@node Geography (Western Samoa)
@section Geography (Western Samoa)

@display

Location:
  Oceania, 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about
  halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
Map references:
  Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  2,860 km2  land area:
  2,850 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  403 km
Maritime claims:
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
Terrain:
  narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Natural resources:
  hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
 arable land:
  19%
 permanent crops:
  24%
 meadows and pastures:
  0%
 forest and woodland:
  47%
 other:
  10%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism



@end display

@node People (Western Samoa)
@section People (Western Samoa)

@display

Population:
  199,652 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.37% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  33 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  6.17 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -3.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  38.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  67.58 years  male:
  65.19 years
 female:
  70.08 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  4.28 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Western Samoan(s)
 adjective:
  Western Samoan
Ethnic divisions:
  Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood),
  Europeans 0.4%
Religions:
  Christian 99.7% (about half of population associated with the London
  Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist,
  Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Languages:
  Samoan (Polynesian), English
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
 total population:
  97%
 male:
  97%
 female:
  97%
Labor force:
  38,000
 by occupation:
  agriculture 22,000 (1987 est.)



@end display

@node Government (Western Samoa)
@section Government (Western Samoa)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Independent State of Western Samoa
 conventional short form:
  Western Samoa
Digraph:
  WS
Type:
  constitutional monarchy under native chief
Capital:
  Apia
Administrative divisions:
  11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga,
  Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
Independence:
  1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)
Constitution:
  1 January 1962
Legal system:   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
National holiday:
  National Day, 1 June
Political parties and leaders:
  Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti, chairman; Samoan National
  Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman
Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal, but only matai (head of family) are able to run
  for the Legislative Assembly
Elections:
 Legislative Assembly:
  last held 5 April 1991 (next to be held by NA 1996); results - percent of
  vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) HRPP 28, SNDP 18, independents 1
Executive branch:
  chief, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
 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)
Member of:
  ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IOC, ITU,
  LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador-designate Neroni SLADE
 chancery:
  (temporary) suite 510, 1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
 telephone:
  (202) 833-1743
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa



@end display

@node Government (Western Samoa 2. usage)
@section Government (Western Samoa 2. usage)

@display

 embassy:
  address NA, Apia
 mailing address:
  P.O. Box 3430, Apia
 telephone:
  (685) 21-631
 FAX:
  (685) 22-030
Flag:
  red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five
  white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation



@end display

@node Economy (Western Samoa)
@section Economy (Western Samoa)

@display

Overview:
  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.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $115 million (1990)
National product real growth rate:
  -4.5% (1990 est.)
National product per capita:
  $690 (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  15% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  revenues $95.3 million; expenditures $95.4 million, including capital
  expenditures of $41 million (FY92)
Exports:
  $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)
Imports:
  $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%
External debt:
  $83 million (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -4% (1990 est.); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
  29,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
  timber, tourism, food processing, fishing
Agriculture:
  accounts for 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)
Economic aid:
  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), $4 million
Currency:
  1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene
Exchange rates:
  tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.5681 (January 1993), 2.4655 (1992), 2.3975 (1991),
  2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Western Samoa)
@section Communications (Western Samoa)

@display

Highways:
  2,042 km total; 375 km sealed; 1,667 km mostly gravel, crushed stone, or
  earth
Ports:
  Apia
Merchant marine:
  1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838 GRT/5,536 DWT
Airports:
 total:
  3
 usable:
  3
 with permanent-surface runways:
  1
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  7,500 telephones; 70,000 radios; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1
  Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Western Samoa)
@section Defense Forces (Western Samoa)

@display

Branches:
  Department of Police and Prisons
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 NA; fit for military service NA
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP



@end display