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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2005) - Samoa (2005)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2005) z Samoa (2005)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2005)Samoa (2005)
 British Indian Ocean TerritorySamoa
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: 27.2% (male 24,517/female 23,660)


15-64 years: 66.4% (male 73,495/female 44,208)


65 years and over: 6.4% (male 5,204/female 6,203) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products - coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa
Airports 1 (2004 est.) 4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total: 2,944 sq km


land: 2,934 sq km


water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. 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 - 15.95 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget - revenues: $105 million


expenditures: $119 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2001-02)
Capital - Apia
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
Coastline 698 km 403 km
Constitution - 1 January 1962
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa


conventional short form: Samoa


former: Western Samoa
Death rate - 6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external - $197 million (2000)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa


embassy: Accident Compensation Board (ACB) Building, 5th Floor, Apia


mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Apia


telephone: [685] 21631/22696


FAX: [685] 22030
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA


chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017


telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197


FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain none
Economic aid - recipient - $42.9 million (1995)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and fishing. 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. The decline of fish stocks in the area is a continuing problem. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 88,000 tourists visited the islands in 2001. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, meantime protecting the environment. 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 NA kWh 113.5 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 122 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m
Environment - current issues NA soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, 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 - 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003), 3.3763 (2002), 3.478 (2001), 3.2864 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state: Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA (cochief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963)


head of government: Prime Minister Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since 1996); note - TUILA'EPA served as deputy prime minister from 1992 and assumed the duties of acting prime minister in 1996, when former Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana resigned in poor health; TUILA'EPA was confirmed as prime minister (November 1998) after TOFILAU died; Deputy Prime Minister MISA Telefoni (since 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 members, appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice


elections: upon the death of Chief Tanumafili II MALIETOA, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
Exports - NA
Exports - commodities - fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer
Exports - partners - Australia 67.2%, US 5.7%, Indonesia 5.3% (2004)
Fiscal year - June 1 - May 31
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 14%


industry: 23%


services: 63% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 13 35 S, 172 20 W
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility occupies an almost central position within Polynesia
Highways total: NA km


paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
total: 790 km


paved: 332 km


unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Imports - NA
Imports - commodities - machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
Imports - partners - New Zealand 25.1%, Fiji 21.5%, Taiwan 9.1%, Australia 8.9%, Singapore 8.5%, Japan 7.5%, US 4.7% (2004)
Independence - 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
Industrial production growth rate - 2.8% (2000)
Industries - food processing, building materials, auto parts
Infant mortality rate - total: 27.71 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 32.68 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 22.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 4% (2001 est.)
International organization participation - ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) NA
Judicial branch - Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles Court
Labor force - 90,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - NA
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2001)
arable land: 21.2%


permanent crops: 24.38%


other: 54.42% (2001)
Languages - Samoan (Polynesian), English
Legal system the laws of the UK, 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 voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly non-Samoan or part-Samoan, voters who cannot, (or choose not to) establish a village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve five-year terms)


elections: election last held 3 March 2001 (next election to be held not later than March 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP 30, SNDP 13, independents 6
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 70.72 years


male: 67.93 years


female: 73.65 years (2005 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.7%


male: 99.6%


female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
Location archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references Political Map of the World Oceania
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,091 GRT/8,127 DWT


by type: cargo 1


foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) (2005)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 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 NA occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate - -11.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders - Christian Democratic Party [leader NA]; Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoan Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati, chairman] (opposition)
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2005 est.)
177,287 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA
Population growth rate - -0.23% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia Apia
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions - Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, other Christian 4.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.66 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female


total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage - 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment: adequate


domestic: NA


international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use NA 11,800 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 2,700 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 2 (2002)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Total fertility rate - 3.01 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate - NA; note - substantial underemployment
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