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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

no regular armed services; Western Samoa Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

76,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

7,500 (1988 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

0 (1987 est.)

Televisions [time series]

6,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

coconuts, bananas, taro, yams

Budget [time series]

revenues: $78.6 million expenditures: $81.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview [time series]

Agriculture employs more than one-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 supplement GDP and to support a level of imports much greater than export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry. The economy continued to falter in 1994, as remittances and tourist earnings remained low. Production of taro, the primary food export crop, dropped 97% in 1993/94 when a fungal disease threatened the country's basic food crops. Nevertheless, the government is relying on recovery and further expansion in agricultural production to sustain economic growth of around 5% over the next several years.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 29,000 kW production: 50 million kWh consumption per capita: 200 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.5195 (January 1996), 2.4722 (1995), 2.5349 (1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992), 2.3975 (1991)

Exports [time series]

$6.4 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa partners: New Zealand 34%, American Samoa 21%, Germany 18%, Australia 11%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$141 million (June 1993)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $415 million (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 50% industry: NA% services: NA%

Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]

$1,900 (1995 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]

5% (1995 est.)

Imports [time series]

$11.5 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12% partners: New Zealand 37%, Australia 25%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

18% (1994)

Labor force [time series]

45,635 (1986 est.) by occupation: agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 2,860 sq km land area: 2,850 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

403 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: soil erosion natural hazards: occasional typhoons; active volcanism international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

Geographic coordinates [time series]

13 35 S, 172 20 W

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 19% permanent crops: 24% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 47% other: 10%

Location [time series]

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

hardwood forests, fish

Terrain [time series]

narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m

Government

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

Data code [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE chancery: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196, 6197

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Chief Susuga MALIETOA Tanumafili II (co-chief of state from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole chief of state 5 April 1963); upon his death, a new chief of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term head of government: Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988) was appointed by the chief of state with approval of the Legislative Assembly cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the chief of state with the prime minister's advice

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

[1] (212) 599-0797

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

[685] 22030

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 New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal

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 (Legislative Assembly (Fono)) [time series]

elections last held 5 April 1991 (next to be held 26 April 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) HRPP 28, SNDP 18, independents 1 note: only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

conventional long form: Independent State of Western Samoa conventional short form: Western Samoa

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 1 June (1962)

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

Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party, LEOTA Ituau Ale; Samoa All People's Party (SAPP), Matatumua MAIMOAGA

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

constitutional monarchy under native chief

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN (Ambassador to New Zealand and Western Samoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand) embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia mailing address: P.O. Box 3430, Apia telephone: [685] 21631

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 40% (male 43,540; female 42,185) 15-64 years: 56% (male 62,742; female 57,323) 65 years and over: 4% (male 4,089; female 4,505) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

31.12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.75 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

34.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

Samoan (Polynesian), English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 68.73 years male: 66.35 years female: 71.24 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1971 est.) total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Western Samoan(s) adjective: Western Samoan

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

214,384 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.37% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.93 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 3 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 2,030 km paved: 373 km unpaved: 1,657 km (1988 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports [time series]

Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa

Railways [time series]

0 km