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3 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Samoa
n 1: a constitutional monarchy on the western part of the islands
of Samoa in the South Pacific [syn: {Independent State
of Samoa}, {Western Samoa}, {Samoa i Sisifo}]
2: a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific midway
between Hawaii and Australia; its climate and scenery and
Polynesian culture make it a popular tourist stop [syn: {Samoan
Islands}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Samoa
Introduction Samoa
------------------
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.
Geography Samoa
---------------
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the
South Pacific Ocean, about one-half
of the way from Hawaii to New
Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 13 35 S, 172 20 W
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 2,944 sq km
water: 10 sq km
land: 2,934 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 403 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; rainy season (October to
March), dry season (May to October)
Terrain: narrow coastal plain with volcanic,
rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857
m
Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 19.43%
permanent crops: 23.67%
other: 56.89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons; active
volcanism
Environment - current issues: soil erosion
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: 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
Geography - note: occupies an almost central position
within Polynesia
People Samoa
------------
Population: 178,631 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 30.6% (male 27,774;
female 26,854)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 71,358;
female 42,150)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 4,859;
female 5,636) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.25% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 15.53 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.35 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -11.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.69 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.39 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 30.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.8 years
female: 72.69 years (2002 est.)
male: 67.06 years
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Samoan(s)
adjective: Samoan
Ethnic groups: 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: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 80%
male: 81%
female: 79% (1999)
Government Samoa
----------------
Country name: conventional long form: Independent
State of Samoa
conventional short form: Samoa
former: Western Samoa
Government 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 New Zealand-
administered UN trusteeship)
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
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 Tanumafili II
MALIETOA (cochief of state from 1
January 1962 until becoming sole
chief of state 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister
Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA (since
24 November 1998); note - TUILA'EPA
served as deputy prime minister from
1992 until 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
Tanumafili II MALIETOA, 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
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or
Fono (49 seats - 47 elected by
Samoans, 2 elected by non-Samoans;
only chiefs or matai may stand for
election to the Fono; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: byelection last held NA
November 2001 (next byelection to be
held 29 March 2002)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - HRPP
30, SNDP 13, independents 6
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party [leader
NA]; Human Rights Protection Party
or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi
TUILA'EPA, chairman]; Samoa All
People's Party or SAPP [Matatumua
NAIMOAGA]; Samoan National
Development Party or SNDP [LE MAMEA
Ropati, chairman] (opposition);
Samoa National Party [FETU Tiatia,
party secretary]; Samoan Progressive
Conservative Party [LEOTA Ituau
Ale]; Samoan United Independent
Party or SUIP [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
participation: IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW
(signatory), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma
Neroni SLADE
FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite
400D, New York, NY 10017
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: the Ambassador to
US: New Zealand is accredited to Samoa
embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address: P. O. Box 3430,
Apia
telephone: [685] 21631
FAX: [685] 22030
Flag description: red with a blue rectangle in the
upper hoist-side quadrant bearing
five white five-pointed stars
representing the Southern Cross
constellation
Economy Samoa
-------------
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. The decline of fish stocks
in the area is a continuing problem.
Tourism is an expanding sector,
accounting for 16% 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $618
million (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,500
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16%
industry: 18%
services: 66% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 90,000 (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 30%,
industry 5% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%; note - substantial
underemployment
Budget: revenues: $105 million
expenditures: $119 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001/2002)
Industries: food processing, building materials,
auto parts
Industrial production growth rate: 2.8% (2000)
Electricity - production: 103 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 59.22%
hydro: 40.78%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 95.79 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams
Exports: $17 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: fish, coconut oil and cream, copra,
taro, garments, beer
Exports - partners: Australia 62%, Indonesia 13%, US
11%, American Samoa 3%, New Zealand
3% (2000)
Imports: $90 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, industrial
supplies, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Australia 27%, US 26%, New Zealand
14%, Fiji 12%, Japan 9% (2000)
Debt - external: $192 million (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: $42.9 million (1995)
Currency: tala (WST)
Currency code: WST
Exchange rates: tala per US dollar - 3.5236 (January
2002), 3.4722 (2001), 3.2712 (2000),
3.0120 (1999), 2.9429 (1998), 2.5562
(1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Samoa
--------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 8,183 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,545 (February 1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 174,849 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 6 (1997)
Televisions: 8,634 (1999)
Internet country code: .ws
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 500 (2000)
Transportation Samoa
--------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 836 km
paved: 267 km
unpaved: 569 km (1983)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 7,091 GRT/ 8,127 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1
note: includes a foreign-owned ship
registered here as a flag of
convenience: Germany 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Military Samoa
--------------
Military branches: no regular armed services; Samoa
Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar $NA
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of NA%
GDP:
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
Transnational Issues Samoa
--------------------------
Disputes - international: none
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
Samoa, CA
Zip code(s): 95564
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