Samoa (2001) | British Indian Ocean Territory (2001) | |
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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.) |
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Agriculture - products | coconuts, bananas, taro, yams | - |
Airports | 3 (2000 est.) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total:
1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
2 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
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Area | total:
2,860 sq km land: 2,850 sq km water: 10 sq km |
total:
60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Rhode Island | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | 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 resident 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 which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. |
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.) |
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Capital | Apia | - |
Climate | tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October) | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 403 km | 698 km |
Constitution | 1 January 1962 | - |
Country name | conventional long form:
Independent State of Samoa conventional short form: Samoa former: Western Samoa |
conventional long form:
British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
Currency | tala (WST) | - |
Death rate | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $180 million (1998 est.) | - |
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 | 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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | the Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius and Seychelles |
Economic aid - recipient | $42.9 million (1995) | - |
Economy - overview | 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. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 93 million kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - production | 100 million kWh (1999) | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
60% hydro: 40% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
Environment - current issues | soil erosion | NA |
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 |
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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 |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner John WHITE (since NA); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
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 | red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $571 million (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
15% industry: 24% services: 61% (2000 est.) |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 6.8% (2000 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 13 35 S, 172 20 W | 6 00 S, 71 30 E |
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 |
Highways | total:
835 km paved: 267 km unpaved: 569 km (1983) |
total:
NA km paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
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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) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1993) |
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:
19% permanent crops: 24% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 47% other: 10% |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% |
Languages | Samoan (Polynesian), English | - |
Legal system | 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 | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population:
69.5 years male: 66.77 years female: 72.37 years (2001 est.) |
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Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1971 est.) |
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Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia |
Map references | Oceania | World |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
Military - note | 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 | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 |
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 |
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Natural hazards | occasional typhoons; active volcanism | NA |
Natural resources | hardwood forests, fish, hydropower | coconuts, fish, sugarcane |
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 | 179,058 (July 2001 est.) | 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 around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 1995, there were approximately 1,700 UK and US military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | -0.23% (2001 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa | Diego Garcia |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 178,000 (1997) | NA |
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.) |
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Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment:
adequate domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 8,000 (1997) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,545 (February 1998) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) |
Total fertility rate | 3.4 children born/woman (2001 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | NA%; note - substantial underemployment | - |
Waterways | none | none |