American Samoa (2004) | Jan Mayen (2002) | |
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 | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 36.6% (male 10,983; female 10,208)
15-64 years: 60.3% (male 18,010; female 16,933) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 699; female 1,069) (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock | - |
Airports | 3 (2003 est.) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island |
total: 373 sq km
land: 373 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | slightly more than twice 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. | This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the northernmost active volcano on earth. |
Birth rate | 24.46 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY96/97) |
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Capital | Pago Pago | - |
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 | arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog |
Coastline | 116 km | 124.1 km |
Constitution | ratified 1966, in effect 1967 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa abbreviation: AS |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | - |
Death rate | 3.39 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Debt - external | NA (2002 est.) | - |
Dependency status | unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior | territory of Norway; administered from Oslo through a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard); however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of the US) | - |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994 | - |
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 is a promising developing sector. | Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island. |
Electricity - consumption | 120.9 million kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | - |
Electricity - production | 130 million kWh (2001) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m |
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 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% | - |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | - |
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) 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 2 and 16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of vote: Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3% |
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Exports | NA (2001) | - |
Exports - commodities | canned tuna 93% | - |
Exports - partners | Samoa 33.3%, Japan 22.2%, Australia 11.1%, Canada 11.1%, New Zealand 11.1% (2003) | - |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | - |
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 | the flag of Norway is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $500 million (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | - |
Geographic coordinates | 14 20 S, 170 00 W | 71 00 N, 8 00 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 | barren volcanic island with some moss and grass |
Highways | total: 350 km
paved: 150 km unpaved: 200 km |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Imports | NA (2001) | - |
Imports - commodities | materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% | - |
Imports - partners | Australia 33.3%, New Zealand 33.3%, Mauritius 9%, Japan 5.1%, South Korea 5.1%, UK 5.1% (2003) | - |
Independence | none (territory of the US) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | - |
Industries | tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 9.48 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA (2003 est.) | - |
International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 13 (Jan Mayen and Svalbard) (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior) | - |
Labor force | 14,000 (1996) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | tuna canneries 34%, government 33%, other 33% (1990) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 15% other: 75% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English
note: most people are bilingual |
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Legal system | NA | the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply |
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 2 November 2004); Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 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 2 November 2004); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.62 years
male: 72.05 years female: 79.41 years (2004 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 98% female: 97% (1980 est.) |
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Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland |
Map references | Oceania | Arctic Region |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
contiguous zone: 10 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 4 NM |
Merchant marine | none | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | defense is the responsibility of Norway |
National holiday | Flag Day, 17 April (1900) | - |
Nationality | noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan |
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Natural hazards | typhoons common from December to March | dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970 |
Natural resources | pumice, pumicite | none |
Net migration rate | -20.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [leader NA]; Republican Party [leader NA] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 57,902 (July 2004 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | - |
Population growth rate | 0.04% (2004 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998) |
Religions | Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30% | - |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Suffrage | 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: country code - 1-684; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 15,000 (2001) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,377 (1999) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2004) | - |
Terrain | five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island) | volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers |
Total fertility rate | 3.41 children born/woman (2004 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 6% (2000) | - |
Waterways | - | none |