| |
| |
| |
|
Home ----
Oceania
( A
) ----
American Samoa
(territory of the
US) |
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
National Map
Of |
American Samoa |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Flag
Of |
American Samoa |
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
American Samoa |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Anthem
Of |
American Samoa |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Categories National Symbol Of |
American Samoa |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Location:
|
Oceania,
group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half
way between Hawaii and New Zealand |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
14 20 S,
170 00 W |
|
Map references:
|
Oceania
|
|
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 |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
116 km
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
|
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 |
|
Terrain:
|
five
volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal
plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
pumice,
pumicite |
|
Land use:
|
arable
land: 10%
permanent crops: 15%
other: 75% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
typhoons
common from December to March |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Population:
|
57,881 (July 2005 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 35.7% (male 10,705/female 9,956)
15-64 years: 61.3% (male 18,351/female 17,125)
65 years and over: 3% (male 664/female 1,080)
(2005 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 22.76 years
male: 22.5 years
female: 23.05 years (2005 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.11% (2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
23.13 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
3.33 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-20.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 9.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 75.84 years
male: 72.27 years
female: 79.62 years (2005 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
3.25 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
NA |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%,
mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census) |
|
Religions:
|
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%,
Protestant and other 30% |
|
Languages:
|
Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other
Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other
Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2%
note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)
|
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Territory of American
Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS |
|
Dependency status:
|
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US;
administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US
Department of the Interior |
|
Government type:
|
NA |
|
Capital:
|
Pago Pago |
|
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 |
|
Independence:
|
none (territory of the US) |
|
National holiday:
|
Flag Day, 17 April (1900) |
|
Constitution:
|
ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967 |
|
Legal system:
|
NA |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal |
|
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)
cabinet: cabinet made up of 12 department
directors
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 2
and 16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected
governor; percent of vote - Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa
Moega LUTU 44.3% |
|
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 2
November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Senate -
last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November
2008)
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 2 November 2004 (next to be held
November 2006); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
(Democrat) reelected as delegate |
|
Judicial branch:
|
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are
appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai
A. F. FAALEVAO] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC, UPU |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
none (territory of the US) |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
none (territory of the US) |
|
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 |
|
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 is a promising
developing sector. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$500
million (2000 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
NA |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
NA |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
|
Labor force:
|
14,000
(1996) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
tuna
canneries 34%, government 33%, other 33% (1990) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
6% (2000)
|
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
NA% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63%
in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (FY96/97) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
bananas,
coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra,
pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock |
|
Industries:
|
tuna
canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels),
handicrafts |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
130
million kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
120.9
million kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh
(2003) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh
(2003) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day
(2003) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
4,000
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA (2001)
|
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA (2001)
|
|
Exports:
|
$10
million (2004 est.) |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Samoa
39.8%, Australia 19.9%, Japan 15.1%, New Zealand 10.5%
(2004) |
|
Imports:
|
$105
million (2004 est.) |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Japan
31.4%, New Zealand 27.9%, Germany 17.1%, Australia 8.9%
(2004) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$NA |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
important
financial support from the US, more than $40 million in
1994 |
|
Currency (code):
|
US dollar
(USD) |
|
Exchange rates:
|
the US
dollar is used |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 October
- 30 September |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
15,000
(2001) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
2,377
(1999) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and
cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system
with 1 Comsat earth station
international: country code - 1-684; satellite
earth station - 1 (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean) (2005) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 3, FM
4, shortwave 1 (2004) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
1; note -
one cable TV station (2004) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.as |
|
Internet users:
|
NA |
|
Airports:
|
3 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
2
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
1
under 914 m: 1 (2005 est.) |
|
Roadways:
|
total:
185 km
paved: 185 km
unpaved: 0 km (2004) |
|
Ports and terminals:
|
Pago Pago
|
|
Military - note:
|
defense
is the responsibility of the US |
|
Disputes - international:
|
none |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
