Apia

Apia, city and capital of Samoa, on the northern shore of Upolu Island in the South Pacific. It is the country's chief port and economic centre; exports include copra, bananas, cacao, and coffee. Most residents earn their livelihood by growing a mixture of cash and subsistence crops, especially taro, or by working in the tourist industry. An international airport is located near Apia at Faleolo. The island is also linked by boat with Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa. Vailima, the former home of writer Robert Louis Stevenson, and Stevenson's grave are notable landmarks. The National University of Samoa and a branch of the University of the South Pacific are located here.

The area was settled by Polynesians in around 1000 bc. Apia was a small village until European missionaries and traders arrived in the 1830s. It grew quickly as a European-style port for the Pacific island trade. From 1899 to 1914 it was the capital of the German dependency of Western Samoa. After the defeat of Germany in World War I, New Zealand administered the dependency from Apia, first under a League of Nations mandate (1921-1946) and then as a United Nations Trust Territory (1946-1962). Apia continued as the capital when Western Samoa achieved independence in 1962. In July 1997 the name of Western Samoa was constitutionally changed to Samoa. Population 40,000 (2003 estimate).