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

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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. The country dropped the 'Western' from its name in 1997.In the late 2000s, Samoa began making efforts to more closely align with Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, Samoa changed its driving orientation to the left side of the road, in line with other Commonwealth countries. In 2011, Samoa jumped forward one day - skipping December 30 - by moving to the west of the International Date Line so that it was one hour ahead of New Zealand and three hours ahead of the east coast of Australia, rather than 23 and 21 hours behind, respectively.


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

Geographic coordinates: 13 35 S, 172 20 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 2,831 km²
Land: 2,821 km²
Water: 10 km²
Rank: 178
Comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 403 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

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

Terrain: two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rugged mountains in interior

Elevation
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mount Silisili 1,857 m

Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Land use
Agricultural land: 12.4% (2011 est.)
Forest: 60.4% (2011 est.)
Other: 27.2% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: occasional cyclones; active volcanismvolcanism: Savai'I Island (1,858 m), which last erupted in 1911, is historically active

Geography
Note: occupies an almost central position within Polynesia


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Population
Distribution: about three-quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu: 201,316 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 185
Growth rate: 0.61% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 147
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: Samoan(s)
Adjective: Samoan

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Somoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 0.2%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 est.)

Religions: Protestant 54.9% (Congregationalist 29%, Methodist 12.4%, Assembly of God 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, other Protestant 2.3%), Roman Catholic 18.8%, Mormon 16.9%, Worship Centre 2.8%, other Christian 3.6%, other 2.9% (includes Baha'i, Muslim), none 0.2% (2016 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.67% (male 31,862 /female 29,875)
15-24 years: 19.76% (male 20,413 /female 19,357)
25-54 years: 36.68% (male 37,944 /female 35,893)
55-64 years: 7.05% (male 7,223 /female 6,973)
65 years and over: 5.85% (male 5,126 /female 6,650) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 74.2 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 64.9 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 9.3 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 10.8 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 24.8 years (2018 est.)
Male: 24.5 years
Female: 25.1 years
Rank: 159

Population growth rate: 0.61% (2018 est.)
Rank: 147

Birth rate: 20.2 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 77

Death rate: 5.4 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 181

Net migration rate: -8.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 214

Population distribution: about three-quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu

Urbanization
Urban population: 18.1% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: -0.47% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 36,000 APIA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 18 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 21.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 14.2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 87

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.2 years (2018 est.)
Male: 71.3 years
Female: 77.3 years
Rank: 129

Total fertility rate: 2.64 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 67

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 26.9% (2014)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.5% of population
Rural: 0.7% of population
Total: 1% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.5% (2016)

Physicians density: 0.34 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 6.7% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 8.9% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 8.5% of population (2015 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases: note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 47.3% (2016)
Rank: 8

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.2% (2014)
Rank: 97

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 99

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99.1%
Female: 98.8% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa
Conventional short form: Samoa
Local long form: Malo Saoloto Tutoatasi o Samoa
Local short form: Samoa
Former: Western Samoa
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: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Apia
Geographic coordinates: 13 49 S, 171 46 W
Time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April: etymology: name derives from the native village around which the capital was constructed in the 1850s; the village still exists within the larger modern capital

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 New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, but it is observed in June

Constitution
History: several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962
Amendments: proposed as an act by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the third reading - provided at least 90 days have elapsed since the second reading, and assent of the chief of state; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles on customary land or constitutional amendment procedures also requires at least two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2015 (2017)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Samoa
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: TUIMALEALIIFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017)
Head of government: Prime Minister TUILAEPA Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi (since 23 November 1998); Deputy Prime Minister FIAME Naomi Mata’afa (since 2016)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief of state on the prime ministers advice
Electionsappointments: chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (2- term limit); election last held on 4 July 2017 (next to be held in 2022); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state, approved by the Legislative Assembly
Election results: TUIMALEALIIFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly on 5 July 2017

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (50 seats for 2016-2021 term); members from 49 single-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote and 1 seat for a woman, added for the 2016 election to meet the mandated 10% representation of women in the Assembly; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: election last held on 4 March 2016 (next election to be held no later than March 2021)
Election results: percent of vote by party - HRPP 89.8%, Tautua Samoa 4.1%, independent 6.1%; seats by party - initial election results - HRPP 44, Tautua Samoa 2, independents 3; post-election party affiliation - HRPP 47, (informal) opposition 3; composition - men 45, women 5, percent of women 10%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 2 Supreme Court judges and meets once or twice a year); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several judges)
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the chief of state upon the advice of the prime minister; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general and an appointee of the Minister of Justice; judges normally serve until retirement at age 68
Subordinate courts: District Court; Magistrates Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village fono or village chief councils

Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi]

International organization participation: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400J, New York, NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 599-6,196 through 6,197
In the us FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797
In the us consulate: Pago Pago (American Samoa)
From the us chief of mission: the US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa
From the us telephone: [685] 21-631 (2018)
From the us embassy: Accident Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 3,430, Matafele, Apia
From the us FAX: [685] 22-030 (2018)

Flag description:

National symbols: Southern Cross constellation (five, five-pointed stars); national colors: red, white, blue

National anthem
Name: O le Fua o le Saolotoga o Samoa (The Banner of Freedom)
Lyricsmusic: Sauni Liga KURESA: note: adopted 1962; also known as 'Samoa Tula'i' (Samoa Arise)

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, tourism, agriculture, and fishing. It has a nominal GDP of $844 million. Agriculture, including fishing, furnishes 90% of exports, featuring fish, coconut oil, nonu products, and taro. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Industry accounts for nearly 22% of GDP while employing less than 6% of the work force. The service sector accounts for nearly two-thirds of GDP and employs approximately 50% of the labor force. Tourism is an expanding sector accounting for 25% of GDP; 132,000 tourists visited the islands in 2013.The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. In September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami severely damaged Samoa and nearby American Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths. In December 2012, extensive flooding and wind damage from Tropical Cyclone Evan killed four people, displaced over 6,000, and damaged or destroyed an estimated 1,500 homes on Samoa's Upolu Island.The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the country's financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time protecting the environment. Foreign reserves are relatively healthy and inflation is low, but external debt is approximately 45% of GDP. Samoa became the 155th member of the WTO in May 2012, and graduated from least developed country status in January 2014.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 204

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 133

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 169

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Exports of goods and services: 27.2% (2015 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -50.5% (2015 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.4% (2017 est.)
Industry: 23.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 66% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts, nonu, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

Industries: food processing, building materials, auto parts

Industrial production growth rate: -1.8% (2017 est.)
Rank: 180

Labor force: 50,700 (2016 est.)
Rank: 192
By occupation agriculture: 65%
By occupation industry: 6%
By occupation services: 29% (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 78

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 237.3 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 276.8 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 166

Taxes and other revenues: 28.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 95

Public debt:
Rank: 103

Revenue

Fiscal year: June 1 - May 31

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 72

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 95

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 186

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 191

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 181

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 72

Exports: $27.5 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 207
Partners: Australia 22.9%, NZ 22.8%, American Samoa 22.1%, Afghanistan 14.9%, US 5.9% (2017)
Commodities: fish, coconut oil and cream, nonu, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer

Imports:
Rank: 41
Commodities: machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
Partners: NZ 22%, Singapore 20.7%, US 12.5%, China 10.1%, Australia 8.6%, Fiji 5.2% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 180

Debt external: $447.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)
Rank: 180

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 132 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 197
Consumption: 122.8 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 199
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 192
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 194
Installed generating capacity: 45,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 194
Generation sources fossil fuels: 48% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 155
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 176
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 85
Generation sources other renewable sources: 29% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 20

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 195
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 188
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 190
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 190

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 197
Products consumption: 2,400 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 191
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 198
Products imports: 2,363 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 187

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 192
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 194
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 177
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 183
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 189

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 341,100 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 191

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 8,454
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 197
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 124,211
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 62 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 188

Telephone system
General assessment: most households have at least one mobile phone; all businesses in the greater Apia area have access to broadband and Wi-Fi, which is reasonably reliable and fast; in rural Upolu and on Savaii Island there is now readily available high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi; due to the establishment of a regulatory infrastructure, liberalization and competition of the mobile market the telecom market has increased coverage and reduced cost; 4G LTE services accessible to about 95% of residents (2018)
Domestic: fixed-line 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 62 telephones per 100 persons (2018)
International: country code - 685; landing points for the Tui-Samo, Manatua, SAS, and Southern Cross NEXT submarine cables providing connectivity to Samoa, Fiji, Wallis & Futuna, Cook Islands, Niue, French Polynesia, American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Los Angeles (US), and Tokelau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Broadcast media: state-owned TV station privatized in 2008; 4 privately owned television broadcast stations; about a half-dozen privately owned radio stations and one state-owned radio station; TV and radio broadcasts of several stations from American Samoa are available (2019)

Internet
Country code: .ws
Users total: 58,508
Users percent of population: 29.4% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 187

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1692
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Rank: 184


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (2019)

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 270,908 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 5W (2016)

Airports: 4 (2013)
Rank: 188
With paved runways total: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 13
By type: general cargo 4, oil tanker 2, other 7 (2018)
Rank: 146

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Apia


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs