Samoa

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Samoa as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 64 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalApia

Area2,860 km2

Populationas each edition published it

190,346 people July 1991 · 186,031 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.37% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 23.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 67.58 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.5 children per woman 1991 · 4.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

47 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 48 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $690 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -4.5% in 1993

Geography

10 fields

Total area

2,860km2

land area: 2,850 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Coastline

403 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)

Terrain

narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior

Land use

arable land 19%;
permanent crops 24%;
meadows and pastures NEGL%;
forest and woodland 47%;
other 10%

Environment

subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Note

located 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

People

14 fields

Population

190,346

(July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

34Death

Literacy

97%

(male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Nationality

noun--Western Samoan(s); adjective--Western Samoan

Ethnic divisions

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

Religion

Christian 99.7% (about half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Labor force

38,000; 22,000 employed in agriculture (1987 est.)

Government

Constitutional monarchy under native chief

15 fields

Legislative Assembly Legislative Assembly, 47 seats, elected NA February 1991one dot, one seat

HRPP 30SNDP 14independent 3

Type

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Administrative divisions

11 districts; Aana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Faasaleleaga, Gagaemauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupaitea, Tuamasaga, Vaa-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Independence

1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)

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

Executive branch

monarch, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, Court of Appeal Chief of State--Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963);
Head of Government--Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988) Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti, chairman;
Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), VA'AI Kolone, chairman

Suffrage

universal adult at age NA, but only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly Legislative Assembly--last held NA February 1991 (next to be held by February 1994);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(47 total) HRPP 30, SNDP 14, independent 3

Member of

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT;
Chancery (temporary) at the Western Samoan Mission to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196;
US--the ambassador to New Zealand, Della Newman, is accredited to Western Samoa (mailing address is P.O. Box 3430, Apia);
telephone (685) 21-631

Flag

red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

Economy

Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and furnishes 90% of exports.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$115million

per capita $620; real growth rate - 4.5% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

17%

(1990 est.)

External debt

$83million

(December 1990 est.)

Exports $9.4 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)commodities, where a share is given

coconut oil and cream

54%taro

12%copra

9%cocoa

; partners--NZ 28%, EC 23%, American Samoa 23%, Australia 11%, US 6% (1990)

Imports $87 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)

intermediate goods

58%food

17%capital goods

12%

; partners--New Zealand 31%, Australia 20%, Japan 15%, Fiji 15%, US 5%, EC 4% (1987)

Budget

Revenues

$70 millionExpenditures

$73 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $41 million (1990)

Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and furnishes 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports about five times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way.

Unemployment rate

NA%; shortage of skilled labor

Industrial production

growth rate - 4.3% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP

Electricity

29,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Agriculture

accounts for 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $18 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $291 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million

Communications

6 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

container 2roll-on/roll-off cargo 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,930 GRT/34,135 DWT

Airports, 3 total, 3 usable

permanent-surface runways

1runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

none

Highways

2,042 km total;
375 km sealed;
remainder mostly gravel, crushed stone, or earth

7,500 telephones;
70,000 radios;
stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV;
1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT station

Defense Forces

Department of Police and Prisons

3 fields

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