Statistical information Western Samoa 1994

Western Samoa in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: Oceania, Polynesia, 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal: 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
ElevationNatural resources: hardwood forests, fish
Land use: arable land:19%; permanent crops:24%; meadows and pastures:0%; forest and woodland:47%; other:10%
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Geographytop of pagePopulation: 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 profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation 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 distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: soil erosion
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant 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 rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1971); total population:97%; male:97%; female:97%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry 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 areasIndependence: 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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 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 leadersInternational 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 representationFrom 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 description
: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 parityReal gdp growth rate: -4.3% (1992 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $2,000 (1992 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture 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.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues:$95.3 million
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $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 goldDebt external: $83 million (December 1990 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.5920 (January 1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992), 2.3975 (1991), 2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 29,000 kW
Production: 45 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 240 kWh (1990)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $N/A, NA% of GDP
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 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
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine: 1 roll on/roll off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs