Airports [time series]

4 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440 to 3,659 m (international airport at Tafuna, near Pago Pago); small airstrips on Ta'u and Ofu

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

350 km total; 150 km paved, 200 km unpaved

Ports [time series]

Pago Pago, Ta'u

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

none

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

6,500 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; good telex, telegraph, and facsimile services; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station, 1 COMSAT earth station

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of the US

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas, dairy farming

Budget [time series]

revenues $126,394,000 (consisting of $46,441,000 local revenue and $79,953,000 grant revenue); including capital expenditures of $NA million (1990)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

US currency is used

Economic aid [time series]

$21,042,650 in operational funds and $5,948,931 in construction funds for capital improvement projects from the US Department of Interior (1991)

Electricity [time series]

42,000 kW capacity; 85 million kWh produced, 2,020 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

US currency is used

Exports [time series]

$307 million (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: canned tuna 93% partners: US 99.6%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October - 30 September

GNP [time series]

purchasing power equivalent - $128 million, per capita $2,500; real growth rate NA% (1990)

Imports [time series]

$377.9 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum 7%, machinery and parts 6% partners: US 72%, Japan 7%, NZ 7%, Australia 5%, other 9%

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

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign supplies of raw tuna), meat canning, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.3% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Economic development is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa does nearly 90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private-sector economy, with canned tuna the primary export. The tuna canneries and the government are by far the two largest employers. Other economic activities include a slowly developing tourist industry.

Unemployment rate [time series]

12% (1991)

Climate [time series]

tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages 124 inches; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline [time series]

116 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Washington, DC

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

none

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

typhoons common from December to March

Area (Land area) [time series]

199 km2; includes Rose Island and Swains Island

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 10%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 75%; other 10%

Maritime claims [time series]

Contiguous zone: 12 nm Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

pumice and pumicite

Note [time series]

Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location about 3,700 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Terrain [time series]

five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls

Area (Total area) [time series]

199 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (territory of the US)

Capital [time series]

Pago Pago

Constitution [time series]

ratified 1966, in effect 1967; note - a comprehensive revision is awaiting ratification by the US Congress (1992)

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

none (territory of the US)

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Governor: last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results - Peter T. COLEMAN was elected (percent of vote NA) House of Representatives: last held November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results - representatives popularly elected from 17 house districts; seats - (21 total, 20 elected, and 1 nonvoting delegate from Swain's Island) Senate: last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results - senators elected by county councils from 12 senate districts; seats - (18 total) number of seats by party NA US House of Representatives: last held 19 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results - Eni R. F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA reelected as a nonvoting delegate

Executive branch [time series]

popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor

Flag [time series]

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 two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club

Independence [time series]

none (territory of the US)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court, district courts, and village courts

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989) Head of Government: Governor Peter Tali COLEMAN (since 20 January 1989); Lieutenant Governor Galea'i POUMELE (since NA 1989)

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

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

Territory of American Samoa

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ESCAP, IOC, SPC

National holiday [time series]

Territorial Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not US citizens

Government type (Type) [time series]

unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the US Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not citizens of the US

Birth rate [time series]

37 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Samoan (Polynesian) 90%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 2%, other 6%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

14,400 (1990); government 48%, tuna canneries 33%, other 19% (1986 est.)

Languages [time series]

Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages) and English; most people are bilingual

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

71 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Nationality [time series]

noun - American Samoan(s); adjective - American Samoan; US, noncitizen nationals

Net migration rate [time series]

6 immigrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

NA

Population [time series]

51,115 (July 1992), growth rate 3.9% (1992); about 65,000 American Samoans live in the states of California and Washington and 20,000 in Hawaii

Religions [time series]

Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant denominations and other 30%

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.5 children born/woman (1992)