Airports [time series]

4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

3 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

2,042 km total; 375 km sealed; remainder mostly gravel, crushed stone, or earth

Merchant marine [time series]

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,930 GRT/34,135 DWT; includes 2 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo

Ports [time series]

Apia

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

7,500 telephones; 70,000 radio receivers; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

NA

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

NA

Military manpower [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $16 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $261 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $54 million; expenditures $54 million, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1988)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

tala (plural--tala); 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Electricity [time series]

23,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

tala (WS$) per US$1--2.2857 (January 1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988), 2.1204 (1987), 2.2351 (1986), 2.2437 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$9.9 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coconut oil and cream 42%, taro 19%, cocoa 14%, copra, timber; partners--NZ 30%, EC 24%, Australia 21%, American Samoa 7%, US 9% (1987)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$75 million (December 1988 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$112 million, per capita $615; real growth rate 0.2% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$51.8 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%; partners--New Zealand 31%, Australia 20%, Japan 15%, Fiji 15%, US 5%, EC 4% (1987)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 4.0% (1987)

Industries [time series]

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.5% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and is the source of 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports about five times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%; shortage of skilled labor

Climate [time series]

tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)

Coastline [time series]

403 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

19% arable land; 24% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 47% forest and woodland; 10% other

Natural resources [time series]

hardwood forests, fish

Note [time series]

located 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Terrain [time series]

narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

2,860 km2; land area: 2,850 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

11 districts; Aana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Faasaleleaga, Gagaemauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupaitea, Tuamasaga, Vaa-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Capital [time series]

Apia

Constitution [time series]

1 January 1962

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT; Chancery (temporary) at the Western Samoan Mission to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196; US--the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa

Executive branch [time series]

monarch, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

Independence [time series]

1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court, Court of Appeal Chief of State--Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963); Head of Government--Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Independent State of Western Samoa

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, WHO

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 1 June

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), Tofilau Eti, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), Tupua Tamasese Efi, chairman

Suffrage [time series]

there are two electoral rolls--the matai (head of family) roll and the individuals roll; about 12,000 persons are on the matai roll, hold matai titles, and elect 45 members of the Legislative Assembly; about 1,600 persons are on the individuals roll, lack traditional matai ties, and elect two members of the Legislative Assembly by universal adult suffrage at the age of NA Legislative Assembly--last held 26 February 1988 (next to be held by February 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(47 total) HRPP 25, SNDP 22

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Birth rate [time series]

34 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Samoan; about 7% Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood), 0.4% Europeans

Infant mortality rate [time series]

48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

37,000; 22,000 employed in agriculture (1983 est.)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

64 years male, 69 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

90%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Western Samoan(s); adjective--Western Samoan

Net migration rate [time series]

- 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

Public Service Association (PSA)

Population [time series]

186,031 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

99.7% Christian (about half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.6 children born/woman (1990)