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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Header
-
-
- Affiliation:
- (territory of the US)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the
- way from Hawaii to New Zealand
- Map references:
- Oceania
- Area:
- total area:
- 199 sq km
- land area:
- 199 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly larger than Washington, DC
- note:
- includes Rose Island and Swains Island
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 116 km
- Maritime claims:
- exclusive economic zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall
- averages 124 inches; rainy season from November to April, dry season from
- 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)
- Natural resources:
- pumice, pumicite
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 10%
- permanent crops:
- 5%
- meadows and pastures:
- 0%
- forest and woodland:
- 75%
- other:
- 10%
- Irrigated land:
- NA sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- limited natural fresh water resources; in many areas of the island water
- supplies come from roof catchments
- natural hazards:
- typhoons common from December to March
- international agreements:
- NA
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 57,366 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- NA
- 15-64 years:
- NA
- 65 years and over:
- NA
- Population growth rate:
- 3.82% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 36.21 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 4.01 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 18.78 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 72.91 years
- male:
- 71.03 years
- female:
- 74.85 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 4.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- American Samoan(s)
- adjective:
- American Samoan
- Ethnic divisions:
- Samoan (Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5%
- Religions:
- Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant
- denominations and other 30%
- Languages:
- Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages),
- English; most people are bilingual
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
- total population:
- 97%
- male:
- 98%
- female:
- 97%
- Labor force:
- 14,400 (1990)
- by occupation:
- government 33%, tuna canneries 34%, other 33% (1990)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Territory of American Samoa
- conventional short form:
- American Samoa
- Abbreviation:
- AS
- Digraph:
- AQ
- Type:
- unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the US
- Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs
- Capital:
- Pago Pago
- Administrative divisions:
- none (territory of the US)
- Independence:
- none (territory of the US)
- National holiday:
- Territorial Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
- Constitution:
- ratified 1966, in effect 1967
- Legal system:
- NA
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch:
- chief of state:
- President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President
- Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
- head of government:
- Governor A. P. LUTALI (since 3 January 1993); Lieutenant Governor Tauese P.
- SUNIA (since 3 January 1993); election last held 3 November 1992 (next to be
- held NA November 1996); results - A. P. LUTALI (Democrat) 53%, Peter Tali
- COLEMAN (Republican) 36%
- Legislative branch:
- bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)
- House of Representatives:
- elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1994);
- results - representatives popularly elected from 17 house districts; seats -
- (21 total, 20 elected, and 1 nonvoting delegate from Swains Island)
- Senate:
- elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1996);
- results - senators elected by village chiefs from 12 senate districts; seats
- - (18 total) number of seats by party NA
- US House of Representatives:
- elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1994);
- results - Eni R. F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA reelected as delegate
- Judicial branch:
- High Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- NA
- Member of:
- ESCAP (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, SPC
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- none (territory of the US)
- US diplomatic representation:
- none (territory of the US)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Government
- Flag:
- blue with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Economy
-
-
- Overview:
- Economic activity is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa
- conducts 80%-90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing
- plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary
- export. The tuna canneries and the government are by far the two largest
- employers. Other economic activities include a slowly developing tourist
- industry. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American
- Samoa's economic well-being.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power parity - $128 million (1991 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- NA%
- National product per capita:
- $2,600 (1991)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 7% (1990)
- Unemployment rate:
- 12% (1991)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $97 million (includes $43,000,000 in local revenue and $54,000,000 in grant
- revenue);
- expenditures:
- $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90/91)
- Exports:
- $306 million (f.o.b., 1989)
- commodities:
- canned tuna 93%
- partners:
- US 99.6%
- Imports:
- $360.3 million (c.i.f., 1989)
- commodities:
- materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and
- parts 6%
- partners:
- US 62%, Japan 9%, NZ 7%, Australia 11%, Fiji 4%, other 7%
- External debt:
- $NA
- Industrial production:
- growth rate NA%
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 30,000 kW
- production:
- 90 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 1,505 kWh (1993)
- Industries:
- tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign fishing vessels), meat canning,
- handicrafts
- Agriculture:
- bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples,
- papayas, dairy farming
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- $21,042,650 in operational funds and $1,227,000 in construction funds for
- capital improvement projects from the US Department of Interior (1991)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Economy
- Currency:
- 1 United States dollar = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- US currency is used
- Fiscal year:
- 1 October - 30 September
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Transportation
-
-
- Railroads:
- 0 km
- Highways:
- total:
- 350 km
- paved:
- 150 km
- unpaved:
- 200 km
- Ports:
- Aanu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u
- Merchant marine:
- none
- Airports:
- total:
- 4
- with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
- 1
- with paved runways under 914 m:
- 3
- note:
- small airstrips on Fituita and Ofu
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- 8,399 telephones; good telex, telegraph, and facsimile services
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) and 1 COMSAT earth station
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
- radios:
- NA
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- 1
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- American Samoa
- Defense Forces
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-
- Note:
- defense is the responsibility of the US
-