 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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Background: |
Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was
"discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century.
International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were
settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the
Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller
group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago -
the following year. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Location: |
Oceania,
group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between
Hawaii and New Zealand |
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Geographic coordinates: |
14 20 S, 170
00 W |
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Map references: |
Oceania
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Area: |
total:
199 sq km
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly
larger than Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries: |
0 km |
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Coastline: |
116 km
|
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic
zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical
marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages
about 3 m; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May
to October; little seasonal temperature variation |
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Terrain: |
five
volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two
coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island) |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m
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Natural resources: |
pumice,
pumicite |
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Land use: |
arable
land: 10%
permanent crops: 15%
other: 75%
(2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
NA sq km
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Natural hazards: |
typhoons
common from December to March |
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Environment - current issues: |
limited
natural fresh water resources; the water division of the government
has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water
catchments and pipelines |
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Geography - note: |
Pago Pago
has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific
Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by
peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the
South Pacific Ocean Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Population: |
57,902 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14
years: 36.6% (male 10,983; female 10,208)
15-64
years: 60.3% (male 18,010; female 16,933)
65 years and
over: 3.1% (male 699; female 1,069) (2004 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 22.4 years
male: 22.1 years
female: 22.7 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
0.04% (2004
est.) |
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Birth rate: |
24.46
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate: |
3.39
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-20.71
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population:
1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total:
9.48 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.06 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 8.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 75.62 years
male: 72.05 years
female: 79.41 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
3.41 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
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Nationality: |
noun:
American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan |
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Ethnic groups: |
Samoan
(Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5% |
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Religions: |
Christian
Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30%
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Languages: |
Samoan
(closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages),
English
note: most people are bilingual |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Country name: |
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS |
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Dependency status: |
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered
by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
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Government type: |
NA |
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Capital: |
Pago Pago
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Administrative divisions: |
none
(territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three
districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a,
Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western |
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Independence: |
none
(territory of the US) |
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National holiday: |
Flag Day, 17
April (1900) |
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Constitution: |
ratified
1966, in effect 1967 |
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Legal system: |
NA |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
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Executive branch: |
chief of
state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January
2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7
April 2003) following the death of Governor Tauese P. SUNIA on 26
March 2003; TULAFONO had been the Lieutenant Governor
cabinet: NA
elections: US president and vice
president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor
and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote
for four-year terms; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be
held 2 November 2004)
election results: Tauese P. SUNIA
reelected governor; percent of vote - Tauese P. SUNIA (Democrat)
50.7%, Lealaifuaneva Peter REID (independent) 47.8%
note:
Togiola TULAFONO became acting governor 26 March 2003 upon the death
of Governor Tauese P. SUNIA |
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Legislative branch: |
bicameral
Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of
Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote
and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island;
members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are
elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7
November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); Senate - last held
7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
election
results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - independents 18
note: American Samoa
elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of
Representatives; election last held 7 November 2002 (next to be held
2 November 2004); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat)
reelected as delegate |
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Judicial branch: |
High Court
(chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US
Secretary of the Interior) |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Democratic
Party [leader NA]; Republican Party [leader NA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
Interpol
(subbureau), IOC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none
(territory of the US) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none
(territory of the US) |
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Flag description: |
blue, with a
white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer side and
extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle
flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional Samoan
symbols of authority, a staff and a war club Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Economy - overview: |
This is a
traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is
communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US,
with which American Samoa conducts most of its foreign trade. Tuna
fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private
sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US
Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic
well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and
broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its
limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism, a
developing sector, has been held back by the recurring financial
difficulties in East Asia. |
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GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $500 million (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
NA |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA |
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Population below poverty line: |
NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
NA (2003
est.) |
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Labor force: |
14,000 (1996)
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Labor force - by occupation: |
tuna
canneries 34%, government 33%, other 33% (1990) |
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Unemployment rate: |
6% (2000)
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Budget: |
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in
US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (FY96/97) |
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Agriculture - products: |
bananas,
coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples,
papayas; dairy products, livestock |
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Industries: |
tuna
canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts
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Industrial production growth rate: |
NA |
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Electricity - production: |
130 million
kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption: |
120.9 million
kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
3,800 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
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Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
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Exports: |
$30 million
(2002) |
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Exports - commodities: |
canned tuna
93% |
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Exports - partners: |
Samoa 30%,
Canada 20%, Japan 20%, Australia 10%, New Zealand 10%, South Korea
10% (2003 est.) |
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Imports: |
$123 million
(2002) |
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Imports - commodities: |
materials
for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and
parts 6% |
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Imports - partners: |
Australia
23.2%, New Zealand 23.2%, South Korea 21.4%, Mauritius 6.3% (2003
est.) |
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Debt - external: |
NA (2002
est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
important
financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 |
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Currency: |
US dollar
(USD) |
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Currency code: |
USD |
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Exchange rates: |
the US
dollar is used |
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Fiscal year: |
1 October -
30 September Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Disputes - international: |
none
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Large portions of this information is from the US government open source publication "The World Factbook", other content copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. You may use this information without permission for educational or other non-profit purposes if you refer to us as the source, contact us if you want to use this commercially.
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