| American Samoa (territory of the US) |  | Click to enlarge
| Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues |
Home Reference Maps Appendixes Print-Friendly Page
This page was last updated on 19 June 2008
Legend: Definition Field Listing Rank Order
| Introduction | American Samoa | Top of Page

Background: | 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 | Top of Page

Location: | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: | 14 20 S, 170 00 W
Map references: | Oceania
Area: | total: 199 sq km land: 199 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 116 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: | tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October); little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: | five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Lata Mountain 964 m
Natural resources: | pumice, pumicite
Land use: | arable land: 10% permanent crops: 15% other: 75% (2005)
Irrigated land: | NA
Natural hazards: | typhoons common from December to March
Environment - current issues: | 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: | 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 | Top of Page

Population: | 57,496 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 32.5% (male 9,684/female 9,006) 15-64 years: 64.6% (male 19,377/female 17,757) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 591/female 1,081) (2008 est.)
Median age: | total: 24 years male: 23.9 years female: 24.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate: | -0.322% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: | 21.24 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: | 3.24 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate: | -21.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.55 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 8.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.28 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 76.45 years male: 72.9 years female: 80.21 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 2.98 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: American Samoan(s) (US nationals) adjective: American Samoan
Ethnic groups: | native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%, mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census)
Religions: | Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30%
Languages: | 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: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 98% female: 97% (1980 est.)

| Government | American Samoa | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa conventional short form: American Samoa abbreviation: AS
Dependency status: | unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Government type: | NA
Capital: | name: Pago Pago geographic coordinates: 14 16 S, 170 42 W time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: | 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: | none (territory of the US)
National holiday: | Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
Constitution: | ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967
Legal system: | NA
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); 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: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as American Samoa, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 2 and 16 November 2004 (next to be held in November 2008) election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of vote - Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3%
Legislative branch: | bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members 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 to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2008); Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held in 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 on 7 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2008); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA reelected as delegate
Judicial branch: | High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)
Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (territory of the US)
Flag description: | 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 | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | American Samoa has 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 commerce. 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. note: as a territory of the US, American Samoa does not treat the US as an external trade partner
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $510.1 million (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $333.8 million (2005)
GDP - real growth rate: | 3% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $5,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Labor force: | 17,630 (2005)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 34% industry: 33% services: 33% (1990)
Unemployment rate: | 29.8% (2005)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | NA%
Budget: | revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants) expenditures: $127 million (FY96/97)
Agriculture - products: | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock
Industries: | tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | 180 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption: | 167.4 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - consumption: | 4,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: | 3,807 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports: | $445.6 million (FY04 est.)
Exports - commodities: | canned tuna 93% (2004 est.)
Exports - partners: | Indonesia 28.2%, India 22.3%, Australia 15.3%, Japan 11.2%, NZ 7.1% (2006)
Imports: | $308.8 million (FY04 est.)
Imports - commodities: | materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% (2004 est.)
Imports - partners: | Australia 66%, Samoa 13.8%, NZ 10.8% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient: | important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994
Debt - external: | $NA
Currency (code): | US dollar (USD)
Exchange rates: | the US dollar is used
Fiscal year: | 1 October - 30 September

| Communications | American Samoa | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 10,400 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 2,200 (2004)
Telephone system: | 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: | AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2006)
Internet country code: | .as
Internet hosts: | 1,824 (2007)
Internet users: | NA

| Transportation | American Samoa | Top of Page

Airports: | 3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways: | total: 185 km (2004)
Ports and terminals: | Pago Pago

| Military | American Samoa | Top of Page

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the US

| Transnational Issues | American Samoa | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olohega) in its 2006 draft constitution

This page was last updated on 19 June 2008