Samoa

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Samoa as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalApia
Area2,860 km2
1992

Every edition of Samoa

Populationas each edition published it
194,992 people July 1992 · 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
4.4 children per woman 1992 · 4.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
40 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

13 fields
Total area
2,860km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Coastline
403km
land boundaries: noneExclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land area

2,850 km2

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Natural resources

hardwood forests, fish

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
194,992
(July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth
34Death
6Net migration
-4
Literacy
97%
(male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Infant mortality rate

40 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

65 years male, 70 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

4.4 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

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

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

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

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Labor force

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

Organized labor

Public Service Association (PSA)

Government

Constitutional monarchy under native chief

18 fields

Long-form name

Independent State of Western Samoa

Type

constitutional monarchy under native chief

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

Independence

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

Constitution

1 January 1962

National holiday

National Day, 1 June

Executive branch

chief, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, Court of Appeal

Leaders

Chief of State:
Chief 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)

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), VA'AI Kolone, chairman

Suffrage

universal adult over age 21, but only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly

Elections

Legislative Assembly:
  • last held NA February 1991 (next to be held by NA February 1994);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (47 total) HRPP 30, SNDP 14, independents 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 suite 510, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005;
  • telephone (202) 833-1743
US:
  • the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa (mailing address is P.O. Box 3430, Apia);
  • telephone (685) 21-631;
  • FAX (685) 22-030

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
External debt
$83million
(December 1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$95.3 millionExpenditures
$95.4 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $41 million (FY92)

Overview

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 several times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $115 million, per capita $690 (1989); real growth rate -4.5% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%; shortage of skilled labor

Exports

$9 million (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:
coconut oil and cream 54%, taro 12%, copra 9%, cocoa 3%
partners:
NZ 28%, American Samoa 23%, Germany 22%, US 6% (1990)

Imports

$75 million (c.i.f., 1990)

commodities:
intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%
partners:
New Zealand 41%, Australia 18%, Japan 13%, UK 6%, US 6%

Industrial production

growth rate -4% (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 (1970-89), $306 million;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million

Currency

tala (plural - tala); 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Exchange rates

tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2,4284 (March 1992), 2,3975 (1991), 2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988), 2.1204 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

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

Ports

Apia

Merchant marine

1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

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

Defense Forces

Department of Police and Prisons

3 fields

Branches

Department of Police and Prisons

Manpower availability

males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Western Samoa.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/samoa/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →