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|symbol_type = Coat of arms
|symbol_type = Coat of arms
|image_map = LocationSamoa.png
|image_map = LocationSamoa.png
|national_motto = ''Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa''<br>([[Samoan language|Samoan]]: "Samoa is founded on God")
|national_motto = ''Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa''<br>([[Samoan language|Samoan]]: "Samoa is founded on God")<ref name="DB"/>
|national_anthem = ''[[The Banner of Freedom]]''
|national_anthem = ''[[The Banner of Freedom]]''
|official_languages = [[Samoan language|Samoan]], [[English language|English]]
|official_languages = [[Samoan language|Samoan]], [[English language|English]]
|demonym = Samoan
|demonym = [[Samoans|Samoan]]
|capital = [[Apia, Samoa|Apia]]
|capital = [[Apia, Samoa|Apia]]
|latd=13|latm=35|latNS=S|longd=172|longm=20|longEW=W
|latd=13|latm=35|latNS=S|longd=172|longm=20|longEW=W
Line 21: Line 21:
|area_rank = 174th
|area_rank = 174th
|area_magnitude =
|area_magnitude =
|area_km2 = 2,831
|area_km2 = 2,831
|area_sq_mi = 1093
|area_sq_mi = 1093
|percent_water = 0.3%
|percent_water = 0.3%
|population_estimate = 214,265
|population_estimate = 214,265
Line 29: Line 29:
|population_census =
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_census_year =
|population_density_km2 = 65
|population_density_km2 = 65
|population_density_sq_mi = 169
|population_density_sq_mi = 169
|population_density_rank = 126th
|population_density_rank = 126th
|GDP_PPP = $1.218 billion
|GDP_PPP = $1.218 billion
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|footnotes =
|footnotes =
}}
}}
'''Samoa''', officially the '''Independent State of Samoa''', is a country governing the western part of the [[Samoan Islands]] [[archipelago]] in the South [[Pacific Ocean]]. [[Geographical renaming|Previous names]] were ''' Samoa''' from 1900 to 1919, and '''Western Samoa''' from 1914 to 1997. It was admitted to the [[United Nations]] on [[15 December]] [[1976]] as Samoa. The entire [[island group]], inclusive of [[American Samoa]], was known as '''Navigators Islands''' before the 20th century because of the Samoans' seafaring skills.
'''Samoa''', officially the '''Independent State of Samoa''', is a country governing the western part of the [[Samoan Islands]] [[archipelago]] in the South [[Pacific Ocean]]. [[Geographical renaming|Previous names]] were ''' Samoa''' from 1900 to 1919, and '''Western Samoa''' from 1914 to 1997. It was admitted to the [[United Nations]] on [[15 December]] [[1976]] as Samoa.<ref name="UN">{{cite news | title=List of Member States: S | url =http://www.un.org/members/list.shtml | work =United Nations | accessdate = 2007-11-27}}</ref> The entire [[island group]], inclusive of [[American Samoa]], was known as '''Navigators Islands''' before the 20th century because of the Samoans' seafaring skills.<ref name="CC">{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Samoa - The Heart of Polynesia | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.polynesia.com/samoa/island-map.html | work =Polynesian Culture Center | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-26 | language = }}</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
{{main|History of Samoa}}
{{main|History of Samoa}}


Samoa was first settled some 3,000 years ago when people from [[South East Asia]] began to migrate towards the Pacific islands.<ref name="DB">{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Samoa an Overview | url =http://www.donbosco.asn.au/Bulletins/2004/mar/overview.htm | work =donbosco.asn.au | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-26 | language = }}</ref> Contact with [[Europe]]ans began in the early 18th century. [[Jacob Roggeveen]], a Dutchman, was the first European to sight the Samoan islands in 1722. This visit was followed by a French Explorer by the name of [[Louis-Antoine de Bougainville]], the man who named them the ''Navigator Islands'' in 1768. Contact was limited before the 1830s which is when [[England|English]] [[missionaries]] and traders began arriving. Mission work in Samoa had begun in late 1830 by [[John Williams (missionary)|John Williams]], of the [[London Missionary Society]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Watson | first = R.M. | title = History of Samoa: THE ADVENT OF THE MISSIONARY. (1830.1839) | date = 1918 | location = | pages = Chapter III | url =http://www.samoa.co.uk/books/history-of-samoa/history-of-samoa-3.html}}</ref> By that time, the Samoans had gained a reputation of being savage and warlike, as they had clashed with French, British, German and American forces, who, by the late nineteenth century, valued Samoa as a refueling station for coal-fired shipping.


As the Germans began to show more interest in the Samoan Islands, the United States laid its own claim to them. Britain also sent troops to express its interest. There followed an [[Samoan Civil War|eight-year civil war]], where each of the three powers supplied arms, training, and in some cases combat troops, to the warring Samoan parties. All three sent warships into Apia harbor, and a larger-scale war seemed imminent, until a massive storm damaged or destroyed the warships, ending the military conflict.<ref>{{cite book |author=Stevenson, Robert Louis |title=A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa |publisher=BiblioBazaar |isbn=1-4264-0754-8}}</ref> At the turn of the twentieth century, the [[Treaty of Berlin, 1899|Treaty of Berlin]] split the [[Samoan Islands]] into two parts: the eastern group became a territory of the [[United States]] (the Tutuila Islands in 1900 and officially Manu'a in 1905),<ref>{{cite news | title=Annexation of Samoa | url =http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/samoa-1899.htm | work =GlobalSecurity.org | accessdate = 2007-11-27}}</ref> and are today known as [[American Samoa]]; the western islands, by far the greater landmass, became known as [[German Samoa]] after the British gave up claims to the islands in return for [[Fiji]] and some Melanesian territories.<ref>{{cite journal |author= Josiah Crosby |title= The Future of Western Samoa |journal= International Affairs |volume= 24|issue= 1|pages= 89-99|year= 1948|pmid= |doi= 10.2307/3016954}}</ref> [[New Zealand]] troops landed in 'Upolu on August 29, 1914 and seized control from the German authorities, following a request by Britain that New Zealand forces take over a German radio station there.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title= New Zealand goes to war: The Capture of German Samoa | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/new-zealand-goes-to-war-first-world-war | work =nzhistory.net.nz | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-27 | language = }}</ref>
Contact with [[Europe]]ans began in the early 18th century, but intensified after the 1830s, when [[England|English]] [[missionaries]] and traders began arriving. Mission work in Samoa had begun in late 1830 by [[John Williams (missionary)|John Williams]], of the [[London Missionary Society]]. By that time, the Samoans had gained a reputation of being savage and warlike, as they had clashed with French, British, German and American forces, who, by the late nineteenth century, valued Samoa as a refueling station for coal-fired shipping.


