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  American Samoa  
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
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 Economy
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 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 28 July, 2005


Map of American Samoa



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    American Samoa
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    American Samoa
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
14 20 S, 170 00 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
116 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
pumice, pumicite
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 15%
other: 75% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
typhoons common from December to March
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
limited natural fresh water resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean
   People    American Samoa
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
57,881 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 35.7% (male 10,705/female 9,956)
15-64 years: 61.3% (male 18,351/female 17,125)
65 years and over: 3% (male 664/female 1,080) (2005 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 22.76 years
male: 22.5 years
female: 23.05 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.11% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
23.13 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.33 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-20.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 9.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 75.84 years
male: 72.27 years
female: 79.62 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.25 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%, mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2%
note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.)
   Government    American Samoa
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Pago Pago
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of the US)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
ratified 2 June 1966, in effect 1 July 1967
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003)
cabinet: cabinet made up of 12 department directors
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 2 and 16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of vote - Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3%
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - independents 18
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of the US)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer 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    American Samoa
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
This is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa conducts most of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $500 million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
14,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
tuna canneries 34%, government 33%, other 33% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6% (2000)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY96/97)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
130 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
120.9 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$30 million (2002)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
canned tuna 93%
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Samoa 41.6%, Australia 21.8%, Japan 16.6%, New Zealand 7.7%, Canada 4.2% (2004)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$123 million (2002)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6%
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Japan 32.3%, New Zealand 30.4%, Germany 14.6%, Australia 9.2% (2004)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
US dollar (USD)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
USD
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
the US dollar is used
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 October - 30 September
   Communications    American Samoa
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,377 (1999)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
international: country code - 1-684; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1; note - one cable TV station (2004)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.as
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transportation    American Samoa
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 185 km
paved: 185 km
unpaved: 0 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
   Military    American Samoa
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the US
   Transnational Issues    American Samoa
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 28 July, 2005


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