Airports [time series]

3 total, 3 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]

1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT

Ports [time series]

Apia

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

7,500 telephones; 70,000 radios; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Department of Police and Prisons

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)

Budget [time series]

revenues $95.3 million; expenditures $95.4 million, including capital expenditures of $41 million (FY92)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $18 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $306 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million

Electricity [time series]

29,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2,4284 (March 1992), 2,3975 (1991), 2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988), 2.1204 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$9 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: coconut oil and cream 54%, taro 12%, copra 9%, cocoa 3% partners: NZ 28%, American Samoa 23%, Germany 22%, US 6% (1990)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$83 million (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

exchange rate conversion - $115 million, per capita $690 (1989); real growth rate -4.5% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$75 million (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12% partners: New Zealand 41%, Australia 18%, Japan 13%, UK 6%, US 6%

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

growth rate -4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP

Industries [time series]

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

15% (1990)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and furnishes 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 several 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

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

none

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism

Area (Land area) [time series]

2,850 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

2,860 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

11 districts; A`ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa`asaleleaga, Gaga`emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa`itea, Tuamasaga, Va`a-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 suite 510, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005; telephone (202) 833-1743 US: the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa (mailing address is P.O. Box 3430, Apia); telephone (685) 21-631; FAX (685) 22-030

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Legislative Assembly: last held NA February 1991 (next to be held by NA February 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) HRPP 30, SNDP 14, independents 3

Executive branch [time series]

chief, 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

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Chief 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, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, 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), VA'AI Kolone, chairman

Suffrage [time series]

universal adult over age 21, but only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly

Government type (Type) [time series]

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Birth rate [time series]

34 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

40 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

38,000; 22,000 employed in agriculture (1987 est.)

Languages [time series]

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

65 years male, 70 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

-4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

Public Service Association (PSA)

Population [time series]

194,992 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Christian 99.7% (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]

4.4 children born/woman (1992)