American Samoa

• tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds;
• annual rainfall averages about 3 m;
• rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October);
• little seasonal temperature variation

• 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 in the South Pacific Ocean

noun:

American Samoan(s) (US nationals)

adjective:

American Samoan

total:

30 years (2024 est.)

male:

29.4 years

female:

30.6 years

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.88 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

9.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

11.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

7.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

75.8 years (2024 est.)

male:

73.4 years

female:

78.5 years

total population:

NA

male:

NA

female:

NA

• limited supply of drinking water;
• pollution;
• waste disposal;
• coastal and stream alteration;
• soil erosion

• tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds;
• annual rainfall averages about 3 m;
• rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October);
• little seasonal temperature variation

urban population:

87.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.26% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

conventional long form:

American Samoa

conventional short form:

American Samoa

former:

Eastern Samoa

abbreviation:

AS

etymology:

• the meaning of Samoa is disputed;
• some modern explanations are that the "sa" connotes "sacred" and "moa" indicates "center," so the name can mean "Holy Center";
• alternatively, some assertions state that it can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology;
• the name, however, may go back to Proto-Polynesian (PPn) times (before 1000 B.C.);
• a plausible PPn reconstruction has the first syllable as "sa'a" meaning "tribe or people" and "moa" meaning "deep sea or ocean" to convey the meaning "people of the deep sea"

• unincorporated, unorganized Territory of the US with local self-government;
• republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches

name:

Pago Pago

geographic coordinates:

14 16 S, 170 42 W

time difference:

UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

note: pronounced pahn-go pahn-go

• none (territory of the US);
• there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts and 2 islands* at the second order;
• Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western

history:

adopted 17 October 1960; revised 1 July 1967

amendments:

• proposed by either house of the Legislative Assembly;
• passage requires three-fifths majority vote by the membership of each house, approval by simple majority vote in a referendum, approval by the US Secretary of the Interior, and only by an act of the US Congress;
• amended several times, last in 2021

chief of state:

President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021)

head of government:

Governor Lemanu Peleti MAUGA (since 3 January 2021)

cabinet:

Cabinet consists of 12 department directors appointed by the governor with the consent of the Legislature or Fono

elections/appointments:

• president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term);
• under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as American Samoa, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president;
• however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections;
• governor and lieutenant governor directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024)

election results:

• Lemanu Peleti MAUGA elected governor in first round;
• percent of vote - Lemanu Peleti MAUGA (independent) 60.3%, Gaoteote Palaie TOFAU (independent) 21.9%, I'aulualo Fa'afetai TALIA (independent) 12.3%

highest court(s):

• High Court of American Samoa (consists of the chief justice, associate chief justice, and 6 Samoan associate judges and organized into trial, family, drug, and appellate divisions);
• note - American Samoa has no US federal courts

judge selection and term of office:

• chief justice and associate chief justice appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior to serve for life;
• Samoan associate judges appointed by the governor to serve for life

subordinate courts:

district and village courts

• a large white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly side and extends to the hoist side and is charged with an eagle, all on a blue field;
• the red, white, and blue colors are those traditionally used by both the United States and Samoa;
• the brown and white American bald eagle flies toward the hoist side and carries 2 traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a war club known as a "fa'alaufa'i" (upper; left talon), and a coconut-fiber fly whisk known as a "fue" (lower; right talon);
• the combination of symbols broadly mimics that seen on the US Great Seal and reflects the relationship between the US and American Samoa

name:

"Amerika Samoa" (American Samoa)

lyrics/music:

Mariota Tiumalu TUIASOSOPO/Napoleon Andrew TUITELELEAPAGA

note: local anthem adopted 1950; as a territory of the United States, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is official (see United States)

• tourism, tuna, and government services-based territorial economy;
• sustained economic decline;
• vulnerable tuna canning industry;
• large territorial government presence;
• minimum wage increases to rise to federal standards by 2036

general assessment:

• American Samoa Telecommunications Authority, ASTCA, supplies telecommunication services to the residents of the American Samoan islands, a territory of the United States, which are found in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean;
• the primary system between the islands consists of fiber-optic cables and satellite connections;
• over Independence Day weekend 2021, the undersea fiber-optic cable linking the Tutuila and Manu’a Islands failed, completely stranding the Manu’a Islands from all telecommunication services;
• telecommunication services were restored to the people of Manu’a islands through microwave link between Tutuila to the Manu’a Islands;
• the link is now providing a steady 1Gbps backhaul most of the time of the year with 600Mbps at four 9’s availability, over this extremely long distance (2022)

domestic:

nearly 22 per 100 fixed-line tele density (2021)

international:

• country code - 1-684;
• landing points for the ASH, Southern Cross NEXT and Hawaiki providing connectivity to New Zealand, Australia, American Samoa, Hawaii, California, and SAS connecting American Samoa with Samoa;
• satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean) (2019)

• 3 TV stations;
• multi-channel pay TV services are available;
• about a dozen radio stations, some of which are repeater stations

total ports:

1 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

1

very small:

0

ports with oil terminals:

1

key ports:

Pago Pago Harbor