Map of American Samoa | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Settled as early as 1000 B.C. Samoa was not reached by European explorers until 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: 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 reference

Area
Rank: 216
Land: 199 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 116 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical marine moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April) dry season (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 highest point: Lata Mountain 964 m

Natural resources: pumice pumicite

Land use
Permanent crops: 15%
Other: 75.5% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons common from December to March
Volcanism: limited volcanic activity on the Ofu and Olosega Islands; neither has erupted since the 19th century

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


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Population: 54,517 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 208
Growth rate: -0.35% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 219
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: American Samoan

Ethnic groups: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 91.6% Asian 2.8% white 1.1% mixed 4.2% other 0.3% (2000 est.)

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%

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 20.2% (male 5,468/female 5,565)
25-54 years: 41.7% (male 11,694/female 11,056)
55-64 years: 8.2% (male 2,211/female 2,260)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1234/female 1441) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Male: 28.8 years
Female: 27.8 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.35% (2014 est.)
Rank: 219

Birth rate: 22.87 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 72

Death rate: 4.68 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 198

Net migration rate: -21.64 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 221

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.87% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: PAGO PAGO (capital) 64,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 150
Male: 11.47 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.21 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 104
Male: 71.96 years
Female: 78.04 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.98 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 57

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 74.6% (2007)
Rank: 1

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Total population: 97%
Male: 98%
Female: 97% (1980 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: American Samoa
Abbreviation: AS

Government type: NA

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 14 16 S 170 42 W
Time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington DC during Standard Time)

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

Dependent areas

Independence: none (territory of the US)

National holiday: Flag Day 17 April (1900)

Constitution: ratified 2 June 1966 effective 1 July 1967 (2013)

Legal system: mixed legal system of US common law and customary law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Governor Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA (since 3 January 2013)
Cabinet: Cabinet made up of 12 department directors
Elections: under the US Constitution residents of unincorporated territories such as American Samoa do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 November 2012 with a runoff held on 20 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016)
Election results: runoff election percent of vote - Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA 52.9% Faoa Aitofele SUNIA 47.1%

Legislative branch: bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms)
Elections: House of Representatives - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2014); Senate - last held on 6 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 18; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 20

Judicial branch: note - American Samoa has no US federal courts
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice and associate chief justice appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior to serve for life; Samoan associate judges appointed by the governor to serve for life
Subordinate courts: district and village courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: AOSIS Interpol (subbureau) IOC PIF (observer) SPC UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (territory of the US)
From 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 war club known as a 'Fa'alaufa'i' (upper; left talon) and a coconut fiber fly whisk known as a 'Fue' (lower; right talon); the combination of symbols broadly mimics that seen on the US Great Seal and reflects the relationship between the United States and American Samoa

National symbols

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Mariota Tiumalu TUIASOSOPO/Napoleon Andrew TUITELELEAPAGA

National heritage


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Economy overview: American Samoa has 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 commerce. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector with canned tuna the primary export. The two tuna canneries account for 80% of employment. In late September 2009 an earthquake and the resulting tsunami devastated American Samoa and nearby Samoa disrupting transportation and power generation and resulting in about 200 deaths. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency is overseeing a relief program of nearly $25 million. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $510.1 million (2003 est.)
Rank: 214

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (2003)
Rank: 115

Real gdp per capita: $5,800 (2005 est.)
Rank: 134

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

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%

Labor force: 17,630 (2005)
Rank: 211

Unemployment rate: 29.8% (2005)
Rank: 180

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $183.6 million (2007 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -6.1% of GDP (2007)
Surplus or deficit rank: 178

Taxes and other revenues: 33.6% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 72

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

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: $445.6 million (FY04 est.)
Rank: 177
Commodities: canned tuna 93%

Imports: $308.8 million (FY04 est.)
Rank: 199
Commodities: raw materials for canneries food petroleum products machinery and parts

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used


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Electricity
Production: 155 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 187
Consumption: 147.9 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 192
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 98
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 115
Installed generating capacity: 60,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 184
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 3
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 40
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 154
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 152

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 150
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 79
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 154
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 104

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 119
Products consumption: 5,115 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 167
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 149
Products imports: 2003 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 180

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 99
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 118
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 59
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 154
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 110

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 426,200 Mt (2011 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 10,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 200

Telephone system
Domestic: domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
International: country code - 1-684; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media: 3 TV stations; multi-channel pay TV services are available; about a dozen radio stations some of which are repeater stations (2009)

Internet
Country code: .as
Hosts: 2,387 (2012)
Hosts rank: 161
Users: NA

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 (2013)
Rank: 193
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 206

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olosega) in its 2006 draft independence constitution

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs