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.

Geographic coordinates: 13 35 S, 172 20 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 2,831 km²
Land: 2,821 km²
Water: 10 km²
Rank: 177
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)

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

Population
Distribution: about three-quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu: 203,774 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 184
Growth rate: 0.61% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 148
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: Samoan(s)
Adjective: Samoan

Ethnic groups: Samoan 96%, Samoan/New Zealander 2%, other 1.9% (2011 est.)
Note: data represent the population by country of citizenship

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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 29.31% (male 30,825/female 28,900)
15-24 years: 19.61% (male 20,519/female 19,439)
25-54 years: 37.4% (male 39,011/female 37,200)
55-64 years: 7.5% (male 7,780/female 7,505)
65 years and over: 6.18% (male 5,513/female 7,082) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 73.3
Youth dependency ratio: 64.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.8
Potential support ratio: 11.4 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 25.6 years
Male: 25.3 years
Female: 26 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 159

Population growth rate: 0.61% (2020 est.)
Rank: 148

Birth rate: 19.6 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 76

Death rate: 5.4 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 186

Net migration rate: -8.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 213

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 17.9% 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.6 years (2009 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Infant mortality rate
Total: 17 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 20 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.9 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 87

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.7 years
Male: 71.7 years
Female: 77.7 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 128

Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 74

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 26.9% (2014)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 3.2% of population
Total: 2.6% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.5% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.34 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.5% of population
Rural: 1.9% of population
Total: 1.8% of population (2017 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: malaria

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

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

Education expenditures: 4.2% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 88

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.1%
Male: 99%
Female: 99.2% (2018)

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 meaning of Samoa is disputed; some modern explanations are that the sa connotes sacred and moa indicates center, so the name can mean Holy Center; alternatively, some assertions state that it can mean place of the sacred moa bird of Polynesian mythology; the name, however, may go back to Proto-Polynesian (PPn) times (before 1000 B.C.); a plausible PPn reconstruction has the first syllable as saa meaning tribe or people and moa meaning deep sea or ocean to convey the meaning people of the deep sea

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

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

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 on 9 April 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA (since 4 December 2003)
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: 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
Note: similar to the flag of Taiwan

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)

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 114

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 153

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: 84

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

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

Fiscal year: June 1 - May 31

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 79

Current account balance:
Rank: 72

Exports: $27.5 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 208
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: 50
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: 179

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
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: 193
Generation sources fossil fuels: 48% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 154
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

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

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

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 8,770
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4.33 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 192
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 128,776
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63.58 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 190

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: 67,662
Users percent of population: 33.61% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 190

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1692
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Rank: 187

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

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 137,770 (2018)

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

Airports: 4 (2013)
Rank: 187
With paved runways total: 1 (2019)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2013)

Roadways
Total: 1150 km (2018)
Rank: 181

Merchant marine
Total: 13
By type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 7 (2019)
Rank: 149

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Apia

Disputes international: none