world
factbook
American Samoa
Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was not reached by European explorers until the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.

geography

location

Oceania
14.20° S, 170. 0° W
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

area

224 sq km
land
224 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

116 km

climate

tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October); little seasonal temperature variation

terrain

five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

elevation

lowest point
Pacific Ocean
0
highest point
Lata Mountain
964

natural resources

  • pumice
  • pumicite

land use

arable land
13.4 %
permanent crops
8.5 %
permanent pasture
0 %
forest
78.1 %
other
0 %

people

population

  • 49,437
  • 211
    global rank

nationality

  • American Samoan(s) (US nationals)
    noun
  • American Samoan
    adjective

ethnic groups

Pacific Islander
92.6 %
Asian
3.6 %
mixed
2.7 %
other
1.2 %

languages

  • Samoan
    closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages
  • English
  • Tongan
  • other Pacific islander
  • other

religions

Christian
98.3 %
other
1 %
unaffiliated
0.7 %

birth rate

  • 17.8
    per 1,000 population
  • 93
    global rank

death rate

  • 5.9
    per 1,000 population
  • 168
    global rank

urban population

87.2 %

major urban areas

  • Pago Pago
    pop. 49,000

life expectancy

  • 74.8
    total population
  • 123
    global rank
72.3
male
77.5
female

government

government type

republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches; unincorporated unorganized territory of the US with local self-government

capital

Pago Pago
14.16 S, 170.42 W

independence

national holidays

  • Flag Day
    17 April

legal system

mixed legal system of US common law and customary law

age of suffrage

18

flag description

blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying 2 traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a war club known as a "fa'alaufa'i" (upper; left talon), and a coconut-fiber fly whisk known as a "fue" (lower; right talon); the combination of symbols broadly mimics that seen on the US Great Seal and reflects the relationship between the US and American Samoa

national colors

  • red
  • white
  • blue

national anthem

"Amerika Samoa" (American Samoa)

economy

overview

American Samoa s a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its commerce. Tuna fishing and processing are the backbone of the private sector with processed fish products as the primary exports. The fish processing business accounted for 15.5% of employment in 2015. In late September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami devastated American Samoa and nearby Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency oversaw a relief program of nearly $25 million. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism has some potential as a source of income and jobs.

GDP

658,000,000 USD
2016

agriculture products

  • bananas
  • coconuts
  • vegetables
  • taro
  • breadfruit
  • yams
  • copra
  • pineapples
  • papayas
  • dairy products
  • livestock

budget

  • 249,000,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 262,500,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

broadcast media

3 TV stations; multi-channel pay TV services are available; about a dozen radio stations, some of which are repeater stations

internet

.as
country code

    users

  • 17,000
    total
  • 31.3
    % of population
  • 210
    global rank

energy

electricity access

59%
2012

transportation

air transport

    airports

  • 3
    total
  • 3
    paved

roadways

241 km
total length

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.