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.

Geographic coordinates: 13 35 S 172 20 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 2,944 km²
Water: 10 km²
Land: 2,934 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m

Natural resources: hardwood forests fish hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 19.43%
Permanent crops: 23.67%
Other: 56.9% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Geography
Note: occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

Population: 178,631 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: -0.25% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Samoan
Adjective: Samoan

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 one-half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational Roman Catholic Methodist Latter-Day Saints Seventh-Day Adventist)

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.6% (male 27,774; female 26,854)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 71,358; female 42,150)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 4,859; female 5,636) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.25% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 15.53 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 6.35 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -11.64 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 1.69 male/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male/female
Total population: 1.39 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 30.74 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.8 years
Female: 72.69 years (2002 est.)
Male: 67.06 years

Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 80%
Male: 81%
Female: 79% (1999)

Country name
Conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa
Conventional short form: Samoa
Former: Western Samoa

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 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 1 June 1962 is the date that independence is celebrated

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 24 November 1998); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from 1992 until he assumed the prime ministership in November 1998, when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; the post of deputy prime minister is currently vacant
Cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice
Elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

Legislative branch
Elections: byelection last held NA November 2001 (next byelection to be held 29 March 2002)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA chairman]; Samoa All People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua NAIMOAGA]; Samoan National Development Party or SNDP [LE MAMEA Ropati chairman] (opposition); Samoa National Party [FETU Tiatia party secretary]; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale]; Samoan United Independent Party or SUIP [leader NA]

International organization participation: ACP AsDB C ESCAP FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IMF IMO IOC ITU OPCW (signatory) Sparteca SPC SPF UN UNCTAD UNESCO UPU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE
In the us fax: [1] (212) 599-0797
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 599-6,196, 6,197
In the us chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10,017
From the us chief of mission: the Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa
From the us embassy: 5th floor John Williams Building, Beach Road, Apia
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 3,430, Apia
From the us telephone: [685] 21,631
From the us fax: [685] 22,030

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: The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid family remittances from overseas and agricultural exports. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force and furnishes 90% of exports featuring coconut cream coconut oil and copra. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. The decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector accounting for 16% of GDP; about 85,000 tourists visited the islands in 2000. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector encouragement of investment and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state the external debt is stable and inflation is low.

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 16%
Industry: 18%
Services: 66% (2000 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts bananas taro yams

Industries: food processing building materials auto parts

Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (2000)

Labor force: 90,000 (2000 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 65%
By occupation services: 30%
By occupation industry: 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%; note - substantial underemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $105 million
Expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001/2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.5% (2001 est.)

Exports: $17 million f.o.b. (2000)
Commodities: fish coconut oil and cream copra taro garments beer
Partners: Australia 62% Indonesia 13% US 11% American Samoa 3% New Zealand 3% (2000)

Imports: $90 million f.o.b. (2000)
Commodities: machinery and equipment industrial supplies foodstuffs
Partners: Australia 27% US 26% New Zealand 14% Fiji 12% Japan 9% (2000)

Debt external: $192 million (1999)

Exchange rates: tala per US dollar - 3.5236 (January 2002) 3.4722 (2001) 3.2712 (2000) 3.0120 (1999) 2.9429 (1998) 2.5562 (1997)

Electricity
Production: 103 million kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 59%
Production by source hydro: 41%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 95.79 million kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 8,183 (1998)
Mobile cellular: 1545 (February 1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate
Domestic: NA
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .ws
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 3,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 3 (2001)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,091 GRT/ 8,127 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 1
Note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: none