Statistical information American Samoa 2015

American Samoa in the World

American Samoa - Introduction 2015

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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.

American Samoa - Geography 2015

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Location: Oceania group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates: 14 20 S 170 00 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 199 km²
Land: 199 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Rank: 216
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 (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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Lata Mountain 964 m

Natural resources: pumice pumicite

Land use

Land use
Agricultural land: 21.7%

arable land: 13.3%
permanent crops: 8.4%
permanent pasture: 0%

Forest: 78.3%
Other: 0%

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

American Samoa - People 2015

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Population: 54,343 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 208
Growth rate: -0.3% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 219
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: American Samoan
Adjective: American Samoan

Ethnic groups: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 92.6% (includes Samoan 88.9% Tongan 2.9% other .8%) Asian 3.6% (includes Filipino 2.2% other 1.4%) mixed 2.7% other 1.2% (2010 est.)

Languages: Samoan 88.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages) English 3.9% Tongan 2.7% other Pacific islander 3% other 1.8%
Note: most people are bilingual

Religions: Christian 98.3% other 1% unaffiliated 0.7% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.45%
15-24 years: 19.61%
25-54 years: 42.1%
55-64 years: 8.69%
65 years and over: 5.14% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 28.8 years
Male: 29.4 years
Female: 28.3 years

Population growth rate: -0.3% (2015 est.)
Rank: 219

Birth rate: 22.89 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 70

Death rate: 4.75 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 197

Net migration rate: -21.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 222

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 87.2% of total population
Rate of urbanization: -0.13% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: PAGO PAGO (capital) 48,000 (2014)

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
At birth: 1.06 male/female
0-14 years: 0.96 male/female
15-24 years: 0.98 male/female
25-54 years: 1.06 male/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.69 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 11.16 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.09 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 149

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.14 years
Male: 72.18 years
Female: 78.28 years
Rank: 105

Total fertility rate: 2.92 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 56

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access:

urban: 62.5% of population
rural: 62.5% of population
total: 62.5% of population
urban: 37.5% of population
rural: 37.5% of population
total: 37.5% of population (2015 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment

American Samoa - Government 2015

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Country name
Conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
Conventional short form: American Samoa
Abbreviation: AS
Etymology: the name Samoa is composed of two parts 'sa' meaning 'sacred' and 'moa' meaning 'center' so the name can mean Holy Center; alternatively it can mean 'place of the sacred moa bird' of Polynesian mythology

Government type: NA

Capital
Name: Pago Pago
Geographic coordinates: 14 16 S 170 42 W
Time difference: UTC-11

Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government but there are 3 districts and 2 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: adopted 17 October 1960; revised 1 July 1967; amended 1971 1977 1979 (2015)

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see United States

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Barack H. OBAMA ; Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
Head of government: Governor Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA
Cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 department directors appointed by the governor with the consent of the Legislative Assembly
Electionsappointments: president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state to serve a 4-year term ; 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 directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 November 2012 with a runoff on 20 November 2012 (next to be held in November 2016)
Election results: Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA elected governor; percent of vote in second round - Lolo Matalasi MOLIGA 52.9% Faoa Aitofele SUNIA (Democratic Party) 47.1%

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members directly elected by simple majority vote and 1 decided by public meeting on Swains Island; members serve 2-year terms)
Elections: House of Representatives - last held on 4 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
Note: American Samoa elects 1 member by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegate last held on 4 November 2014

Judicial branch
Highest court: High Court of American Samoa: 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:

Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]
Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO]

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

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: a fue (coconut fiber fly whisk) crossed with a to'oto'o (staff); national colors: red white blue

National anthem
Name: 'Amerika Samoa'
Lyrics and music: Mariota Tiumalu TUIASOSOPO/Napoleon Andrew TUITELELEAPAGA
Note: local anthem adopted 1950; as a territory of the United States 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is official

National heritage

American Samoa - Economy 2015

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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 accounted for 13.1% of employment in 2013. 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 oversaw 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. In 2015 a new fish processing company completed refurbishing the processing facilities left behind by one of the two canneries that closed in 2009 and opened a new cannery. With two operating canneries once again fish processing and exports will rise in 2015 and beyond.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$711 million (2013 est.)
$718 million (2012 est.)
$647 million (2011 est.)

Rank: 207

Real gdp growth rate:

-2.4% (2013 est.)
-2.7% (2012 est.)
0.6% (2012 est.)

Rank: 217

Real gdp per capita:

$13,000 (2013 est.)
$13,100 (2012 est.)
$11,700 (2011 est.)

Rank: 119

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by sector of origin