Background: Settled as early as 1000 B. C. Samoa was 'discovered' by European explorers in 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.

Area
Total: 199 km²
Land: 199 km²; includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 116 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: none

Climate: tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages 124 inches; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls

Natural resources: pumice and pumicite

Land use: arable land: 10%; permanent crops: 5%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 75%; other 10%

Population:

Nationality: noun - American Samoan(s; adjective - American Samoan; US, noncitizen nationals

Ethnic groups: Samoan (Polynesian) 90%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 2%, other 6%

Languages: Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages) and English; most people are bilingual

Religions:

Birth rate: 37 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 4 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 6 immigrants/1000 population (1992)

Environment
Current issues: typhoons common from December to March
Current issues note:

Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born/woman (1992)

Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Country name
Conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa

Government type: unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US;

Capital: Pago Pago

Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)

Independence: none (territory of the US)

National holiday: Territorial Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

Constitution: ratified 1966, in effect 1967; note - a comprehensive revision is awaiting ratification by the US Congress (1992)

Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not US citizens
Governor: last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results - Peter T. COLEMAN was elected (percent of vote NA)
House of Representatives:
Senate: last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results - senators elected by county councils from 12 senate districts; seats - (18 total) number of seats by party NA
US House of Representatives:

Executive branch: popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor

Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch: High Court, district courts, and village courts

International organization participation: ESCAP, IOC, SPC
Diplomatic representation: 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 staff and a war club

Economy overview:
GNP: purchasing power equivalent - $128 million, per capita $2,500; real growth rate NA% (1990)

Agriculture products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas, dairy farming

Industries: tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign supplies of raw tuna), meat canning, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%

Labor force: 14,400 (1990); government 48%, tuna canneries 33%, other 19% (1986 est.)
Organized labor: NA

Unemployment rate: 12% (1991)

Budget: revenues $126,394,000 (consisting of $46,441,000 local revenue and $79,953,000 grant revenue; including capital expenditures of $NA million (1990)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Exports: $307 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: canned tuna 93%
Partners: US 99.6%

Imports: $377.9 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodoties: materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum 7%, machinery and parts 6%
Partners: US 72%, Japan 7%, NZ 7%, Australia 5%, other 9%

Exchange rates: US currency is used

Electricity
Production: 42,000 kW capacity; 85 million kWh produced, 2,020 kWh per capita (1990)

Airports: