Samoa

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Samoa

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name 'O la Malo Tu To'atasi o Samoa/Independent State of Samoa Area 2,830 sq km/1,092 sq mi Capital Apia (on Upolu island) (and chief port) Language English, Samoan (both official) Religion Congregationalist; also Roman Catholic, Methodist Time difference GMT -11 Major holidays 1–2 January, 25 April, 1 June (3 days), 12 October, 25–26 December; variable: Good Friday, Easter Monday, Holy Saturday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Lalomanu, Tuasivi, Falealupo, Falelatai, Salotulafai, Taga Physical features comprises South Pacific islands of Savai'i and Upolu, with two smaller tropical islands and uninhabited islets; mountain ranges on main islands; coral reefs; over half forested Airports one international airport and two domestic airstrips; total passengers carried: 173,000 (2001 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 790 km/491 mi, of which 42% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 30 per 1,000 people (1993 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi from 2007 Head of government Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi from 1998 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions 11 districts Political parties Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), led by Tofilau Eti Alesana, centrist; Samoa Democratic Party (SDP), led by Le Tagaloa Pita; Samoa National Development Party (SNDP), led by Tupuola Taisi Efi and Va'ai Kolone, conservative. All ‘parties’ are personality-based groupings Death penalty abolished in 2004 Armed forces no standing defence forces; under Treaty of Friendship signed with New Zealand in 1962, the latter acts as sole agent in Samoa's dealings with other countries and international organizations Education spend (% GDP) 4.8 (2002 est) Health spend (% GDP) 4.3 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency tala, or Samoan dollar GDP (US$) 399 million (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 4 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 387 million (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 6,480 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 3.3% (2006 est) Labour force 64% agriculture, 6% industry, 30% services (2003 est) Foreign debt (US$) 177 million (2004est) Major trading partners Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Fiji, USA, Japan, American Samoa, Singapore Industries coconut-based products, timber, light engineering, construction materials, beer, cigarettes, clothing, leather goods, wire, tourism Exports fresh fish, garments, coconut oil and cream, beer, cigarettes, taro, copra, cocoa, bananas, timber. Principal market: Australia 60.7% (2004) Imports food and live animals, mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, beverages and tobacco, clothing and other manufactured goods. Principal source: New Zealand 23.1% (2004) Arable land 21.1% (2006 est) Agricultural products coconuts, taro, copra, bananas, papayas, mangoes, pineapples, cocoa, taamu, breadfruit, maize, yams, passion fruit; livestock rearing (pigs, cattle, poultry, and goats) is important for local consumption; forest resources provide an important export commodity (47% of land was forest and woodland early 1990s)


POPULATION

Population 186,100 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 66 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 23 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 40%, 15–59 53%, 60+ 7% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 93% of Samoan (Polynesian) origin; 7% Euronesian (mixed European and Polynesian), a small European minority Life expectancy 66 (men); 75 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 30 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 99% (men); 98% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 7 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.3 (2000 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 91 (urban); 88 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 7.3 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 13 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 1,035 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 148 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 0.7 (2003 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 3.3 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

c. 1000 BC Settled by Polynesians from Tonga. AD 950–1250 Ruled by Tongan invaders; the Matai (chiefly) system was developed. 15th century United under the Samoan Queen Salamasina. 1722 Visited by Dutch traders. 1768 Visited by the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville. 1830 Christian mission established and islanders were soon converted to Christianity. 1887–89 Samoan rebellion against German attempt to depose paramount ruler and install its own puppet regime. 1889 Under the terms of the Act of Berlin, Germany took control of the nine islands of Western Samoa, while the USA was granted American Samoa, and Britain Tonga and the Solomon Islands. 1900s More than 2,000 Chinese brought in to work coconut plantations. 1914 Occupied by New Zealand on the outbreak of World War I. 1918 Nearly a quarter of the population died in an influenza epidemic. 1920s Development of nationalist movement, the Mau, which resorted to civil disobedience. 1920–61 Administered by New Zealand under League of Nations and, later, United Nations mandate. 1959 Local government established, headed by chief minister Fiame Mata'afa Mulinu'u. 1961 Referendum favoured independence. 1962 King Malietoa Tanumafili II succeeded to the throne. 1962 Independence achieved within Commonwealth, with Mata'afa as prime minister, a position he retained (apart from a short break 1970–73) until his death in 1975. 1990 Universal adult suffrage introduced and power of Matai (elected clan leaders) reduced. 1991 Major damage caused by ‘Cyclone Val’. 1997 Name changed officially from Western Samoa to Samoa, despite protests from American Samoa that it would undermine American Samoa's identity. 1998 Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, of the HRPP, became prime minister. 2001 Malielegaoi re-elected. 2002 At ceremony marking 40 years of independence in Apia, New Zealand Prime Minister Clark formally apologized for mistreatment of Samoans in colonial times. 2004 Australia announced it would give Samoa $7 million to help train its security forces. 2006 Ruling HRPP, led by Prime Minister Tuila'epa, won parliamentary elections. 2007 After 45 years on the throne, King Malietoa Tanumafili II died, aged 94.


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