1.
[syn: American Samoa, Eastern Samoa, AS]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
American Samoa
n 1: a United States territory on the eastern part of the island
of Samoa [syn: American Samoa, Eastern Samoa, AS]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
American Samoa
Introduction American Samoa
---------------------------
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
------------------------
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
note: includes Rose Island and
Swains Island
water: 0 sq km
land: 199 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 116 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: 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: 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 966 m
Natural resources: pumice, pumicite
Land use: arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 10%
other: 85% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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
---------------------
Population: 68,688 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.1% (male 13,445;
female 12,688)
15-64 years: 56.7% (male 19,228;
female 19,741)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 1,931;
female 1,655) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.31% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 24.04 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 4.34 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 3.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 10.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.53 years
female: 80.21 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.12 years
Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan
Ethnic groups: Samoan (Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian
2%, Tongan 4%, other 5%
Religions: Christian Congregationalist 50%,
Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and
other 30%
Languages: Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian
and other Polynesian languages),
English
note: most people are bilingual
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.)
Government American Samoa
-------------------------
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: Pago Pago
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 1966, in effect 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) and Vice President Richard B.
CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
election results: Tauese P. SUNIA
reelected governor; percent of vote
- Tauese P. SUNIA (Democrat) 50.7%,
Lealaifuaneva Peter REID
(independent) 47.8%
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
7 November 2000 (next to be held NA
November 2004)
head of government: Governor Tauese
P. SUNIA (since 3 January 1997) and
Lieutenant Governor Togiola TULAFONO
(since 3 January 1997)
cabinet: NA
Legislative branch: 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 7 November 2000 (next to
be held NA November 2002); Senate -
last held 7 November 2000 (next to
be held NA November 2004)
note: American Samoa elects one
nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives; election
last held 7 November 2000 (next to
be held NA November 2002); results -
Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat)
reelected as delegate for a sixth
term
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
Judicial branch: High Court (chief justice and
associate justices are appointed by
the US Secretary of the Interior)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [leader NA];
Republican Party [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ESCAP (associate), Interpol
participation: (subbureau), IOC, SPC
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the none (territory of the US)
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
----------------------
Economy - overview: 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, a developing
sector, has been held back by the
recurring financial difficulties in
East Asia.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $500
million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,000
(2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: 14,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: government 33%, tuna canneries 34%,
other 33% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 6% (2000)
Budget: revenues: $121 million (37% in local
revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (FY96/97)
Industries: tuna canneries (largely supplied by
foreign fishing vessels),
handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 130 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 120.9 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro,
breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples,
papayas; dairy products, livestock
Exports: $345 million (1999)
Exports - commodities: canned tuna 93%
Exports - partners: US 99.6%
Imports: $452 million (1999)
Imports - commodities: materials for canneries 56%, food
8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery
and parts 6%
Imports - partners: US 62%, Australia 11%, Japan 9%, NZ
7%, Fiji 4%, other 7%
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: important financial support from the
US, more than $40 million in 1994
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Currency code: USD
Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications American Samoa
-----------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 13,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,550 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph,
facsimile and cellular telephone
services; domestic satellite system
with 1 Comsat earth station
international: satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 57,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 14,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .as
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: NA
Transportation American Samoa
-----------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 350 km
paved: 150 km
unpaved: 200 km
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi,
Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 4 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2001)
Military American Samoa
-----------------------
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the
US
Transnational Issues American Samoa
-----------------------------------
Disputes - international: none