From the end of [[World War I]] until 1962, New Zealand controlled Samoa as a Class "C" Mandate under [[trusteeship]] through the [[League of Nations]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Imperialism as a Vocation: Class C Mandates | url =http://www.jamesrmaclean.com/archives/archive_vocational_imperialism.html | accessdate = 2007-11-27}}</ref> There followed a series of New Zealand administrators. Approximately one fifth of the Samoan population died in the Influenza epidemic of 1918-1919, partly due to the failure of New Zealand authorities to enforce a quarantine.<ref>{{cite news | title=The 1918 flu pandemic | url =http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/influenza-pandemic | work =NZHistory.net.nz | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref>
As the Germans began to show more interest in the Samoan Islands, the United States laid its own claim to them. Britain also sent troops to express its interest. There followed an eight-year civil war, where each of the three powers supplied arms, training, and in some cases combat troops, to the warring Samoan parties. All three sent warships into Apia harbor, and a larger-scale war seemed imminent, until a massive storm damaged or destroyed the warships, ending the military conflict. At the turn of the twentieth century, the [[Treaty of Berlin, 1899|Treaty of Berlin]] split the [[Samoa Islands|Samoan Islands]] into two parts: the eastern group became a territory of the [[United States]] (the Tutuila Islands in 1900 and officially Manu'a in 1905), and are today known as [[American Samoa]]; the western islands, by far the greater landmass, became known as [[German Samoa]] after the British gave up claims to the islands in return for [[Fiji]] and some Melanesian territories. [[New Zealand]] troops landed in 'Upolu on 29 August 1914 and seized control from the German authorities, following a request by Britain that New Zealand forces take over a German radio station there.


[[Image:Funeral of Tamesese.jpg|thumb|right|People in attendance at Tupua Tameseses funeral.]]
From the end of [[World War I]] until 1962, New Zealand controlled Samoa as a Class "C" Mandate under [[trusteeship]] through the [[League of Nations]]. There followed a series of New Zealand administrators. Approximately one fifth of the Samoan population died in the Influenza epidemic of 1918-1919, partly due to the failure of New Zealand authorities to enforce a quarantine.[http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/influenza-pandemic]


In the early 1920s, the Western Samoans began a campaign known as the ''[[Mau movement|Mau]]'' ("Strongly held Opinion"), a non-violent popular movement to protest the mistreatment of the Samoan people by the New Zealand administration. The Mau was initially lead by [[Olaf Frederick Nelson|Olaf Nelson]], who was half Samoan and half Swedish. (He continued to assist the organization financially and politically, though in exile, during the late 1920s and early 1930s.) In following the Mau's non-violent philosophy, the newly elected leader, High Chief Tupua Tamasese Lealofi, led his fellow uniformed Mau in a peaceful demonstration in downtown Apia. The New Zealand police attempted to arrest one of the leaders in the demonstration. When he resisted, a struggle developed between the police and the Mau. The officers began to fire randomly into the crowd and a Lewis machine gun, mounted in preparation for this demonstration, was used to disperse the Mau. Chief Tamasese was shot from behind and killed while trying to bring calm and order to the Mau demonstrators, screaming "Peace, Samoa". 10 others died that day and approximately 50 were injured by gunshot wounds and police batons. That day, [[December 28]] [[1929]], would come to be known in Samoa as Black Saturday. The Mau grew, remaining steadfastly non-violent, and expanded to include a highly influential women's branch. After repeated efforts by the Samoan people, Western Samoa finally re-gained independence in 1962.
In the early 1920s, the Western Samoans began a campaign known as the ''[[Mau movement|Mau]]'' ("Strongly held Opinion"), a non-violent popular movement to protest the mistreatment of the Samoan people by the New Zealand administration. The Mau was initially lead by [[Olaf Frederick Nelson|Olaf Nelson]], who was half Samoan and half Swedish.<ref>{{cite news | title=Nelson, Olaf Frederick 1883 - 1944 | url =http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=4N5 | work = Dictionary of New Zealand Biography | accessdate = 2007-11-27}}</ref> Nelso was eventually [[exiled]] during the late 1920s and early 1930s but he continued to assist the organization financially and politically. In following the Mau's non-violent philosophy, the newly elected leader, High Chief Tupua Tamasese Lealofi, led his fellow uniformed Mau in a peaceful demonstration in downtown Apia on [[December 28]] [[1929]].<ref>{{cite news | title=The Mau Movement | url =http://www.globaled.org.nz/comm/documents/GlobalBits_Parihaka_000.pdf | accessdate = 2007-11-27}}</ref> The New Zealand police attempted to arrest one of the leaders in the demonstration. When he resisted, a struggle developed between the police and the Mau. The officers began to fire randomly into the crowd and a Lewis machine gun, mounted in preparation for this demonstration, was used to disperse the Mau.<ref>{{cite book |author=Field, Michael |title=Black Saturday: New Zealand's tragic blunders in Samoa |publisher=Reed Publishing (NZ) |location=Auckland, N.Z. |year=2006 |pages= |isbn=0790011034}}</ref> Chief Tamasese was shot from behind and killed while trying to bring calm and order to the Mau demonstrators, screaming "Peace, Samoa". Ten others died that day and approximately 50 were injured by gunshot wounds and police batons.<ref>{{cite news | title=History and migration: Who are the Samoans? | url =http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/NewZealandPeoples/Samoans/1/en | work =Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga | accessdate = 2007-11-27}}</ref> That day would come to be known in Samoa as Black Saturday. The Mau grew, remaining steadfastly non-violent, and expanded to include a highly influential women's branch. After repeated efforts by the Samoan people, Western Samoa finally re-gained independence in 1962 and signed a Friendship Treaty with New Zealand. Western Samoa was the first Pacific Island country to gain its independence.<ref name="DS">{{cite news | title= Background Note: Samoa | url =http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1842.htm | work =U.S. State Department | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref>

{{Politics of Samoa}}
In July 1997, the constitution was amended to change the country's name from ''Western Samoa'' to ''Samoa'', as it had been designated by the [[United Nations]] since joining the organization in 1976. The U.S. territory of [[American Samoa]] protested the move, asserting that the change diminished its own identity. American Samoans still use the terms ''Western Samoa'' and ''Western Samoans'' to describe the independent State of Samoa and its inhabitants. While the two Samoas share language and ethnicity, their cultures have recently followed different paths, with American Samoans often emigrating to [[Hawaii|Hawai{{okina}}i]] and the U.S. mainland, and adopting many U.S. customs, such as the playing of [[American football]] and [[baseball]]. Western Samoans have tended to emigrate instead to New Zealand, whose influence has made the sports of [[rugby football|rugby]] and [[cricket]] more popular in the western islands.
In July 1997, the constitution was amended to change the country's name from ''Western Samoa'' to ''Samoa'',<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Constitution Amendment Act (No 2) 1997 | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.paclii.org/ws/legis/num_act/caa21997295/ | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-27 | language = }}</ref> as it had been designated by the [[United Nations]] since joining the organization in 1976.<ref name="UN"/> The U.S. territory of [[American Samoa]] protested the move, asserting that the change diminished its own identity. American Samoans still use the terms ''Western Samoa'' and ''Western Samoans'' to describe the independent State of Samoa and its inhabitants. While the two Samoas share language and ethnicity, their cultures have recently followed different paths, with American Samoans often emigrating to [[Hawaii|Hawai{{okina}}i]] and the U.S. mainland, and adopting many U.S. customs, such as the playing of [[American football]] and [[baseball]]. Western Samoans have tended to emigrate instead to New Zealand, whose influence has made the sports of [[rugby football|rugby]] and [[cricket]] more popular in the western islands.


== Politics==
== Politics==
{{Politics of Samoa}}
{{main|Politics of Samoa}}
{{main|Politics of Samoa}}


The 1960 [[Constitution]], which formally came into force with independence, is based on the British pattern of [[parliamentary democracy]], modified to take account of Samoan customs. Two of Samoa's four princely titles (paramount chiefs) at the time of independence were given lifetime appointments to jointly hold the office of head of state. [[Malietoa Tanumafili II]] had held this post alone since the death of his colleague ([[Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole]]) in 1963. [[Malietoa Tanumafili II]] died 11 May 2007. He was the oldest living monarch at the time of his death. His successor, [[Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi]] was selected by the legislature on the 17 June 2007 for a 5-year term.
The 1960 [[Constitution]], which formally came into force with independence, is based on the British pattern of [[parliamentary democracy]], modified to take account of Samoan customs.<ref name="DS"/> Two of Samoa's four princely titles (paramount chiefs) at the time of independence were given lifetime appointments to jointly hold the office of head of state. [[Malietoa Tanumafili II]] had held this post alone since the death of his colleague ([[Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole]]) in 1963. [[Malietoa Tanumafili II]] died 11 May 2007. He was the oldest living monarch at the time of his death. His successor, [[Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi]] was selected by the legislature on the 17 June 2007 for a 5-year term.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10446128 | title=New head of state for Samoa | author=[[New Zealand Herald]]| accessdate=2007-06-16}}</ref>

[[Image:Samoa - Apia Govt buildings.jpg|thumb|left|Government buildings in Apia.]]

The unicameral legislature ([[Fono]]) consists of 49 members serving 5-year terms. Forty-seven are elected from territorial districts by ethnic Samoans; the other two are chosen by non-Samoans with no chiefly affiliation on separate electoral rolls.<ref>{{cite news | title=Samoa: Key Facts: Political | url =http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Countries/Pacific/Samoa.php | work =New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | accessdate = 2007-11-27}}</ref> Universal suffrage was extended in 1990, but only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Samoan seats. There are more than 25,000 matais in the country, about 5% of whom are women.<ref>{{cite news | title=Samoa: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in 2006 | url =http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78789.htm | work =U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor | accessdate = 2007-11-27}}</ref> The prime minister is chosen by a majority in the Fono and is appointed by the head of state to form a government. The prime minister's choices for the 12 cabinet positions are appointed by the head of state, subject to the continuing confidence of the Fono.

The judicial system is based on English common law and local customs. The [[Supreme Court of Samoa]] is the court of highest jurisdiction. Its chief justice is appointed by the head of state upon the recommendation of the prime minister.

==Political Districts==
{{main|Districts of Samoa}}
Samoa is made up of eleven ''itūmālō'' (political districts). These are the traditional eleven districts that were established well before European arrival. Each district has its own constitutional foundation (faavae) based on the traditional order of title precedence found in each district's faalupega (traditional salutations).

The capital village of each district administers and coordinates the affairs of the district and confers each districts' paramount title, amongst other responsibilities. For example, the District of A'ana has its capital at Leulumoega. The paramount title of A'ana is the TuiA'ana. The orator group which confers this title - the Faleiva (House of Nine) - is based at Leulumoega. This is also the same for the other districts. In the district of Tuamasaga, the paramount title of the district - The Malietoa title - is conferred by the FaleTuamasaga based in Afega.

[[Image:Samoa districts numbered2.png|right|thumb|320px|Political Districts of Samoa]]


<table><td><ol>
The unicameral legislature (Fono) consists of 49 members serving 5-year terms. Forty-seven are elected from territorial districts by ethnic Samoans; the other two are chosen by non-Samoans with no chiefly affiliation on separate electoral rolls. Universal suffrage was extended in 1990, but only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Samoan seats. There are more than 25,000 matais in the country, about 5% of whom are women. The prime minister is chosen by a majority in the Fono and is appointed by the head of state to form a government. The prime minister's choices for the 12 cabinet positions are appointed by the head of state, subject to the continuing confidence of the Fono.
'''[[Upolu]]''' (including minor islands)
<li>[[Tuamasaga]] ([[Afega]])
<li>[[A'ana]] ([[Leulumoega]])
<li>[[Aiga-i-le-Tai]] ([[Mulifanua]])<sup>1</sup>
<li>[[Atua (district)|Atua]] (Lufilufi)<sup>2</sup>
<li>[[Va'a-o-Fonoti]] (Samamea)
</td></ol><td><ol start=6>
*''' [[Savai'i]]'''
<li>[[Fa'asaleleaga]] (Safotulafai)
<li>[[Gaga'emauga]] (Saleaula)<sup>3</sup>
<li>[[Gaga'ifomauga]] (Safotu)
<li>[[Itu Asau]] (Asau)
<li>[[Satupa'itea]] ([[Satupa'itea]])
<li>[[Palauli]] (Vailoa i Palauli)
</ol></td></table>


<sup>1</sup> <small>including islands [[Manono Island|Manono]], [[Apolima]] and [[Nu'ulopa]]</small>
The judicial system is based on English common law and local customs. The Supreme Court is the court of highest jurisdiction. Its chief justice is appointed by the head of state upon the recommendation of the prime minister.[http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1842.htm]
<br><sup>2</sup> <small>including the [[Aleipata Islands]] and [[Nu'usafe'e]] Island</small>
<br><sup>3</sup> <small>smaller parts also on [[Upolu]] (Salamumu (incl. Salamumu-Utu) and Leauvaa villages)</small>


