Samoa KEY FACTS Environment: The most significant environmental issue is soil erosion. Joined Commonwealth: 1970 Vegetation: Dense tropical forest and Population: 190,000 (2013) woodlands cover 60 per cent of the land GDP p.c. growth: 1.9% p.a. 1990–2013 area, having increased at 1.4 per cent p.a. UN HDI 2014: World ranking 106 1990–2010. Arable land comprises about three per cent of the total land area. Official language: Samoan Wildlife: Animal life is restricted to several Time: GMT plus 13–14 hrs species of bats and lizards and 53 species of Currency: Tala or Samoan dollar (T) birds. Birdlife includes the rare tooth-billed pigeon, thought to be a living link with prehistoric tooth-billed birds. Due to over- Geography as matai , who is elected for life. The hunting, all species of native pigeons and Area: 2,831 sq km population is largely concentrated in villages doves are approaching extinction. Two close to the shore. There are 131,103 Coastline: 403 km mammal species and five bird species are Samoans living in New Zealand, more than thought to be endangered (2014). Capital: Apia half of whom were born there (2006 New The name Samoa, from Sa (‘sacred’) and Moa Main towns: Apia (capital, pop. 36,726 in Zealand census). 2011), Vaitele (7,182), Faleasiu (3,745), (‘centre’), means ‘Sacred Centre of the Language: Samoan is the official language; Vailele (3,647) and Leauvaa (3,168) on Upolu; Universe’. Samoa (formerly Western Samoa) English is used in administration and Safotu (1,500 in 2010), Sapulu (1,200) and is an archipelago of nine islands at the centre commerce and is widely spoken. of the south-west Pacific island groups, Gataivai (1,100) on Savai’i. Religion: Mainly Christians surrounded by (clockwise from north) Transport: There are 2,337 km of roads, (Congregationalists 32 per cent, Roman Tokelau, American Samoa, Tonga, and Wallis many being rural-access roads, 14 per cent Catholics 19 per cent, Latter-day Saints 15 and Futuna. The nine islands of Samoa are paved. Apia on Upolu is the international per cent, Methodists 14 per cent; 2011 Apolima, Manono, Fanuatapu, Namu’a, port. There is a ferry service between Upolu census). Nuutele, Nuulua, Nuusafee, Savai’i (the and Savai’i, and weekly services to Pago Pago largest, at 1,708 sq km including adjacent in American Samoa. Health: Public spending on health was six per cent of GDP in 2012. Health provision small islands) and Upolu (second largest, at The international airport, at Faleolo (34 km includes the national hospital in Apia, the 1,118 sq km including adjacent small islands). west of Apia) can take Boeing 747s, but four district hospitals and the many health Five of the islands are uninhabited. Samoa, like other Pacific island countries, is centres. Most medical training is undertaken Topography: The islands are formed of remote from world centres and too small for at the Fiji School of Medicine. Patterns of volcanic rock, but none of the volcanoes commercial airlines to run frequent flights. illness and death are shifting to those of a The national carriers, Polynesian Blue and have been active since 1911. The highest developed country, with longer life Polynesian Airlines, fly to several regional and point, about 1,858 metres, is on Savai’i. expectancy and a rising incidence of lifestyle international destinations. Coral reefs surround much of the coastline diseases. Some 99 per cent of the population and there is plentiful fresh water in the lakes uses an improved drinking water source and and rivers. Much of the cultivated land is on Society 92 per cent have access to adequate Upolu. KEY FACTS 2013 sanitation facilities (2012). Infant mortality was 16 per 1,000 live births in 2013 (134 in In September 2009 a violent earthquake in Population per sq km: 67 the South Pacific, some 190 km south of 1960). Life expectancy: 73 years Samoa, caused a huge tsunami, which Education: Public spending on education devastated coastal regions of the islands, Net primary enrolment: 95% was six per cent of GDP in 2008. There are killing at least 129 people and destroying Population: 190,000 (2013); 19 per cent of eight years of compulsory education starting hundreds of houses. people live in urban areas; growth 0.7 per at the age of five. Primary school comprises Climate: Tropical maritime. Hot and rainy cent p.a. 1990–2013, depressed over this six years and secondary seven, with cycles of from December to April and cooler, with period by emigration, mostly to New Zealand; two and five years. The government began to trade winds, from May to November. Samoa birth rate 26 per 1,000 people (39 in 1970); introduce free education in 2009. As well as is prone to hurricanes and cyclones which life expectancy 73 years (55 in 1970). state schools, there are several faith schools. Some 77 per cent of pupils complete primary sometimes cause devastation. Cyclone Val, in Predominantly Polynesian population, with school (2010). The