Samoa

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.

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.81 male(s)/female

total population:

1.06 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

noun:

Samoan(s)

adjective:

Samoan

conventional long form:

Independent State of Samoa

conventional short form:

Samoa

local long form:

Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa

local short form:

Samoa

former:

Western Samoa

name:

Apia

geographic coordinates:

13 50 S, 171 44 W

time difference:

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

• Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962);
• note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship;
• it is observed in June

• 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

chief of state:

TUIATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi (since 20 June 2007)

head of government:

Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 1998); Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)

cabinet:

Cabinet consists of 12 members appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice

elections:

• chief of state is elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term (no term limits);
• election last held 15 June 2007 (next to be held in 2012);
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

election results:

TUIATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly

• Court of Appeal;
• Supreme Court;
• District Court;
• Land and Titles Court

• Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA];
• Samoa Christian Party or TCP [Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA];
• Samoa Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati];
• Samoa Party or SP [Su'a Rimoni Ah CHONG];
• Samoa Progressive Political Party or SPPP [Toeolesulusulu SIUEVA]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA

chancery:

800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 599-6196, 6197

FAX:

[1] (212) 599-0797

chief of mission:

none; US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa

embassy:

Accident Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia

mailing address:

P. O. Box 3430, Matafele, Apia

telephone:

[685] 21436/21631/21452/22696

FAX:

[685] 22030

agriculture:

NA%

industry:

NA%

services:

NA%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

adequate

domestic:

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 50 telephones per 100 persons

international:

country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

total:

2,337 km

paved:

332 km

unpaved:

2,005 km (2001)

total:

1

by type:

cargo 1

foreign-owned:

1 (Cyprus 1) (2008)

male:

2,571

female:

2,454 (2008 est.)

• 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