ARCHIVE // AS // 1998

American Samoa

1998 Edition — territory

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Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy farming
Budget [time series]
revenues: $97 million ($43 million in local revenue and $54 million in grant revenue) expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90/91)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 US dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]
$NA
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: ODA, $NA note: important financial support from the US
Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]
This is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa conducts the great bulk of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being. According to one observer, attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism, a developing sector, may be held back in 1998 by the financial difficulties in East Asia.
Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]
33,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]
1,830 kWh (1995)
Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]
105 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates [time series]
US currency is used
Exports [time series]
total value: $318 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: canned tuna 93% partners: US 99.6%
Fiscal year [time series]
1 October-30 September Communications
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$150 million (1995 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$2,600 (1995 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Imports [time series]
total value: $418 million (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% partners: US 62%, Japan 9%, NZ 7%, Australia 11%, Fiji 4%, other 7%
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]
NA %
Labor force [time series]
total: 14,400 (1990) by occupation: government 33%, tuna canneries 34%, other 33% (1990)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
NA
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular phone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
9,000 (1994 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
1
Televisions [time series]
12,000 (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
12% (1991)
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 199 sq km land: 199 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]
slightly larger than Washington, DC
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
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Lata 966 m
Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]
limited natural fresh water resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines
International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
14 20 S, 170 00 W
Geography - note (Geography-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 in the South Pacific Ocean
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 5% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 70% other: 15% (1993 est.)
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 hazards [time series]
typhoons common from December to March
Natural resources [time series]
pumice, pumicite
Terrain [time series]
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three political districts
Constitution [time series]
ratified 1966, in effect 1967
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa conventional short form: American Samoa abbreviation: AS
Data code [time series]
AQ
Dependency status [time series]
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (territory of the US)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President of the US William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) head of government: Governor Tauese P. SUNIA (since 3 January 1997) and Lieutenant Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 3 January 1997) cabinet: NA elections: governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000) election results: Tauese P. SUNIA elected governor of American Samoa; percent of vote - Tauese P. SUNIA (Democrat) 51%, Peter REID (independent) 49%
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
blue with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer 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
Government type [time series]
NA
Independence [time series]
none (territory of the US)
International organization participation [time series]
ESCAP (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC
Judicial branch [time series]
High Court, chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior
Legal system [time series]
NA
Legislative branch [time series]
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats-20 of which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are elected from local chiefs who serve four-year terms) elections: House of Representatives-last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 1998); Senate-last held 3 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000) election results: House of Representatives-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party - NA; Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NA note: American Samoa elects one delegate to the US House of Representatives; elections last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held NA November 1998); results - Eni R. F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate
Capital (National capital) [time series]
Pago Pago
National holiday [time series]
Territorial Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Democratic Party; Republican Party
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Military
Military - note (Military-note) [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the US
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 39% (male 12,575; female 11,824) 15-64 years: 56% (male 17,513; female 17,477) 65 years and over: 5% (male 1,364; female 1,340) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
27.31 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate [time series]
4.03 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Samoan (Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
10.47 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages [time series]
Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English note: most people are bilingual
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 75.23 years male: 70.95 years female: 79.77 years (1998 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 98% female: 97% (1980 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: American Samoan(s) adjective: American Samoan
Net migration rate [time series]
4.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population [time series]
62,093 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
2.74% (1998 est.)
Religions [time series]
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant denominations and other 30%
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.72 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]
none ANDORRA
Transportation
Airports [time series]
4 (1997 est.)
Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]
total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]
total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 350 km paved: 150 km unpaved: 200 km
Merchant marine [time series]
none
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u
Railways [time series]
0 km