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2016 Country Review Samoa 2016 Country Review http://www.countrywatch.com Table of Contents Chapter 1 1 Country Overview 1 Country Overview 2 Key Data 3 Samoa 4 Pacific Islands 5 Chapter 2 7 Political Overview 7 History 8 Political Conditions 10 Political Risk Index 16 Political Stability 31 Freedom Rankings 46 Human Rights 58 Government Functions 60 Government Structure 61 Principal Government Officials 64 Leader Biography 65 Leader Biography 66 Foreign Relations 67 National Security 68 Defense Forces 70 Chapter 3 72 Economic Overview 72 Economic Overview 73 Nominal GDP and Components 75 Population and GDP Per Capita 77 Real GDP and Inflation 78 Government Spending and Taxation 79 Money Supply, Interest Rates and Unemployment 80 Foreign Trade and the Exchange Rate 81 Data in US Dollars 82 Energy Consumption and Production Standard Units 83 Energy Consumption and Production QUADS 84 World Energy Price Summary 85 CO2 Emissions 86 Agriculture Consumption and Production 87 World Agriculture Pricing Summary 89 Metals Consumption and Production 90 World Metals Pricing Summary 92 Economic Performance Index 93 Chapter 4 105 Investment Overview 105 Foreign Investment Climate 106 Foreign Investment Index 108 Corruption Perceptions Index 121 Competitiveness Ranking 132 Taxation 141 Stock Market 142 Partner Links 142 Chapter 5 143 Social Overview 143 People 144 Human Development Index 146 Life Satisfaction Index 149 Happy Planet Index 161 Status of Women 170 Global Gender Gap Index 172 Culture and Arts 182 Etiquette 182 Travel Information 183 Diseases/Health Data 192 Chapter 6 198 Environmental Overview 198 Environmental Issues 199 Environmental Policy 201 Greenhouse Gas Ranking 202 Global Environmental Snapshot 213 Global Environmental Concepts 224 International Environmental Agreements and Associations 239 Appendices 263 Bibliography 264 Samoa Chapter 1 Country Overview Samoa Review 2016 Page 1 of 276 pages Samoa Country Overview SAMOA Samoa is a Pacific island nation consisting of nine volcanic islands. At the turn of the 20th century, the Samoan islands were split into two sections. The eastern islands became territories of the United States in 1904 and today are known as American Samoa. The western islands became known as Western Samoa (now the Independent State of Samoa), passing from German control to New Zealand in 1914. New Zealand administered Western Samoa under the auspices of the League of Nations and then as a United Nations trusteeship until independence in 1962. Western Samoa was the first Pacific Island country to gain its independence. In July 1997 the Constitution was amended to change the country's name from Western Samoa to Samoa (officially the "Independent State of Samoa"). Samoa’s economy has been traditionally dependent on agriculture and fishing, which is vulnerable to cyclones and disease. Progress has been made in diversification, especially in the services sector, with growing tourism and offshore banking sectors. Samoa Review 2016 Page 2 of 276 pages Samoa Key Data Key Data Region: Pacific Islands Population: 197773 Climate: Tropical; rainy season (October to March) Dry season (May to October) Samoan Languages: English Currency: 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene Holiday: National Day, 1 June (1962) Area Total: 2860 Area Land: 2850 Coast Line: 403 Samoa Review 2016 Page 3 of 276 pages Samoa Samoa Country Map Samoa Review 2016 Page 4 of 276 pages Samoa Pacific Islands Regional Map Samoa Review 2016 Page 5 of 276 pages Samoa Samoa Review 2016 Page 6 of 276 pages Samoa Chapter 2 Political Overview Samoa Review 2016 Page 7 of 276 pages Samoa History Samoan contact with Europeans began with a visit by the Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen in 1722. In 1768, the French captain Louis de Bougainville named the island group the "Navigator Islands," on account of the Polynesians' proficiency in taking their canoes far offshore. European traders and freebooters were active in the area by the late 1700s. A group of British and Tahitian missionaries, led by John Williams on behalf of the Wesleyan London Missionary Society, arrived in 1830 and conducted an extensive and effective, campaign of Christian proselytizing. Roman Catholics and other Protestant denominations also preached to the Samoans and converted substantial numbers of them. During the 1800s, the two main islands developed a plantation economy centering on coconut and cotton. A series of violent conflicts embroiling rival Samoan chiefly factions as well as contending European interests marked this era. Between 1847 and 1861, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany established consular representation at Apia. Intrigues and jealousies among these representatives and the Samoan royal families reached a climax in 1889, when the signing of the