CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Samoa


 * }

!| Background:
 * 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.
 * }


 * }

!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 10 sq km land: 2,934 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 24.38% other: 54.42% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
 * 13 35 S, 172 20 W
 * Oceania
 * total: 2,944 sq km
 * slightly smaller than Rhode Island
 * 0 km
 * 403 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
 * two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
 * lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
 * hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
 * arable land: 21.2%
 * NA sq km
 * occasional typhoons; active volcanism
 * soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing
 * party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
 * occupies an almost central position within Polynesia
 * }


 * }

!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 72,820; female 43,563) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 5,096; female 6,019) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 26.8 years female: 20.8 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.67 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 23.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 33.83 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 67.64 years female: 73.33 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Samoan !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 99.7% male: 99.6% female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
 * 177,714 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 28.3% (male 25,548; female 24,668)
 * total: 24.2 years
 * -0.25% (2004 est.)
 * 15.69 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -11.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
 * total: 28.72 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 70.41 years
 * 3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * NA
 * 12
 * 3
 * noun: Samoan(s)
 * Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%
 * 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)
 * Samoan (Polynesian), English
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 * }


 * }

!| Country name: conventional short form: Samoa former: Western Samoa !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from 1992 until he assumed the prime ministership in 1996, when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after TOFILAU died; 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 Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; 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 !| Legislative branch: elections: election last held 3 March 2001 (next election to be held not later than March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197 chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor, Apia mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia telephone: [685] 21631/22696 FAX: [685] 22030 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa
 * constitutional monarchy under native chief
 * Apia
 * 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
 * 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
 * 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
 * 1 January 1962
 * 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
 * 21 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
 * unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47 elected by voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly Eurasian, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono; members serve five-year terms)
 * Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Land and Titles Court
 * Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoa All People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua MAIMOANA]; Samoan National Development Party or SNDP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman] (opposition); Samoa National Party [FETU Tiatia, party secretary]; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale]; Samoan United Independents Party or SUIP [Dr. Saleimoa VAAI]
 * NA
 * ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA
 * chief of mission: the Ambassador to New Zealand, Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS, is accredited to Samoa
 * red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
 * }


 * }

!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 23% services: 63% (2001 est.) !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2001-02) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, and agriculture and fishing. 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. The decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000 tourists visited the islands in 2001. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, meantime protecting the environment. 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.
 * purchasing power parity - $1 billion (2002 est.)
 * 5% (2002 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.)
 * agriculture: 14%
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 4% (2001 est.)
 * 90,000 (2000 est.)
 * NA
 * NA%; note - substantial underemployment
 * revenues: $105 million
 * coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa
 * food processing, building materials, auto parts
 * 2.8% (2000)
 * 105.1 million kWh (2001)
 * 97.74 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $14 million f.o.b. (2002)
 * fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer
 * Australia 63.6%, Indonesia 15.2%, US 5.1% (2003)
 * $113 million f.o.b. (2002)
 * machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
 * New Zealand 19.8%, Fiji 17.8%, Australia 15.4%, Japan 11.9%, US 4.7%, Singapore 4.3% (2003)
 * $197 million (2000)
 * $42.9 million (1995)
 * tala (SAT)
 * SAT (former WST code is still in wide use)
 * tala per US dollar - 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002), 3.478 (2001), 3.2864 (2000), 3.0132 (1999)
 * June 1 - May 31
 * }


 * }

!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: NA international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 11,800 (2002)
 * 2,700 (2002)
 * general assessment: adequate
 * AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
 * 174,849 (1997)
 * 2 (2002)
 * 8,634 (1999)
 * .ws
 * 8,225 (2003)
 * 2 (2000)
 * 4,000 (2002)
 * }


 * }

!| Highways: paved: 332 km unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.) !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.) by type: cargo 1 foreign-owned: Germany 1 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
 * total: 790 km
 * Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa
 * total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT
 * 4 (2003 est.)
 * total: 3
 * total: 1
 * }


 * }

!| Military branches: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: !| Military - note:
 * no regular armed services; Samoa Police Force
 * NA
 * NA
 * 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
 * }