American Samoa (2003) | Saint Pierre and Miquelon (2001) | |
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 | none (territorial collectivity of France); note - there are no first-order administrative divisions approved by the US Government, but there are two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 37.5% (male 13,557; female 12,818)
15-64 years: 57% (male 19,712; female 20,346) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 2,081; female 1,746) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years:
25.85% (male 917; female 874) 15-64 years: 64.22% (male 2,273; female 2,176) 65 years and over: 9.93% (male 291; female 397) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock | vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish |
Airports | 3 (2002) | 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island |
total:
242 sq km land: 242 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions. |
Birth rate | 23.26 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 15.88 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97) |
revenues:
$70 million expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.) |
Capital | Pago Pago | Saint-Pierre |
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 | cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy |
Coastline | 116 km | 120 km |
Constitution | ratified 1966, in effect 1967 | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa abbreviation: AS |
conventional long form:
Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | French franc (FRF); euro (EUR) |
Death rate | 4.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 6.64 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $NA |
Dependency status | unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior | self-governing territorial collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of the US) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 | approximately $65 million in annual grants from France |
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. | The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because of disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady decline in the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of what France had sought. The islands are heavily subsidized by France to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects. |
Electricity - consumption | 120.9 million kWh (2001) | 37.2 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 130 million kWh (2001) | 40 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m |
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 | NA |
Ethnic groups | Samoan (Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5% | Basques and Bretons (French fishermen) |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996) |
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)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003) following the death of Governor Tauese P. SUNIA on 26 March 2003; TULAFONO had been the Lieutenant Governor cabinet: NA 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) election results: Tauese P. SUNIA reelected governor; percent of vote - Tauese P. SUNIA (Democrat) 50.7%, Lealaifuaneva Peter REID (independent) 47.8% note: Togiola TULAFONO became acting governor 26 March 2003 upon the death of Governor Tauese P. SUNIA |
chief of state:
President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Remi THUAU (since NA) head of government: President of the General Council Bernard LE SOAVEC (since NA 1996) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 7 May 1995 (next to be held NA May 2002); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the General Council is elected by the members of the council |
Exports | NA (2001) | $12 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Exports - commodities | canned tuna 93% | fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts |
Exports - partners | Indonesia 71.1%, Japan 7.7%, Samoa 7.7%, Australia 6.7% (2002) | US 43%, Egypt 14%, Japan 11%, Colombia 8% (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | calendar year |
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 | a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue background with a black wave line under the ship; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the square into four sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one on top of the other; the flag of France is used for official occasions |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $500 million (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $74 million (1996 est.); supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1996 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 14 20 S, 170 00 W | 46 50 N, 56 20 W |
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 | vegetation scanty |
Highways | total: 350 km
paved: 150 km unpaved: 200 km |
total:
114 km paved: 69 km unpaved: 45 km (1994 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA (2001) | $55 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Imports - commodities | materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% | meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials |
Imports - partners | Australia 41%, New Zealand 23%, South Korea 18% (2002) | France 44%, Canada 40% (1999) |
Independence | none (territory of the US) | none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts | fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 9.82 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
8.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | 2.1% (1991-96 average) |
International organization participation | ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC | FZ, WFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior) | Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | 14,000 (1996) | 3,000 (1997) |
Labor force - by occupation | government 33%, tuna canneries 34%, other 33% (1990) | fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 10% other: 85% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 4% other: 83% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English
note: most people are bilingual |
French |
Legal system | NA | French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation |
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 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004); Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004) 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 7 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held NA April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.75 years
male: 71.35 years female: 80.41 years (2003 est.) |
total population:
77.77 years male: 75.51 years female: 80.13 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 98% female: 97% (1980 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 est.) |
Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand | Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada) |
Map references | Oceania | North America |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | Flag Day, 17 April (1900) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan |
noun:
Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French |
Natural hazards | typhoons common from December to March | persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | pumice, pumicite | fish, deepwater ports |
Net migration rate | 3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -4.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [leader NA]; Republican Party [leader NA] | Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR [leader NA]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]; Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 70,260 (July 2003 est.) | 6,928 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.22% (2003 est.) | 0.43% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u | Saint Pierre |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 4,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | 0 km |
Religions | Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30% | Roman Catholic 99% |
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: 1.19 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
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) |
general assessment:
adequate domestic: NA international: radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system |
Telephones - main lines in use | 13,000 (1997) | 4,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,550 (1997) | 0 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997) |
Terrain | five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island) | mostly barren rock |
Total fertility rate | 3.3 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 2.12 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6% (2000) | 9.8% (1997) |
Waterways | none | none |