Samoa
Independent State of Samoa conventional short form: Samoa former: Western Samoa
constitutional monarchy under native chief
Samoa as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 110 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
17 fieldsLocation
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Land use
arable land: 19% permanent crops: 24% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 47% other: 10%
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
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
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.)
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.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 69.5 years male: 66.77 years female: 72.37 years (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)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1971 est.)
Government
Constitutional monarchy under native chief; 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)
20 fieldsLegislative Assembly or Fono, 49 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa conventional short form: Samoa former: Western Samoa
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
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
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
- 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
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
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]
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)
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
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
Flag description
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
Economy
The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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.
Budget
revenues: $74.8 million expenditures: $81.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
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)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
general assessment: adequate domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Transportation
7 fieldsMilitary
No regular armed services; Samoa Police Force
4 fieldsMilitary - 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
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Samoa.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/samoa/2001.