: 66.77 years female: 72.37 years (2001 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

-11.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

179,058 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.23% (2001 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: 1.71 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.4 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

3 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Highways

total: 835 km paved: 267 km unpaved: 569 km (1983)

Ports and harbors

Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

Railways

0 km

Waterways

none