== Geography ==
== Geography ==
[[Image:Samoa Country map.png|thumb|left|Map of Samoa]]
[[Image:Samoa Country map.png|thumb|left|Map of Samoa]]
The country is located east of the international dateline and south of the equator, about halfway between [[Hawai‘i]] and [[New Zealand]] in the [[Polynesia]]n region of the Pacific Ocean. The Samoas are of volcanic origin, and the total land area is 2934 km² (slightly smaller than the U.S. state of [[Rhode Island]]), consisting of the two large islands of [[Upolu]] and [[Savai'i]] which account for 99% of the total land area, and eight small islets: the three islets in the [[Apolima Strait]] ([[Manono Island]], [[Apolima]] and [[Nu'ulopa]]), the four [[Aleipata Islands]] off the eastern end of [[Upolu]] ([[Nu'utele]], [[Nu'ulua]], [[Namua]], and [[Fanuatapu]]), and [[Nu'usafe'e]] (less than 0.01 km² in area and about 1.4 km off the south coast of [[Upolu]] at the village of ''Vaovai''). While all of the islands have volcanic origins, only Savai'i has had recent eruptions and could be considered volcanically active: the last major eruption occurred in the 1700s, and smaller eruptions occurred between 1904 - 1906. The highest point in Samoa is Mauga Silisili, at 1858 m. The main island of Upolu is home to nearly three-quarters of Samoa's population, and its capital city is [[Apia, Samoa|Apia]]. The climate is tropical, with an average annual temperature of 26.5 °C, and a rainy season from November to April.
The country is located east of the international dateline and south of the equator, about halfway between [[Hawai‘i]] and [[New Zealand]] in the [[Polynesia]]n region of the Pacific Ocean. The Samoas are of volcanic origin, and the total land area is 2934 km² (slightly smaller than the U.S. state of [[Rhode Island]]), consisting of the two large islands of [[Upolu]] and [[Savai'i]] which account for 99% of the total land area, and eight small islets: the three islets in the [[Apolima Strait]] ([[Manono Island]], [[Apolima]] and [[Nu'ulopa]]), the four [[Aleipata Islands]] off the eastern end of [[Upolu]] ([[Nu'utele]], [[Nu'ulua]], [[Namua]], and [[Fanuatapu]]), and [[Nu'usafe'e]] (less than 0.01 km² in area and about 1.4 km off the south coast of [[Upolu]] at the village of ''Vaovai'').<ref name="DB"/> While all of the islands have volcanic origins, only Savai'i has had recent eruptions and could be considered volcanically active. The last major eruption occurred in the 1700s, and smaller eruptions occurred between 1904 - 1906. The highest point in Samoa is Mauga Silisili, at 1858 m. The main island of Upolu is home to nearly three-quarters of Samoa's population, and its capital city is [[Apia, Samoa|Apia]]. The climate is tropical, with an average annual temperature of 26.5 °C, and a rainy season from November to April.<ref>{{cite news | title=Smaoa: Climate | url =http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-54101/Samoa | work =Encyclopædia Britannica| accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref>


== Economy ==
== Economy ==
{{main|Economy of Samoa}}
{{main|Economy of Samoa}}

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on [[development aid]], private family [[remittances from overseas]], and [[agricultural exports]]. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. [[Agriculture]] employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of [[export]]s, featuring [[coconut]] cream, [[coconut oil]], [[noni]] (juice of the ''nonu'' fruit, as it is known in Samoan), and [[copra]]. [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ws.html#Econ] Outside of a large automotive wire-harness factory (Yazaki Corporation), the manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. [[Tourism]] is an expanding sector; more than 70,000 tourists visited the islands in 1996. The Samoan government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. The sector has been helped enormously by major capital investment in hotel infrastructure, political instability in neighboring [[Pacific]] countries, and the 2005 launch of [[Polynesian Blue]] a joint-venture between the government and Virgin Airlines.
[[Image:Colocasia esculenta dsc07801.jpg|thumb|right|[[Taro]], a root crop, traditionally was Samoa's largest export, generating more than half of all export revenue in 1993. But a fungal blight decimated the plants, and in each year since 1994 taro exports have accounted for less than 1% of export revenue.]]
The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on [[development aid]], private family [[remittances from overseas]], and [[agricultural exports]]. [[Agriculture]] employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of [[export]]s, featuring [[coconut]] cream, [[coconut oil]], [[noni]] (juice of the ''nonu'' fruit, as it is known in Samoan), and [[copra]].<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Samoa: Economy | date= | publisher= | url =https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ws.html#Econ | work =CIA World Factbook | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-26 | language = }}</ref> Outside of a large automotive wire-harness factory (Yazaki Corporation), the manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. [[Tourism]] is an expanding sector which now accounts for 25% of GDP. Toursit arrivals have been increasing over the years with more than 100,000 tourists visiting the islands in 2005, up from 70,000 in 1996. The Samoan government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. The sector has been helped enormously by major capital investment in hotel infrastructure, political instability in neighboring [[Pacific]] countries, and the 2005 launch of [[Polynesian Blue]] a joint-venture between the government and Virgin Airlines.


Samoa is a fertile, fruitful, productive country. In the period before [[Germany|German]] colonization, it produced mostly [[copra]]. German merchants and settlers were active in introducing large scale [[plantation]] operations and developing new industries, notably [[cocoa]] and rubber, relying on imported laborers from [[China]] and [[Melanesia]]. When the value of natural rubber fell drastically, about the end of the Great War ([[World War I]]), the [[New Zealand]] government encouraged the production of [[banana]]s, for which there is a large market in New Zealand.
Samoa is a fertile, fruitful, productive country. In the period before [[Germany|German]] colonization, it produced mostly [[copra]]. German merchants and settlers were active in introducing large scale [[plantation]] operations and developing new industries, notably [[cocoa]] and rubber, relying on imported laborers from [[China]] and [[Melanesia]]. When the value of natural rubber fell drastically, about the end of the Great War ([[World War I]]), the [[New Zealand]] government encouraged the production of [[banana]]s, for which there is a large market in New Zealand.
Line 98: Line 133:
Other agricultural industries have been less successful. [[Sugarcane]] production, originally established by Germans in the early 20th century, could be successful. Old train tracks for transporting cane can be seen at some plantations east of [[Apia]]. [[Pineapple]]s grow well in Samoa, but beyond local consumption have not been a major export.
Other agricultural industries have been less successful. [[Sugarcane]] production, originally established by Germans in the early 20th century, could be successful. Old train tracks for transporting cane can be seen at some plantations east of [[Apia]]. [[Pineapple]]s grow well in Samoa, but beyond local consumption have not been a major export.


