Baker Island (2008) | Samoa (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
31.88% (male 29,009; female 28,069) 15-64 years: 62.44% (male 70,491; female 41,304) 65 years and over: 5.68% (male 4,739; female 5,446) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | coconuts, bananas, taro, yams |
Airports | one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable (2006) | 3 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total:
1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
2 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 1.4 sq km
land: 1.4 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
2,860 sq km land: 2,850 sq km water: 10 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Rhode Island |
Background | The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast. | New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997. |
Birth rate | - | 15.59 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues:
$74.8 million expenditures: $81.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
Capital | - | Apia |
Climate | equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun | tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October) |
Coastline | 4.8 km | 403 km |
Constitution | - | 1 January 1962 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island |
conventional long form:
Independent State of Samoa conventional short form: Samoa former: Western Samoa |
Currency | - | tala (WST) |
Death rate | - | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $180 million (1998 est.) |
Dependency status | unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | chief of mission:
Ambassador Carol MOSELEY BRAUN (Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand) embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia telephone: [685] 21631 FAX: [685] 22030 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | chief of mission:
Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197 FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $42.9 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 15% of GDP; about 85,000 tourists visited the islands in 2000. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 93 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | - | 100 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
60% hydro: 40% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 8 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m |
Environment - current issues | no natural fresh water resources | soil erosion |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | - | Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4% |
Exchange rates | - | tala per US dollar - 3.3400 (January 2001), 3.2712 (2000), 3.0120 (1999), 2.9429 (1998), 2.5562 (1997), 2.4618 (1996) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state:
Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963) head of government: Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi (since 24 November 1998); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister since 1992; he assumed the prime ministership in November 1998 when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; the post of deputy prime minister is currently vacant cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice elections: upon the death of Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly |
Exports | - | $17 million (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | - | coconut oil and cream, copra, fish, beer |
Exports - partners | - | American Samoa 59%, US 18%, Germany 9%, New Zealand 8% (2000 est.) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of the US is used | red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $571 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
15% industry: 24% services: 61% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 6.8% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 0 13 N, 176 28 W | 13 35 S, 172 20 W |
Geography - note | treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife | - |
Highways | - | total:
835 km paved: 267 km unpaved: 569 km (1983) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $90 million (f.o.b., 2000) |
Imports - commodities | - | machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | - | New Zealand 37%, Australia 24%, Fiji 14%, US 14% (2000 est.) |
Independence | - | 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 10% (2000 est.) |
Industries | - | food processing, building materials, auto parts |
Infant mortality rate | - | 31.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 0.8% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | - | 90,000 (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land:
19% permanent crops: 24% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 47% other: 10% |
Languages | - | Samoan (Polynesian), English |
Legal system | the laws of the US, where applicable, apply | based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats - 47 elected by Samoans, 2 elected by non-Samoans; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP 23, SNDP 13, independents 13 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
69.5 years male: 66.77 years female: 72.37 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1971 est.) |
Location | Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Oceania | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard | Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship |
Military branches | - | no regular armed services; Samoa Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA% |
National holiday | - | Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, 1 June 1962 is the date that independence is celebrated |
Nationality | - | noun:
Samoan(s) adjective: Samoan |
Natural hazards | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard | occasional typhoons; active volcanism |
Natural resources | guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife | hardwood forests, fish, hydropower |
Net migration rate | - | -11.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi, chairman]; Samoa All People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua NAIMOAGA]; Samoan National Development Party or SNDP [TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman] (opposition); Samoa National Party [FETU Tiatia, party secretary]; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau Ale] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | uninhabited
note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; a cemetery and remnants of structures from early settlement are located near the middle of the west coast; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service |
179,058 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | -0.23% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 178,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.71 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 21 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment:
adequate domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 8,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 1,545 (February 1998) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 6 (1997) |
Terrain | low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef | narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior |
Total fertility rate | - | 3.4 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Transportation - note | there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast | - |
Unemployment rate | - | NA%; note - substantial underemployment |
Waterways | - | none |