Final Act of the Berlin Conference on Samoan Affairs brought Samoan independence and neutrality. Malietoa Laupepa was recognized as king. After the death of King Laupepa in 1898, a dispute over succession to the throne led to adoption in 1900 of a series of conventions, whereby the United States annexed Eastern Samoa and Germany took Western Samoa. The United Kingdom withdrew its claims in return for recognition of its rights in other Pacific islands. In 1914, following the outbreak of war in Europe, New Zealand's armed forces occupied Samoa. In 1919, New Zealand was granted a League of Nations mandate over the territory. By the Samoa Act of 1921, New Zealand made provisions for a civil administration, and progress was made in education, health and economic development. Some of the New Zealand government's measures, however, were unpopular with the conservative Samoans, and a resistance movement based on civil disobedience lasted until 1936. New Zealand embarked on a program to implement a more representative and effective Samoan administration, but World War II interrupted these efforts. Samoa Review 2016 Page 8 of 276 pages Samoa In December 1946, Western Samoa was placed under a United Nations trusteeship, with New Zealand as administering authority. The Samoans asked that they be granted self-government, but this request was not accepted by the United Nations at the time. From 1947 to 1961, a series of constitutional advances, assisted by visits from United Nations missions, brought Samoa from dependent status to self-government and finally to independence. In 1947, a Legislative Assembly was established in Western Samoa. In March 1953, New Zealand proposed a quickened pace of political and economic development, and a constitutional convention, representing all sections of the Samoan community, met in 1954 to study proposals for political development. New Zealand adopted most of its recommendations which formed the basis for the territory's evolution toward cabinet government. In January 1959, a working committee of self-government, empowered to work out a draft constitution, was established with New Zealand's approval. Cabinet government was inaugurated in October 1959, and Fiame Mataafa II became the first prime minister. In August 1960, a second constitutional convention produced the constitution adopted in October of that year and made other important recommendations. At the request of the United Nations, a plebiscite was held in May 1961, and an overwhelming majority of the Samoan people voted for independence. In November 1961, the United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously to end the trusteeship agreement, and the New Zealand parliament passed the Independent State of Western Samoa Act, formally ending New Zealand's powers over the country on Jan. 1, 1962. Recent years have not been tranquil ones for Samoan politics or the national economy. The government launched a structural adjustment program meant to privatize the economic base and greatly reduce reliance on the public sector as a source of employment; the scope of this plan drew commendation from creditor entities such as the International Monetary Fund. However, since the reforms coincided with a severe regional downturn in Asia, they resulted in considerable hardship, though recent economic indicators point to the resumption of a more positive trend. Opposition politicians have accused the government of corruption in its handling of the privatization process and of interfering with media critics of government policy. Moreover, the country has experienced an increase in damaging cyclones, attributed by some to climatic changes. The most serious of these, in 1990, left 10,000 people homeless. Other storms since then have caused fatalities as well as extensive destruction of crops, livestock and property. Note on History: In certain entries, open source content from the State Department Background Notes and Country Guides have been used. A full listing of sources is available in the Samoa Review 2016 Page 9 of 276 pages Samoa Bibliography. Political Conditions Political Chronology Recent years have not been tranquil ones for Samoan politics or the national economy. The government launched a structural adjustment program meant to privatize the economic base and greatly reduce reliance on the public sector as a source of employment; the scope of this plan drew commendation from creditor entities such as the International Monetary Fund. However, since the reforms coincided with a severe regional downturn in Asia, they resulted in considerable hardship, though recent economic indicators point to the resumption of a more positive trend. Opposition politicians have accused the government of corruption in its handling of the privatization process and of interfering with media critics
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