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.
Government type:
Territory of USA.
Capital: Pago Pago
Currency: 1 US dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Geography of American Samoa
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half
of the way from Hawaii to 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
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%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 70%
other: 15% (1993 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 of American Samoa
Population: 177,287 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.44% (male 13,278; female 12,512)
15-64 years: 56.57% (male 18,784; female 19,163)
65 years and over: 4.99% (male 1,779; female 1,568)
Population growth rate: 2.42%
Birth rate: 24.88 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 4.31 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: 3.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 10.36 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.32 years
male: 70.89 years
female: 80.02 years
Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman
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.)
SOURCE: The World Factbook |