Independent State of Samoa

Head of State: Malietoa Tanumafili II (1963)

Prime Minister: Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi (1998)

Land area: 1,133 sq mi (2,934 sq km); total area: 1,137 sq mi (2,944 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 176,908 (growth rate: –0.2%); birth rate: 16.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 26.9/1000; life expectancy: 71.0; density per sq mi: 161

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Apia, 35,900

Monetary unit: Tala

Languages: Samoan, English

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

Religion: Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, other Christian 4.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2001)

Literacy rate: 100% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2002 est.): $1 billion; per capita $5,600. Real growth rate: 5%. Inflation: 4% (2001 est.). Unemployment: n.a. Arable land: 21%. Agriculture: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa. Labor force: 90,000 (2000 est.). Industries: food processing, building materials, auto parts. Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish, hydropower. Exports: $94 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer. Imports: $285 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs. Major trading partners: Australia, U.S., Indonesia, New Zealand, Fiji, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 8,183 (1998); mobile cellular: 1,545 (Feb. 1998). Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998). Radios: 174,849 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 2 (2002). Televisions: 8,634 (1999). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000). Internet users: 3,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 790 km; paved: 332 km; unpaved: 458 km (1999 est.). Ports and harbors: Apia, Asau, Mulifanua, Salelologa. Airports: 4 (2002).

International disputes: none; note—some EEZ demarcations, including the one with American Samoa, are undefined.

 

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