Samoa

I

Introduction

Samoa, independent island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, in the large western portion of the Samoan archipelago (480 km/300 mi long), west of American Samoa. The land area of 2,831 sq km (1,093 sq mi) comprises two large islands, Savai’i and Upolu, and several smaller islands, of which only two, Apolima and Manono, are inhabited. The capital and chief port is Apia on Upolu.

II

Land and Population

The islands are mountainous and of volcanic origin with coasts surrounded by coral reefs. The maximum elevation of 1,857 m (6,094 ft) is on Savai’i. The inhabited islands have fertile soils and are well watered. The climate is tropical with an average annual temperature of 26° C (79° F); the heaviest rainfall occurs between November and April.

Overfishing in Samoa has led to a drop in fish harvests, and the use of illegal poisons by some fishermen is having devastating effects on marine life. Although 48 per cent (1995) of the island is forested, deforestation is reducing wildlife habitats and leading to soil erosion. Lagoons near the capital, Apia, are polluted with raw sewage, and water is in increasingly short supply in some areas. Both Savai’i and Upolu are almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs, as are several smaller islands. The reefs are threatened by the dumping of raw sewage and increased sedimentation from soil erosion and coastal developments.

Tourism is on the rise in Samoa: in 1998, 78,000 tourists visited. Samoan environmentalists are promoting ecotourism ventures rather than increased developments for tourists. The government has designated 3.5 per cent (1996) of the country's total land area as protected and has ratified international environmental treaties on biodiversity, climate change, desertification, law of the sea, nuclear test ban, and ozone layer protection.

Samoa has a population of 176,615 (2007 estimate). The overall population density is about 60 people per sq km (156 per sq mi). Average life expectancy is 71.3 years. Apia, which has a population of 35,000 (2001 estimate), is Samoa’s commercial centre, as well as its capital. Most Samoans live in about 400 seashore villages with populations of 100 to 500 people. The Samoans are the second-largest group of the Polynesian people after the Maori of New Zealand. Most of the population is Christian, 43 per cent of which are Congregationalist. Samoan and English are the official languages, Samoan being the mother tongue for the majority of the population.

Education is modelled on the New Zealand system, and school attendance is high; in 1998, 100 per cent of the total population was literate. In 2000, 27,336 pupils attended primary schools and 21,780 pupils attended secondary schools. The National University of Samoa (1984) and the University of the South Pacific School of Agriculture (1977) are in Apia.

III

Economy

Samoa’s gross national product is about US$404 million (World Bank, 2005), yielding US$2,020 per head. The monetary unit is the tala (Samoan dollar) of 100 sene (2.92 tala equalled US$1; early 2007).

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Samoan economy. Coconuts, taro, and yams are the principal subsistence crops; commercial crops include copra, bananas, and cacao. Pigs and poultry are raised, and fishing is locally important. Timber production and light industries are expanding. The road system of Samoa extends 2,085 km (1,295 mi), including plantation roads. There are no railways. Faleolo Aerodrome at Apia is the major airfield. The national carrier is Polynesian Airlines. The Samoa Observer is the country’s leading daily newspaper. Radio broadcasting is the responsibility of the government. A radio telephone service connects Samoa with New Zealand, Australia, and several other countries.

Samoa has a chronic trade deficit: in 2004 the value of the country’s exports totalled US$85.4 million, while the total value of imports was US$210 million. New Zealand and Australia have been the chief sources of financial aid to the country.

IV

Government

Samoan society retains its traditional organization. Executive power is vested in the head of state, an office previously held for life by a member of the Samoan royal family. From 1963 to 2007 His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II was the sole head of state. From 2007 heads of state will be elected by the legislature to five-year terms.

The people live within an aiga system, which is an extended family group headed by a matai, an elected family chief. The system provides security and care for those within the clan. The aiga system is also the intermediary between the people and the modern political system.

The constitution of Samoa provides for a legislative assembly, known as the Fono. The Fono consists of 47 Samoan members and 2 additional members representing the individual voters of the non-Samoan community. Each serves a five-year term. Until 1990 the Samoan members were elected from territorial constituencies on a franchise confined to matais. Universal suffrage was introduced in the 1991 elections; the non-Samoan seats have always been elected by universal suffrage. The judiciary is independent of both executive and legislative branches and includes the supreme court and lower courts. The chief justice is appointed by the head of state.

The chief political parties are the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) and the Samoan Democratic United Party (SDUP). The prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, is from the HRPP.

Samoa is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Commonwealth of Nations, the Asian Development Bank, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), and the Pacific Islands Forum.