school year starts in December 1991 – the worst storm to hit the small minorities of Chinese, European, or February. islands in over 100 years – destroyed over other Pacific descent. The people live mainly half the coconut palms. The country was in extended family groups, known as aiga . The principal tertiary institution within the again devastated in 1998. These groups are headed by a leader, known country is the National University of Samoa, The CommonwealTh Yearbook 2015 Samoa which was established in Apia in 1984. Real growth in GDP GDP by sector (2013) Samoa was one of the founders of the % regional University of the South Pacific, which 6 has its main campus in Suva, Fiji, and the 5 Agriculture 4 Alafua Campus in Apia, Samoa, where the 9.3% 3 university’s Samoa Centre, School of Industry 2 27.7% Agriculture and Food Technology, and 1 g Institute for Research, Extension and Training 0 Services in Agriculture are located. The Alafua -1 63.0% Campus was established as the university’s -2 agricultural campus in 1977. The USP Samoa -3 Centre relocated from Malifa, where it had -4 downturns, which have caused pauses in -5 growth and rapid rises in inflation. In been launched in 1976, to the Alafua 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Campus in 1998. Literacy among people 2008–09 this generally good growth was aged 15–24 is 99 per cent (2010). interrupted both by the global economic Inflation downturn and then, in September 2009, by Media: Samoa Observer and Samoa Times % 8 the devastating tsunami, causing the are dailies. Le Samoa (weekly), Savali 7 economy to contract by 4.8 per cent in 2009, (fortnightly), and Talamua Magazine before recovering in 2010–15. (monthly) are in both Samoan and English. 6 The Samoa Broadcasting Corporation 5 Fisheries provides public radio and TV services; there 4 Since the mid-1990s there has been are several privately owned radio stations and 3 substantial growth in offshore fishing, using TV channels. fish aggregating devices, and in fish farming. 2 There are 24 personal computers per 1,000 Fish and fish products are the major exports. 1 people (2006). 0 Communications: Country code 685; 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 History internet domain ‘.ws’. Samoa has its own Samoa seems, on archaeological evidence, to analogue mobile phone system. Internet banana cro ps were devastated. Compounding have been inhabited at least as far back as connections are available in Apia and a few the problem was the taro leaf blight in 1993, 1000 BCE by Austronesian-speaking people. other places across the islands. which led to a further drop in agricultural Evidence from legends and from genealogies shows that the country had frequent contact There are 153 internet users per 1,000 output and exports. These setbacks resulted in with Fiji and Tonga from the mid-13th people (2013). fluctuating and often negative annual growth. century CE. There was some European However, Samoa was early to embark on Public holidays: New Year (1–2 January), contact in the first half of the 18th century, structural reforms and throughout the 1990s Mothers’ Day (Monday in May), and settlement by refugees and the government was controlling public-sector Independence Day (1 June), Fathers’ Day beachcombers until the early 19th century. (Monday in August), Lotu-a-Tamaiti (Monday costs, encouraging diversification to reduce The Christian missionary John Williams came after White Sunday, in October), Christmas reliance on the agricultural sector and to Savai’i in 1830. Day and Boxing Day. pursuing a programme of privatisation. These policies led to enhanced growth from the In 1889, Britain, the USA and Germany, all Religious festivals whose dates vary from year seeking influence in Samoa, held a latter 1990s. Fisheries were developed, new to year include Good Friday and Easter conference in Berlin and signed a treaty manufacturing enterprises emerged and an Monday. giving the Samoan islands an independent offshore financial sector launched. Tourist government, with British, American and numbers increased steadily. Economy German supervision. Later in the same year, Overall, the economy staged a remarkable Britain relinquished its interest in the country, KEY FACTS 2013 recovery, showing generally good growth and the other two agreed that Germany GNI: US$665m from 1995. But it remained vulnerable to should annex Western Samoa and the US GNI p.c.: US$3,430 natural disasters and international Eastern Samoa. In 1914 the New Zealand GDP growth: 0.2% p.a. 2009–13 Inflation: 3.0% p.a. 2009–13 Samoa on the international stage In addition to remittances from Samoans On 29 December 2011 Samoa advanced the clock by one day, moving to the west of the living overseas, mainly in New Zealand, the international date line, so as to be in the same time zone as its main trading partners such economy relies heavily on subsistence as Australia and New Zealand.