===Components of the economy===
In the late 1960s, Potlatch Forests, Inc. (a U.S. company), upgraded the harbour and airport at Asau on the northern coast of Savai'i and established a timber operation, Samoa Forest Products, for harvesting tropical hardwoods. Potlatch invested about US$2,500,000 in a state-of-the-art sawmill and another US$6,000,000 over several years to develop power, water, and haul roads for their facility. Asau, with the Potlatch sawmillers and Samoa Forest Products, was one of the busiest parts of Savai'i in the 1960s and 1970s; however, the departure of Potlatch and the scaling down of the sawmill has left Asau a ghost town in recent years.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in [[purchasing power parity]] (PPP) in 2006 was estimated at $1.218 billion USD. The industrial sector is the largest component of GDP at 58.4%, followed by the services sector at 30.2% (2004 est.). Agriculture represents only 11.4% of GDP (2004 est.). Samoan labor force is estimated at 90 thousand.


== Demographics ==
Fishing has had some success in Samoan waters, but the biggest fisheries industry (headed by Van Camp and StarKist) has been based in American Samoa. StarKist Management announced that it was going ahead with setting up at Asau a blast-freezer project to be operational by 2002. This announcement dispelled a growing suspicion about the genuine motives of StarKist to move to Samoa. The proposed blast-freezer operations in Asau were expected to bring this village back to life.
[[Image:Samoa Familie.JPG|thumb|right|A Samoan family.]]

== Sport ==
{{see also|Sport in Samoa}}

The main sports played in Samoa are [[rugby union]] and [[Samoan cricket]]. About 30 ethnic Samoans, many from American Samoa, currently play in the [[National Football League]]. A 2002 article from ESPN estimated that a Samoan male (either an American Samoan, or a Samoan living in the 50 United States) is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American. [http://espn.go.com/gen/s/2002/0527/1387562.html]

Rugby union is very popular in Samoa and the [[Samoa national rugby union team|national team]] nicknamed the 'Manu' Samoa, is consistently competitive against teams from vastly more populous nations. Samoa have competed at every [[Rugby World Cup]] since [[1991 Rugby World Cup|1991]], and have made the quarter finals in 1991 (where they beat Wales and came close to upsetting eventual world champions Australia), [[1995 Rugby World Cup|1995]] and the second round of the [[1999 Rugby World Cup|1999]] world cup. At the 2003 world cup, Manu Samoa came close to beating eventual world champions, England. Samoa also played in the [[Pacific Nations Cup]] and the [[Pacific Tri-Nations]] The sport is governed by the [[Samoa Rugby Football Union]], who are members of the [[Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance]], and thus, also contribute to the international [[Pacific Islanders rugby union team]]. At club level there is the [[Samoa National Provincial Championship|National Provincial Championship]] and [[Pacific Rugby Cup]] Prominent Samoan players include [[Pat Lam]] and [[Brian Lima]]. In addition there are many Samoans that have played for or are playing for the [[All Blacks]].

Rugby league is also popular amongst Samoans, with Samoa reaching the quarter finals of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. They also took home the cup at Wellington and the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in 2007 - for which the Prime Minister of Samoa, also Chairman of the national rugby union, Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, declared a national holiday. Many Samoans and New Zealanders or Australians of Samoan descent play in the Super League and National Leagues in Britain. Examples are Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala who represented the New Zealand All Blacks, then became the first million dollar player to be contract out to Rugby League to play for Wigan, then played Rugby Union for Newcastle Falcons before representing Samoa. Ta'ane Lavulavu of Workington Town, Maurie Fa'asavalu of St Helens and David Fatialofa of Whitehaven.

The [[Samoan cricket team]] became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council in 2000. In 2005, they competed in the [[2005 ICC EAP Cricket Cup|East Asia/Pacific Cup]], finishing in last place, thus missing out on qualification for the [[2011 Cricket World Cup]].

Samoans have been very visible in American [[professional wrestling]], despite the relatively small population of the islands. [[The Rock (entertainer)|Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]], [[Peter Maivia]], [[Jimmy Snuka|Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka]], [[Eddie Fatu|Umaga/Jamal]], [[Matt Anoa'i|Rosey]], [[Rodney Anoa'i|Yokozuna]], [[Wild Samoans]], [[The Headshrinkers]], [[Solofa Fatu|Rikishi]], [[Samoa Joe]], and [[Sonny Siaki]] all have a Samoan heritage.

The former [[sumo]] wrestlers [[Konishiki]], who reached the rank of ''[[Makuuchi#Ōzeki|Ozeki]]'' (champion), and [[Musashimaru]], who reached the pinnacle rank of ''[[Makuuchi#Yokozuna|yokozuna]]'' (grand champion), are of Samoan descent

Several [[boxing|boxers]] and [[kickboxers]] are of Samoan descent, including former heavyweight contender [[David Tua]], [[K-1]] World Champion [[Mark Hunt]] as well as [[K-1]] Super Heavyweight contenders [[Ray Sefo]], [[Mighty Mo (Kickboxer)|Mighty Mo]] and [[Jason Suttie]] and also Jimmy Thunder.

Between August and September 2007 Samoa hosted the [[2007 Pacific Games]], the second time the country has hosted the region-specific [[multi-sport event]] since the Games inception in 1963.

== Demographics ==
{{main|Demographics of Samoa}}
{{main|Demographics of Samoa}}
Only the [[Māori]] of [[New Zealand]] outnumber Samoans among [[Polynesia]]n groups, but a larger portion of Māori identify with more than one ethnic group.
According to the [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]], Samoa has a population of 214,265 of which 92.6% are [[Samoans]], 7% Euronesians (persons of European and [[Polynesian]] blood) and 0.4% are [[European ethnic groups|Europeans]]. About three-quarters of the population live on the main island of [[Upolu]].<ref name="DS"/> Only the [[Māori]] of [[New Zealand]] outnumber Samoans among Polynesian groups, but a larger portion of Māori identify with more than one ethnic group.


Roughly 98% of Samoans are [[Christians]], divided among many different churches, including: [[Congregationalist]] 35.5%, [[Roman Catholic]] 19.6%, [[Methodist]] 15%, [[Latter-Day Saint]]s 12.7%, [[Assembly of God]] 6.6%, [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]] 3.5%, other Christian 4.0%, Worship Centre 1.3%, unspecified 0.8% ([[2001]] census) .<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ws.html</ref> The Head of State until 2007, His Highness [[Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa|Malietoa Tanumafili II]], was a [[Bahá'í]] convert. Samoa hosts one of seven [[Bahá'í House of Worship|Bahá'í Houses of Worship]] in the world; completed in 1984 and dedicated by the Head of State, it is located in [[Tiapapata]], 8 km from [[Apia]].
Roughly 98% of Samoans are [[Christians]], divided among many different churches, including: [[Congregationalist]] 35.5%, [[Roman Catholic]] 19.6%, [[Methodist]] 15%, [[Latter-Day Saint]]s 12.7%, [[Assembly of God]] 6.6%, [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]] 3.5%, other Christian 4.0%, Worship Centre 1.3%, unspecified 0.8% (2001 census).<ref>{{cite news | title=Samoa: People; Religions| url =https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ws.html#People | work =CIA World Factbook | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref> The Head of State until 2007, His Highness [[Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa|Malietoa Tanumafili II]], was a [[Bahá'í]] convert. Samoa hosts one of seven [[Bahá'í House of Worship|Bahá'í Houses of Worship]] in the world; completed in 1984 and dedicated by the Head of State, it is located in [[Tiapapata]], 8 km from [[Apia]].


According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Samoa has a large [[gender imbalance]]. [http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbsum.pl?cty=WS] The cause of this imbalance is uncertain, but it fits the profile of a large-scale emigration of women. Why most of Samoa's women would emigrate and not the men, and why this process would affect Samoa but none of its neighbors such as [[Tonga]], and where these women have gone, has never been properly explained.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Samoa has a large [[gender imbalance]].<ref>{{cite news | title=International Data Base (IDB) | url =http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/ | work =U.S. Census Bureau | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref> The cause of this imbalance is uncertain, but it fits the profile of a large-scale emigration of women. Why most of Samoa's women would emigrate and not the men, and why this process would affect Samoa but none of its neighbors such as [[Tonga]], and where these women have gone, has never been properly explained.


== Culture ==
== Culture ==
[[Image:Catholic church in Samoa.jpg|right|thumb|A Catholic church in Samoa.]]
{{Cleanup|date=November 2006}}
{{main|Culture of Samoa}}
{{main|Culture of Samoa}}{{seealso|Music of Samoa}}
The [[fa'a Samoa]], or traditional Samoan way, remains a strong force in Samoan life and politics. Despite centuries of European influence, Samoa maintains its historical customs, social and political systems, and [[Samoan language|language]]. Samoans are a typically open, friendly, welcoming, and good-humoured people with great pride in their culture, traditions, history, and nationhood. Samoan hospitality and generosity are widely noted.
The [[fa'a Samoa]], or traditional Samoan way, remains a strong force in Samoan life and politics. Despite centuries of European influence, Samoa maintains its historical customs, social and political systems, and [[Samoan language|language]]. Samoans are a deeply spiritual and religious people, and have subtly adapted the dominant religion of Christianity to 'fit in' with fa'a Samoa and vice versa. As such, ancient beliefs continue to co-exist side-by-side with Christianity, particularly in regard to the traditional customs and rituals of fa'a Samoa.


Samoans had gods of their own, as their mythological story of creation tells. At the head of the hierarchy of gods (aitu) was the supreme god called ''Tagaloaalagi'', who dwelt in the 9th heaven. The Samoan culture is centered around the principle of vāfealoa'i -the relationships- between people. These relationships are based on respect, or [[fa'aaloalo]]. When Christianity was introduced in Samoa, most Samoan people converted. Currently 98% of the population identify themselves as Christian. The other 2 percent either identify themselves as irreligious, or do not belong to any congregation. Church or going to church is a strongly held value for Samoans, and usually the only members of the population who do not attend a church on Sunday are preparing the Sunday meal.
Samoans had gods of their own, as their mythological story of creation tells. The Samoan culture is centered around the principle of vāfealoa'i, the relationships between people. These relationships are based on respect, or [[fa'aaloalo]]. When Christianity was introduced in Samoa, most Samoan people converted. Currently 98% of the population identify themselves as Christian. The other 2 percent either identify themselves as irreligious, or do not belong to any congregation.

Samoan society is often said by European writers to have an hierarchical order. From the chiefs (''matai'') to the non matai who are the ''aumaga'' -the young able bodied men who provide [[tautua]] or service. For instance, cleaning the village each week and preparing food in an ''umu'' for the chief. The aumaga service is provided traditionally without payment. The offering of one's energy to provide the tautua has its many rewards, the ultimate being the bestowal of a matai name. In ancient times, one of the most important task of the aumaga was to protect the village from any form of attack. The aumaga were like the soldiers of a village, and this kind of service to the village was known as [[tautua toto]] (blood service). Today, the aumaga merely serve to enforce peace within the villages during curfew hours so as to support family evening prayers. As a consequence of breaking any rules, the village must be paid a monetary fine and''ie Toga'' (traditional fine mats).


The Samoans have a communal way of life with little privacy. They do almost all their activities collectively. An example of this are the traditional Samoan ''[[fale]]s'' (houses) which are open with no walls, using blinds made of coconut palm fronds during the night or bad weather.
The Samoans have a communal way of life with little privacy. They do almost all their activities collectively. An example of this are the traditional Samoan ''[[fale]]s'' (houses) which are open with no walls, using blinds made of coconut palm fronds during the night or bad weather.


[[Image:Samoan Malu.jpg|right|thumb|A Samoan woman with a traditional malu.]]
As in many societies, the slow introduction of technology and its conveniences weathers away the traditional way of life observed by Samoans in the olden days. However, the culture still thrives within many families today. Sundays are traditionally a day of rest, and many families congregate to share an umu together for a Sunday afternoon meal. This Sunday meal is called a [[To'ona'i]].


As with many Polynesian islands with significant and unique tattoos, Samoans have two gender specific and culturally significant tattoos. For males, it is called the [[tatau]] and consists of intricate and geometrical patterns [[tattoo]]ed that cover areas from the knees up towards the ribs. A male who possess such a [[tatau]] is called a [[soga'imiti]]. A Samoan girl or ''teine'' is given a [[malu]], which covers the area from just below her knees to her upper thighs.<ref>{{cite news | title= Worn With Pride > Tatau (Tatoo)| url =http://www.oma-online.org/worn_with_pride_04.html | work =Oceanside Museum of Art | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref>
Samoans are a deeply spiritual and religious people, and have subtly adapted the dominant religion of Christianity to 'fit in' with fa'a Samoa and vice versa. As such, ancient beliefs continue to co-exist side-by-side with Christianity, particularly in regard to the traditional customs and rituals of fa'a Samoa.


The traditional Samoan [[dance]] is the Siva. This dance is similar to the Hawaiian [[hula]], with gentle movements of the hands and feet in time to music and which tells a story, although the Samoan male dances are more aggressive and snappy.<ref>{{cite news | title=Dance: Siva | url =http://www.samoa.co.uk/dance.html | work =Samoa.co.uk | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref> The "Sasa" is also a traditional Samoan dance, in which rows of dancers perform rapid [[synchronization|synchronised]] movements in time to [[drum]]s tins, or rolled mats. It name originates from the [[Samoan language|Samoan]] word for "[[slap]]", hence the Samoan "slap dance" which is accomplished by slapping different parts of the body. This was originally derived from slapping [[insect]]s on the body and later became a form of dance.
Today the majority group or congregation (church) are members of the CCCS, Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, established by [[London Missionary Society]] in 1830. Beautiful Samoan [[handicraft]]s can be found at the craft market and some shops. These include the [[siapo]] (equivalent to the [[Fiji]]an [[Tapa cloth|tapa]])made from beaten [[mulberry|mulberry bark]], decorated with patterns or pictures that are painted on with a natural brown dye. In some villages, one is still able to find what is know as [[fale lalaga]] which is a gathering of the women of a village for the main purpose of weaving [[ie toga]] or [papa laufala] mats, and other Samoan handicrafts or [[mea taulima]].


== Sport ==
The traditional Samoan [[dance]] is the Siva. This dance is similar to the Hawaiian [[hula]], with gentle movements of the hands and feet in time to music and which tells a story, although the Samoan male dances are more aggressive and snappy. The "Sasa" is also a traditional Samoan dance, in which rows of dancers perform rapid [[synchronization|synchronised]] movements in time to [[drum]]s tins, or rolled mats. It name originates from the [[Samoan language|Samoan]] word for "[[slap]]", hence the Samoan "slap dance" which is accomplished by slapping different parts of the body. This was originally derived from slapping [[insect]]s on the body and later became a form of dance.
{{see also|Sport in Samoa}}


The main sports played in Samoa are [[rugby union]] and [[Samoan cricket]]. About 30 ethnic Samoans, many from American Samoa, currently play in the [[National Football League]]. A 2002 article from ESPN estimated that a Samoan male (either an American Samoan, or a Samoan living in mainland United States) is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American.<ref>{{cite news | title=American football, Samoan style | url =http://espn.go.com/gen/s/2002/0527/1387562.html | work =ESPN | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref>
Traditional Samoan medicine is often practiced as a first-line before hospital medicine. This is a type of alternative medicine using plant leaves to massage the affected area.


[[Image:South Africa versus Samoa.jpg|thumb|left|Samoa (blue) vs. South Africa at the [[2007 Rugby World Cup]].]]
The contemporary traditional women’s clothing is the [[puletasi]] which is a matching [[ie]] or wrap-around and top with Samoan designs. Males usually wear button down shirts and [[ie faitaga]], a male versions of the wrap-arounds.


Rugby union is very popular in Samoa and the [[Samoa national rugby union team|national team]] nicknamed the Manu Samoa, is consistently competitive against teams from vastly more populous nations. Samoa have competed at every [[Rugby World Cup]] since [[1991 Rugby World Cup|1991]], and have made the quarter finals in 1991 (where they beat Wales and came close to upsetting eventual world champions Australia), [[1995 Rugby World Cup|1995]] and the second round of the [[1999 Rugby World Cup|1999]] world cup.<ref>{{cite news| title=Rugby in Samoa | url =http://www.manusamoa.net/history.htm | work =ManuSamoa.net | accessdate = 2007-11-26}}</ref> At the 2003 world cup, Manu Samoa came close to beating eventual world champions, England. Samoa also played in the [[Pacific Nations Cup]] and the [[Pacific Tri-Nations]] The sport is governed by the [[Samoa Rugby Football Union]], who are members of the [[Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance]], and thus, also contribute to the international [[Pacific Islanders rugby union team]]. At club level there is the [[Samoa National Provincial Championship|National Provincial Championship]] and [[Pacific Rugby Cup]] Prominent Samoan players include [[Pat Lam]] and [[Brian Lima]]. In addition there are many Samoans that have played for or are playing for the [[All Blacks]].
As with many Polynesian islands with significant and unique tattoos, Samoans have two gender specific and culturally significant tattoos. For males, it is called the [[tatau]] and consists of intricate and geometrical patterns [[tattoo]]ed that cover areas from the knees up towards the ribs. A male who possess such a [[tatau]] is called a [[soga'imiti]]. A Samoan girl or ''teine'' is given a [[malu]], which covers the area from just below her knees to her upper thighs.


Rugby league is also popular amongst Samoans, with Samoa reaching the quarter finals of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. They also took home the cup at Wellington and the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in 2007 - for which the Prime Minister of Samoa, also Chairman of the national rugby union, Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, declared a national holiday. Many Samoans and New Zealanders or Australians of Samoan descent play in the Super League and National Leagues in Britain. Examples are Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala who represented the New Zealand All Blacks, then became the first million dollar player to be contract out to Rugby League to play for Wigan, then played Rugby Union for Newcastle Falcons before representing Samoa. Ta'ane Lavulavu of Workington Town, Maurie Fa'asavalu of St Helens and David Fatialofa of Whitehaven.
*[[Music of Samoa]]

*[http://www.samoalive.com/myths&legends.htm Myths and Legends of Samoa]
Samoans have been very visible in American [[professional wrestling]], [[boxing]], [[kickboxing]] and [[sumo]]; some Samoan sumos have reached the highest rank of ''[[Makuuchi#Ōzeki|Ozeki]]'' and ''[[Makuuchi#Yokozuna|yokozuna]]''. Despite the relatively small population of the islands many Samoans and people of Samoan descent have reached high ranks in many professional sports leagues.
*[http://www.SamoaNews.com/ Samoa News]
*[http://www.samoalive.com/recipes.htm Samoan Cuisine/Recipes]
*[http://www.wsamoa.ws/index.php?m=52 Samoan Pe'a (tattoo)]
*[http://www.pasefika.com/culture.aspx Samoan Cultural Articles]
*[http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-PraDict.html Language (Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan vocabulary)]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|3}}

==Further reading==
*Watson, RM, ''History of Samoa'' (Wellington, 1918)
* Schnee, Dr. Heinrich [former Deputy Governor of ''German Samoa'' and last Governor of [[German East Africa]]]. 1926. ''German Colonization, Past and Future—The Truth about the German Colonies.'' London: [[George Allen & Unwin]].
* Schnee, Dr. Heinrich [former Deputy Governor of ''German Samoa'' and last Governor of [[German East Africa]]]. 1926. ''German Colonization, Past and Future—The Truth about the German Colonies.'' London: [[George Allen & Unwin]].
* Eustis, Nelson. [1979] 1980. ''Aggie Grey of Samoa.'' Adelaide, [[South Australia]]: Hobby Investments. ISBN 0-9595609-0-4.
* Eustis, Nelson. [1979] 1980. ''Aggie Grey of Samoa.'' Adelaide, [[South Australia]]: Hobby Investments. ISBN 0-9595609-0-4.
*{{cite book |author=Stevenson, Robert Louis |title=A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa |publisher=BiblioBazaar |isbn=1-4264-0754-8}}


==External links==
==External links==
Line 171: Line 186:


