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

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 403 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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 rocky rugged mountains in interior

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Mount Silisili 1857 m

Natural resources: hardwood forests fish hydropower

Land use
Permanent crops: 7.75%
Other: 89.44% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Volcanism: Savai'I Island (elev. 1858 m) which last erupted in 1911 is historically active

Geography
Note: occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

Population: 196,628
Rank: 185
Growth rate: 0.59% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 150
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Samoan

Ethnic groups: Samoan 92.6% Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) 7% Europeans 0.4% (2001 census)

Languages: Samoan (Polynesian) (official) English

Religions: Protestant 57.4% (Congregationalist 31.8% Methodist 13.7% Assembly of God 8% Seventh-Day Adventist 3.9%) Roman Catholic 19.4% Mormon 15.2% Worship Centre 1.7% other Christian 5.5% other 0.7% none 0.1% unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Age structure
15-24 years: 20.1% (male 20,227/female 19,200)
25-54 years: 35.2% (male 35,872/female 33,355)
55-64 years: 6% (male 5,955/female 5,770)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 4,647/female 6,011) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 65.4 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 9 %
Potential support ratio: 11.1 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 22.9 years
Female: 23.4 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.59% (2014 est.)
Rank: 150

Birth rate: 21.29 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 78

Death rate: 5.32 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 179

Net migration rate: -10.12 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 216

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: -0.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: APIA (capital) 37,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion deforestation invasive species overfishing
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.6

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 87
Male: 24.18 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 16.63 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 128
Male: 70.32 years
Female: 76.24 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.94 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 58

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 28.7% (2009)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.48 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 1 beds/1000 population (2005)

Sanitation facility access:

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

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 54.1% (2008)
Rank: 6

Education expenditures: 5.8% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 48

Literacy
Total population: 98.8%
Male: 99%
Female: 98.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2000)

Country name
Conventional short form: Samoa
Local long form: Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
Local short form: Samoa
Former: Western Samoa

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 13 49 S 171 46 W
Time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time): +1hr begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April

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; it is observed in June

Constitution: several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962; amended several times last in 2013 (2013)

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

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi (since 1998); Deputy Prime Minister FONOTOE Pierre Lauofo (since 2011)
Cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice
Elections: chief of state elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 20 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017); following legislative elections the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
Election results: TUI ATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats 47 members elected by voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral districts 2 elected by independent mostly non-Samoan or part-Samoan voters who cannot (or choose not to) establish a village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve five-year terms)
Elections: election last held on 4 March 2011 (next election to be held not later than March 2016)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HRPP 29 Tautua Samoa 13 independents 7

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the head 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 appointed 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:

International organization participation: ACP ADB AOSIS C FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO 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 general: Pago Pago (American Samoa)
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 telephone: [685] 21,436/21,631/21,452/22,696
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; red stands for courage blue represents freedom and white signifies purity

National symbols: Southern Cross constellation (five five-pointed stars)

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Sauni Liga KURESA

Economy overview: The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid family remittances from overseas agriculture and fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs roughly 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. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. Tourism is an expanding sector accounting for 25% of GDP; 122,000 tourists visited the islands in 2007. In late 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 1500 homes in Samoa's Upolu island. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector encouragement of investment and continued fiscal discipline while at the same time protecting the environment. 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 purchasing power parity:
Rank: 203

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 198

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 149

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 25.9%
Services: 64% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts bananas taro yams coffee cocoa

Industries: food processing building materials auto parts

Industrial production growth rate: -4.8% (2013 est.)
Rank: 189

Labor force: 47,930 (2011 est.)
Rank: 194
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Expenditures: $258.7 million (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -6.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 180

Taxes and other revenues: 30.6% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 90

Fiscal year: June 1 - May 31

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.1% (2012 est.)
Rank: 102

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.86% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 86

Stock of narrow money: $97.71 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 182

Stock of broad money: $307.8 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 186

Stock of domestic credit: $312.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 172

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$58.66 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 72

Exports: $11.4 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 213
Commodities: fish coconut oil and cream copra taro automotive parts garments beer
Partners: American Samoa 48.4% Australia 24% (2012)

Imports: $280 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 197
Commodities: machinery and equipment industrial supplies foodstuffs
Partners: NZ 19.2% Singapore 18.6% Fiji 17.6% China 15.8% Australia 5.9% US 5.4% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $168.7 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 163

Debt external: $368.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 181

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 120.2 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 196
Consumption: 111.8 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 196
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 214
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 216
Installed generating capacity: 41,100 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 195
Generation sources fossil fuels: 70.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 105
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 206
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 29.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 81
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 98

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 146
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 207
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 143
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 208

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 210
Products consumption: 1070 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 198
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 145
Products imports: 1149 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 192

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 210
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 210
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 209
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 80
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 208

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 146,600 Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 35,300 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 173
Mobile cellular: 167,400 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 183

Telephone system
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)

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 (2009)

Internet
Country code: .ws
Hosts: 18,013 (2012)
Hosts rank: 120
Users: 9,000 (2009)
Users rank: 202

Airports: 4 (2013)
Rank: 187
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways: 3 (2013)

Roadways
Rank: 172
Paved: 332 km
Unpaved: 2005 km (2001)

Merchant marine
Rank: 146
By type: cargo 1 passenger/cargo 1
Foreign owned: 1 (NZ 1) (2010)

Disputes international: none