Map of American Samoa | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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Location:

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 199 km²
Land: 199 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 116 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m or depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages 124 inches; 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

Natural resources: pumice, pumicite

Land use
Arable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 5%
Forest and woodland: 75%
Other: 10%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 53,139 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 3.9% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: American Samoan(s)
Adjective: American Samoan

Ethnic groups: Samoan (Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5%

Languages: Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English; most people are bilingual

Religions: Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant denominations and other 30%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.9% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 37 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 4 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 6 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: typhoons common from December to March
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73 years
Male: 71 years
Female: 75 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.41 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Total population: 97%
Male: 97%
Female: 97%
By occupation: government 33%, tuna canneries 34%, other 33% (1990)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
Conventional short form: American Samoa
Abbreviation: AS

Government type: unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the US Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs

Capital: Pago Pago

Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (territory of the US)

National holiday: Territorial Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

Constitution: ratified 1966, in effect 1967

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor

Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) consists of an upper house or Senate (appointed by county village chiefs) and a lower house or House of Representatives (elected)

Judicial branch: High Court Chief of State: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993; Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) Head of Government: Governor A. P. LUTALI (since 3 January 1993; Lieutenant Governor Tauese P. SUNIA (since 3 January 1993)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, SPC

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (territory of the US)

Flag description: blue with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly 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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Economic activity is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa does 80-90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. The tuna canneries and the government are by far the two largest employers. Other economic activities include a slowly developing tourist industry. Transfers from the US government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas, dairy farming

Industries: tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign fishing vessels),

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%

Labor force

Unemployment rate: 12% (1991)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $97,000,000 (includes $43,000,000 in local revenue and$54,000,000 in grant revenue; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $306 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: canned tuna 93%
Partners: US 99.6%

Imports: $360.3 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodoties: materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6%
Partners: US 62%, Japan 9%, NZ 7%, Australia 11%, Fiji 4%, other 7%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 42,000 kW capacity; 100 million kWh produced, 2,020 kWh per capita (1990)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3
Usable: 3
With permanentsurface runways: 3
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440 to 3659 m: 1 (international airport at Tafuna)
With runways 1200 to 2439 m: 0

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs