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 Match 261   DB Rec# - 7,713  Dataset-WOFACT



Title         :Western Samoa 
Text          : 
                                  Western Samoa 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the 
    way from Hawaii to New Zealand 
Map references: 
    Oceania 
Area: 
  total area: 
    2,860 sq km 
  land area: 
    2,850 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly smaller than Rhode Island 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    403 km 
Maritime claims: 
  exclusive economic zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October) 
Terrain: 
    narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior 
Natural resources: 
    hardwood forests, fish 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    19% 
  permanent crops: 
    24% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    0% 
  forest and woodland: 
    47% 
  other: 
    10% 
Irrigated land: 
    NA sq km 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    soil erosion 
  natural hazards: 
    occasional typhoons; active volcanism 
  international agreements: 
    party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer 
    Protection; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 


    209,360 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    40% (female 41,503; male 42,844) 
  15-64 years: 
    56% (female 55,683; male 61,065) 
  65 years and over: 
    4% (female 4,323; male 3,942) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    2.37% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    31.74 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    5.88 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    -2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    35.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    68.38 years 
  male: 
    65.99 years 
  female: 
    70.88 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    4.04 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Western Samoan(s) 
  adjective: 
    Western Samoan 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), 
    Europeans 0.4% 
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) 
Languages: 
    Samoan (Polynesian), English 
Literacy: 
    age 15 and over can read and write (1971) 
  total population: 
    97% 
  male: 
    97% 
  female: 
    97% 
Labor force: 
    NA 
  by occupation: 
    agriculture 60% 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Independent State of Western Samoa 
  conventional short form: 


    Western Samoa 
Digraph: 
    WS 
Type: 
    constitutional monarchy under native chief 
Capital: 
    Apia 
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 
Independence: 
    1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand) 
National holiday: 
    National Day, 1 June (1962) 
Constitution: 
    1 January 1962 
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 
Suffrage: 
    21 years of age; universal 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state: 
    Chief Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 
    until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963) 
  head of government: 
    Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988) 
  cabinet: 
    Cabinet; appointed by the head of state with the prime minister's advice 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral 
  Legislative Assembly (Fono): 
    elections last held 5 April 1991 (next to be held by NA 1996); results - 
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) HRPP 28, SNDP 18, 
    independents 1 
  note: 
    only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly 
Judicial branch: 
    Supreme Court, Court of Appeal 
Political parties and leaders: 
    Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman; Samoan 
    National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman 
Member of: 
    ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, 
    IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD,
 
    UNESCO, UPU, WHO 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
  chief of mission: 
    Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE 
  chancery: 
    820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017 
  telephone: 
    [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197 
 
                                   Government 
  FAX: 
    [1] (212) 599-0797 
US diplomatic representation: 


  chief of mission: 
    the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa 
  embassy: 
    5th floor, Beach Road, Apia 
  mailing address: 
    P.O. Box 3430, Apia 
  telephone: 
    [685] 21631 
  FAX: 
    [685] 22030 
Flag: 
    red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five 
    white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation 
 
                                     Economy 
 
Overview: 
    Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50% to 
    GDP, and furnishes 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings comes from 
    the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on emigrant 
    remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports much greater than 
    export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry. The 
    economy continued to falter in 1994, as remittances and tourist earnings 
    remained low. Production of taro, the primary food export crop, has dropped 
    97% since a fungal disease struck the crop in 1993. The rapid growth in 1994
 
    of the giant African snail population in Western Samoa is also threatening 
    the country's basic food crops, such as bananas and coconuts. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $400 million (1992 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    -4.3% (1992 est.) 
National product per capita: 
    $2,000 (1992 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    14% (1994 est.) 
Unemployment rate: 
    NA% 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $95.3 million 
  expenditures: 
    $76.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.) 
Exports: 
    $6.4 million (f.o.b., 1993) 
  commodities: 
    coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa 
  partners: 
    New Zealand 34%, American Samoa 21%, Germany 18%, Australia 11% 
Imports: 
    $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) 
  commodities: 
    intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12% 
  partners: 
    New Zealand 37%, Australia 25%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9% 
External debt: 
    $141 million (June 1993) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate -0.3% (1992 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP 
Electricity: 


  capacity: 
    29,000 kW 
  production: 
    50 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    200 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    timber, tourism, food processing, fishing 
Agriculture: 
    accounts for about 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, 
    yams) 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $18 million; Western (non-US) 
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $306 million; OPEC 
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million 
 
                                     Economy 
Currency: 
    1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene 
Exchange rates: 
    tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.4600 (January 1995), 2.5349 (1994), 2.5681 (1993), 
    2.4655 (1992), 2.3975 (1991), 2.3095 (1990) 
Fiscal year: 
    calendar year 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    2,042 km 
  paved: 
    375 km 
  unpaved: 
    gravel, crushed stone, earth 1,667 km 
Ports: 
    Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa 
Merchant marine: 
  total: 
    1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 
    DWT 
Airports: 
    3 
  with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 
    2 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    7,500 telephones 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    NA 
  international: 
    1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station 


Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    70,000 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    0 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    no regular armed services; Western Samoa Police Force 
Defense expenditures: 
    $NA, NA% of GDP 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996