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.

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)

two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

occasional typhoons; active volcanism

soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

28.06 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

5.79 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-8.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

3.32 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) 7%, Europeans 0.4% (2001 census)

Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Samoan (Polynesian), English

parliamentary democracy

+1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April

11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)

Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship; it is observed in June

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

21 years of age; universal

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats, 47 members 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)

Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; District Court; Land and Titles Court

Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA]; Samoa Christian Party or TCP [Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA]; Samoa Democratic United Party or SDUP [LE MAMEA Ropati]; Samoa Party or SP [Su'a Rimoni Ah CHONG]; Samoa Progressive Political Party or SPPP [Toeolesulusulu SIUEVA]

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation; red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity

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. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. Tourism is an expanding sector accounting for 25% of GDP; 122,000 tourists visited the islands in 2007. In late September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami severely damaged Samoa, and nearby American Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time 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.

$1.037 billion (2009 est.)

$1.045 billion (2008 est.)

$1.082 billion (2007 est.)

$558 million (2009 est.)

12.66% (31 December 2008)

12.65% (31 December 2007)

$60.13 million (31 December 2008)

$69.97 million (31 December 2007)

$162.8 million (31 December 2008)

$168.7 million (31 December 2007)

$208.5 million (31 December 2008)

$215.1 million (31 December 2007)

coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

food processing, building materials, auto parts

109 million kWh (2007 est.)

101.4 million kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

1,105 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$24 million (2007 est.)

fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer

American Samoa 41.12%, Australia 24.74%, Taiwan 6.24%, China 5.61%, US 4.07% (2009)

machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

NZ 24.13%, Fiji 17.34%, Singapore 12.54%, China 10.02%, Australia 9.85%, US 5.95% (2009)

$70.15 million (FY03/04)

tala (SAT) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.7594 (2006), 2.7103 (2005), 2.7807 (2004), 2.9732 (2003)

state-owned television station privatized in 2008; 4 privately-owned television broadcast stations; about a half dozen privately-owned radio stations and one state-owned radio station; television and radio broadcasts of several stations from American Samoa are available (2009)

no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force (2008)

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