American Samoa (2005) | Paracel Islands (2005) | |
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: 35.7% (male 10,705/female 9,956)
15-64 years: 61.3% (male 18,351/female 17,125) 65 years and over: 3% (male 664/female 1,080) (2005 est.) |
- |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock | - |
Airports | 3 (2004 est.) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
- |
Area | total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island |
total: NA sq km
land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | NA |
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. | The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. |
Birth rate | 23.13 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY96/97) |
- |
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 | tropical |
Coastline | 116 km | 518 km |
Constitution | ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa abbreviation: AS |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
Death rate | 3.33 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of the US) | - |
Disputes - international | none | occupied by China, also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam |
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. | China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. |
Electricity - consumption | 120.9 million kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | 130 million kWh (2002) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 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 | native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%, mixed 2.8%, other 0.2% (2000 census) | - |
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: cabinet made up of 12 department directors 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% |
- |
Exports | NA | - |
Exports - commodities | canned tuna 93% | - |
Exports - partners | Samoa 39.8%, Australia 19.9%, Japan 15.1%, New Zealand 10.5% (2004) | - |
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 | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | - |
Geographic coordinates | 14 20 S, 170 00 W | 16 30 N, 112 00 E |
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 | composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group |
Highways | total: 185 km
paved: 185 km unpaved: 0 km (2004) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Imports | NA | - |
Imports - commodities | materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% | - |
Imports - partners | Japan 31.4%, New Zealand 27.9%, Germany 17.1%, Australia 8.9% (2004) | - |
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: 9.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
- |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | - |
International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU | - |
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% (2001) |
Languages | Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2%
note: most people are bilingual (2000 census) |
- |
Legal system | 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 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) 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 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate |
- |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.84 years
male: 72.27 years female: 79.62 years (2005 est.) |
- |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 98% female: 97% (1980 est.) |
- |
Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand | Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
NA |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | occupied by China |
National holiday | Flag Day, 17 April (1900) | - |
Nationality | noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan |
- |
Natural hazards | typhoons common from December to March | typhoons |
Natural resources | pumice, pumicite | none |
Net migration rate | -20.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F. FAALEVAO] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 57,881 (July 2005 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons |
Population below poverty line | NA | - |
Population growth rate | -0.11% (2005 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Pago Pago | small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004) | - |
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: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
- |
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) |
- |
Telephones - main lines in use | 15,000 (2001) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,377 (1999) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1; note - one cable TV station (2004) | - |
Terrain | five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island) | mostly low and flat |
Total fertility rate | 3.25 children born/woman (2005 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 6% (2000) | - |