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| CIA Background Information |
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.
| U.S. State Department Description |
Country Description:
Samoa consists of the two large islands of Upolu and Savai’i and seven small islets. The country has a stable parliamentary democracy with a developing economy. Tourist facilities are accessible by bus, taxi and car and are within walking distance of access roads. Infrastructure is adequate in Apia, the capital, but it is limited in other areas. Nearly all Internet connections use a relatively slow dial-up method. Samoa has two digital telephone service providers, and visitors can easily purchase prepaid phones that cover virtually the entire country. The Samoa Tourism Authority, at ... Read this Article
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Samoan.
Population (2007 est.): 182,548. Age structure (2006)--60.81% under 15; 14.6% over 65.
Growth rate: 1.4% (mainly due to emigration).
Ethnic groups: Samoan 92.6%, Euronesian (mixed European and Polynesian) 7%, European 0.4%.
Religion: Christian 98.9%.
Languages: Samoan, English.
Education: Literacy--98.6%.
Health: Life expectancy--male 67.8 yrs.; female 74.2 yrs. Infant mortality rate--24/1,000.
Work force: Agriculture--2%; services--50%.
Government
Type: Mix ... Read this Article
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Location: Samoa is Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand See Map
Capital: name: Apia
geographic coordinates: 13 50 S, 171 44 W
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Currency (Code): tala (SAT) ...More
Area: total: 2,944 sq km , land: 2,934 sq km , water: 10 sq km ( 1 sq km is approximately 0.4 sq miles or 250 acres)
Area Comparison: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Elevation Extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m , highest point: Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m (1 meter = 3.28 feet)
Population: 217,083
note: prior estimates used official net migration data by sex, but a highly unusual pattern for 1993 lead to a significant imbalance in the sex ratios (more men and fewer women) and a seeming reduction in the female population; the revised total was calculated using a 1993 number that was an average of the 1992 and 1994 migration figures (July 2008 est.)
Unemployment: NA%
Ethnic Groups: Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) 7%, Europeans 0.4% (2001 census)
Religion: 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)
Languages: Samoan (Polynesian), English
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| History
Migrants from Southeast Asia arrived in the Samoan islands more than 2,000 years ago and from there settled the rest of Polynesia further to the east. Contact with Europeans began in the early 1700s but did not intensify until the arrival of English missionaries and traders in the 1830s. At ... Read this Article
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| Geographic Info for Samoa : |
Geography
Area: 2,934 sq. km. (1,133 sq. mi.) in two main islands plus seven smaller ones.
Cities: Capital (pop. 61,900)--Apia.
Terrain: Mountainous with narrow coastal plain.
Climate: Tropical.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Samoan.
Population (2007 est.): 182,548. Age structure (2006)--60.81% under 15; 14.6% over 65.
Growth rate: 1.4% (mainly due to emigration).
Ethnic groups: Samoan 92.6%, Euronesian (mixed European ... Read this Article
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