Statistical information Western Samoa 1994Western%20Samoa

Map of Western Samoa | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Western Samoa in the World
Western Samoa in the World

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Western Samoa - Introduction 1994
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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.


Western Samoa - Geography 1994
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Location: Oceania, Polynesia, 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates

Map referenceOceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: total area: 2,860 km²; land:2,850 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 403 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone:200 nm; territorial sea:12 nm

Climate: tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)

Terrain: narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior

Elevation

Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish
Land use

Land use: arable land:19%; permanent crops:24%; meadows and pastures:0%; forest and woodland:47%; other:10%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Geography


Western Samoa - People 1994
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Population: 204,447 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 2.38% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Western Samoan(s)

Ethnic groups: Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%

Languages: Samoan (Polynesian), English

Religions: Christian 99.7% (about half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.38% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 32.41 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 6.02 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.63 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 37 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population:67.97 years; male:65.59 years; female:70.48 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.16 children born/woman (1994 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 (1971); total population:97%; male:97%; female:97%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Western Samoa - Government 1994
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Country name: conventional long form: Independent State of Western Samoa; conventional short form

Government type: constitutional monarchy under native chief

Capital: Apia

Administrative divisions: 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)

National holiday: National Day, 1 June (1962)

Constitution: 1 January 1962

Legal system: 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal, but only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly

Executive branch: chief of state:Chief Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963); head of government:Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)

Legislative branch: Department of Police and Prisons

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
From the us:
chief of mission:Ambassador Neroni SLADE; chancery:820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10,017; telephone:(212) 599-6,196 or 6,197; FAX:(212) 972-3,970
chief of mission:the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa; embassy:5th floor, Beach Road, Apia; mailing address:P.O. Box 3,430, Apia; telephone:(685) 21-631; FAX:(685) 22-030


Flag descriptionflag of Western%20Samoa: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Western Samoa - Economy 1994
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Economy overview: Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and furnishes 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports much greater than export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way. The economy continued to falter in 1993, as remittances and tourist earnings fell off. A fungal plant disease severely damaged the taro crop, the primary food and export crop.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -4.3% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,000 (1992 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for about 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)

Industries: timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: -0.3% (1992 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP

Labor force: 38,000
By occupation agriculture: 22,000 (1987 est.)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$95.3 million

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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: $5.7 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.); XXXXXXcommodities:coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa; XXXXXXpartners:New Zealand 34%, American Samoa 21%, Germany 18%, Australia 11%

Imports: $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.); XXXXXXcommodities:intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%; XXXXXXpartners:New Zealand 37%, Australia 25%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $83 million (December 1990 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.5920 (January 1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992), 2.3975 (1991), 2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989)


Western Samoa - Energy 1994
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Electricity
Capacity: 29,000 kW
Production: 45 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 240 kWh (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Western Samoa - Communication 1994
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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Western Samoa - Military 1994
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $N/A, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Western Samoa - Transportation 1994
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: total:3; usable:3; with permanent-surface runways:1; with runways over 3,659 m:0; with runways 2,440-3,659 m:1; with runways 1,220-2,439 m:0

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 1 roll on/roll off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT

Ports and terminals


Western Samoa - Transnational issues 1994
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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


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