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.

Map reference: Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 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

Natural 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

Natural hazards: subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Population: 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)

Population 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.)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion

Infant 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.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1971); total population:97%; male:97%; female:97%

Country 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

Independence: 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

Suffrage: 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

International 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

Flag description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

Economy 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 growth rate: -4.3% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture 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%

Budget: revenues:$95.3 million

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $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%

Debt external: $83 million (December 1990 est.)

Exchange 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)

Electricity
Capacity: 29,000 kW
Production: 45 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 240 kWh (1990)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $N/A, NA% of GDP

Airports: 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

Merchant marine: 1 roll on/roll off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT

Disputes international: none