Samoa

Independent State of Western Samoa

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Samoa as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 77 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 sq km

LocationOceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about

Populationas each edition published it

209,360 people July 1995 est. · 186,031 in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.37% 1995 est. · 2.37% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 23.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

68.38 years 1995 est. · 67.58 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.04 children per woman 1995 est. · 4.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

35.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 48 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,000 1992 est. · $690 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-4.3% 1992 est. · -4.5% in 1993

Geography

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about | one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

13 fields

Land useshare of 2,860 sq km

arable land 19%permanent crops 24%meadows and pastures 0%forest and woodland 47%other 10%

Area

2,860sq km

land area: 2,850 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Coastline

403km

land boundaries: 0 kmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Environment

current issues:: soil erosion
natural hazards:: occasional typhoons; active volcanism
international agreements:: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

People

15 fields

Population

209,360

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 2.37% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

31.74Death

5.88Net migration

-2.14

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years68.38

65.99 · 70.88

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy97%

97% · 97%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Ethnic divisions

Samoan 92.6%Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood)Europeans 0.4%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 40% (female 41,503; male 42,844)
15-64 years:: 56% (female 55,683; male 61,065)
65 years and over:: 4% (female 4,323; male 3,942) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

35.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Western Samoan(s)
adjective:: Western Samoan

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)

Government

Constitutional monarchy under native chief; Chief Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963); Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)

21 fields

Legislature, 47 seatsone dot, one seat

HRPP 28SNDP 18independents 1

Names

conventional long form:: Independent State of Western Samoa
conventional short form:: Western Samoa

Digraph

Type

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Capital

Apia

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)

National holiday

National Day, 1 June (1962)

Constitution

1 January 1962

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

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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)
cabinet:: Cabinet; appointed by the head of state with the prime minister's advice

Legislative branch

unicameral

Legislative Assembly (Fono)

elections last held 5 April 1991 (next to be held by NA 1996);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (47 total) HRPP 28, SNDP 18, independents 1

note: only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman

Member of

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE
chancery:: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017
telephone:: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197

FAX

[1] (212) 599-0797

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa
embassy:: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address:: P.O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone:: [685] 21631

FAX

[685] 22030

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.

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$2,000

(1992 est.)

Real growth rate

-4.3%

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -0.3% (1992 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

14%

(1994 est.)

External debt

$141million

(June 1993)

Budget

Revenues

$95.3 millionExpenditures

$76.7 million (1994 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 29,000 kW

Electricity production

50 millionElectricity consumption per capita

200 (1993)

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 much greater than export earnings.

Tourism has become the most important growth industry. The economy continued to falter in 1994, as remittances and tourist earnings remained low. Production of taro, the primary food export crop, has dropped 97% since a fungal disease struck the crop in 1993. The rapid growth in 1994 of the giant African snail population in Western Samoa is also threatening the country's basic food crops, such as bananas and coconuts.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $400 million (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$6.4 million (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities:: coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa
partners:: New Zealand 34%, American Samoa 21%, Germany 18%, Australia 11%

Imports

$11.5 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

commodities:: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%
partners:: New Zealand 37%, Australia 25%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%

Industries

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Agriculture

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

Economic aid

recipient:: 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