Samoa

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Samoa as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalApia

Area2,860 km2

Populationas each edition published it

186,031 people July 1990 · 210,223 in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.37% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 23.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 67.58 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.6 children per woman 1990 · 2.29 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

48 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 17.2 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $690 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -4.5% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 2,860 km2

arable land 19%permanent crops 24%forest and woodland 47%other 10%NEGL% meadows and pastures

Total area

2,860km2

land area: 2,850 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Coastline

403km

land boundaries: noneTerritorial 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

Environment

subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Note

located 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

People

14 fields

Population

186,031

(July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

34Death

Literacy

90%

Nationality

noun--Western Samoan(s); adjective--Western Samoan

Ethnic divisions

Samoan; about 7% Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood), 0.4% Europeans

Religion

99.7% Christian (about half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Labor force

37,000; 22,000 employed in agriculture (1983 est.)

Government

Constitutional monarchy under native chief

16 fields

NA Legislative Assembly, 47 seats, elected 26 February 1988one dot, one seat

HRPP 25SNDP 22

Type

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Administrative divisions

11 districts; Aana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Faasaleleaga, Gagaemauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupaitea, Tuamasaga, Vaa-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Independence

1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)

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

Executive branch

monarch, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, Court of Appeal Chief of State--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)

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), Tofilau Eti, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), Tupua Tamasese Efi, chairman

Suffrage

there are two electoral rolls--the matai (head of family) roll and the individuals roll;
about 12,000 persons are on the matai roll, hold matai titles, and elect 45 members of the Legislative Assembly;
about 1,600 persons are on the individuals roll, lack traditional matai ties, and elect two members of the Legislative Assembly by universal adult suffrage at the age of NA Legislative Assembly--last held 26 February 1988 (next to be held by February 1991);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(47 total) HRPP 25, SNDP 22

Member of

ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT;
Chancery (temporary) at the Western Samoan Mission to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196;
US--the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa

Flag

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

Economy

Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and is the source of 90% of exports.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$112million

per capita $615; real growth rate 0.2% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

8.5%

(1988)

External debt

$75million

(December 1988 est.)

Exports $9.9 million (f.o.b., 1988)commodities, where a share is given

coconut oil and cream

42%taro

19%cocoa

14%

also copra, timber; partners--NZ 30%, EC 24%, Australia 21%, American Samoa 7%, US 9% (1987)

Imports $51.8 million (c.i.f., 1988)

intermediate goods

58%food

17%capital goods

12%

; partners--New Zealand 31%, Australia 20%, Japan 15%, Fiji 15%, US 5%, EC 4% (1987)

Budget

Revenues

$54 millionExpenditures

$54 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1988)

Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and is the source of 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 about five times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way.

Unemployment rate

NA%; shortage of skilled labor

Industrial production

growth rate - 4.0% (1987)

Electricity

23,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Agriculture

coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $16 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $261 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million

Communications

6 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

container 2roll-on/roll-off cargo 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,930 GRT/34,135 DWT

Airports, 4 total, 4 usable

permanent-surface runways

1runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

none

Highways

2,042 km total;
375 km sealed;
remainder mostly gravel, crushed stone, or earth

7,500 telephones;
70,000 radio receivers;
stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV;
1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT station

Defense Forces

3 fields