*[http://www.govt.ws/ '''Official Samoan government Website''']
*[http://www.govt.ws/ '''Official Samoan government Website''']
*[http://www.SamoaNews.com/ Samoa News]
*[http://www.samoalivenews.com/ '''Samoalive Newsline Collaboration''']For the latest news from Samoa
*[http://www.samoalivenews.com/ '''Samoalive Newsline Collaboration''']For the latest news from Samoa
*[http://dmoz.org/Regional/Oceania/Samoa Open Directory Project - ''Samoa''] directory category
*[http://dmoz.org/Regional/Oceania/Samoa Open Directory Project - ''Samoa''] directory category
*[http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/s/samoa/wsmp111.jpg Map: district subdivision]
*[http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/s/samoa/wsmp111.jpg Map: district subdivision]
*[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14224 Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago And Long Before] by George Turner, an eText available from [[Project Gutenberg]]
*[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14224 Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago And Long Before] by George Turner, an eText available from [[Project Gutenberg]]


{{Polynesia}}
{{Polynesia}}
{{Countries and territories of Oceania}}
{{Countries and territories of Oceania}}

Revision as of 02:50, 27 November 2007

This article is about the state. For the archipelago, see Samoan Islands.
Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
Independent State of Samoa
Motto: Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa
(Samoan: "Samoa is founded on God")[1]
Anthem: The Banner of Freedom
Location of Samoa
Capital
and largest city
Apia
Official languagesSamoan, English
Demonym(s)Samoan
GovernmentParliamentary republic
Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi
Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
Independence 
from New Zealand
• Date
1 January 1962
Area
• Total
2,831 km2 (1,093 sq mi) (174th)
• Water (%)
0.3%
Population
• July 2007 estimate
214,265 (185th)
• Density
65/km2 (168.3/sq mi) (126th)
GDP (PPP)2006 estimate
• Total
$1.218 billion (166th)
• Per capita
$6,344 (94th)
HDI (2004)Increase 0.778
Error: Invalid HDI value (75th)
CurrencyTala (WST)
Time zoneUTC-11
Calling code685
ISO 3166 codeWS
Internet TLD.ws

Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa, is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. Previous names were Samoa from 1900 to 1919, and Western Samoa from 1914 to 1997. It was admitted to the United Nations on 15 December 1976 as Samoa.[2] The entire island group, inclusive of American Samoa, was known as Navigators Islands before the 20th century because of the Samoans' seafaring skills.[3]

History

Main article: History of Samoa

Samoa was first settled some 3,000 years ago when people from South East Asia began to migrate towards the Pacific islands.[1] Contact with Europeans began in the early 18th century. Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutchman, was the first European to sight the Samoan islands in 1722. This visit was followed by a French Explorer by the name of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, the man who named them the Navigator Islands in 1768. Contact was limited before the 1830s which is when English missionaries and traders began arriving. Mission work in Samoa had begun in late 1830 by John Williams, of the London Missionary Society.[4] By that time, the Samoans had gained a reputation of being savage and warlike, as they had clashed with French, British, German and American forces, who, by the late nineteenth century, valued Samoa as a refueling station for coal-fired shipping.

As the Germans began to show more interest in the Samoan Islands, the United States laid its own claim to them. Britain also sent troops to express its interest. There followed an eight-year civil war, where each of the three powers supplied arms, training, and in some cases combat troops, to the warring Samoan parties. All three sent warships into Apia harbor, and a larger-scale war seemed imminent, until a massive storm damaged or destroyed the warships, ending the military conflict.[5] At the turn of the twentieth century, the Treaty of Berlin split the Samoan Islands into two parts: the eastern group became a territory of the United States (the Tutuila Islands in 1900 and officially Manu'a in 1905),[6] and are today known as American Samoa; the western islands, by far the greater landmass, became known as German Samoa after the British gave up claims to the islands in return for Fiji and some Melanesian territories.[7] New Zealand troops landed in 'Upolu on August 29, 1914 and seized control from the German authorities, following a request by Britain that New Zealand forces take over a German radio station there.[8]

From the end of World War I until 1962, New Zealand controlled Samoa as a Class "C" Mandate under trusteeship through the League of Nations.[9] There followed a series of New Zealand administrators. Approximately one fifth of the Samoan population died in the Influenza epidemic of 1918-1919, partly due to the failure of New Zealand authorities to enforce a quarantine.[10]

People in attendance at Tupua Tameseses funeral.

In the early 1920s, the Western Samoans began a campaign known as the Mau ("Strongly held Opinion"), a non-violent popular movement to protest the mistreatment of the Samoan people by the New Zealand administration. The Mau was initially lead by Olaf Nelson, who was half Samoan and half Swedish.[11] Nelso was eventually exiled during the late 1920s and early 1930s but he continued to assist the organization financially and politically. In following the Mau's non-violent philosophy, the newly elected leader, High Chief Tupua Tamasese Lealofi, led his fellow uniformed Mau in a peaceful demonstration in downtown Apia on December 28 1929.[12] The New Zealand police attempted to arrest one of the leaders in the demonstration. When he resisted, a struggle developed between the police and the Mau. The officers began to fire randomly into the crowd and a Lewis machine gun, mounted in preparation for this demonstration, was used to disperse the Mau.[13] Chief Tamasese was shot from behind and killed while trying to bring calm and order to the Mau demonstrators, screaming "Peace, Samoa". Ten others died that day and approximately 50 were injured by gunshot wounds and police batons.[14] That day would come to be known in Samoa as Black Saturday. The Mau grew, remaining steadfastly non-violent, and expanded to include a highly influential women's branch. After repeated efforts by the Samoan people, Western Samoa finally re-gained independence in 1962 and signed a Friendship Treaty with New Zealand. Western Samoa was the first Pacific Island country to gain its independence.[15]

In July 1997, the constitution was amended to change the country's name from Western Samoa to Samoa,[16] as it had been designated by the United Nations since joining the organization in 1976.[2] The U.S. territory of American Samoa protested the move, asserting that the change diminished its own identity. American Samoans still use the terms Western Samoa and Western Samoans to describe the independent State of Samoa and its inhabitants. While the two Samoas share language and ethnicity, their cultures have recently followed different paths, with American Samoans often emigrating to Hawaiʻi and the U.S. mainland, and adopting many U.S. customs, such as the playing of American football and baseball. Western Samoans have tended to emigrate instead to New Zealand, whose influence has made the sports of rugby and cricket more popular in the western islands.

Politics

Politics of Samoa
Constitution
Executive
Legislative
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
Main article: Politics of Samoa

The 1960 Constitution, which formally came into force with independence, is based on the British pattern of parliamentary democracy, modified to take account of Samoan customs.[15] Two of Samoa's four princely titles (paramount chiefs) at the time of independence were given lifetime appointments to jointly hold the office of head of state. Malietoa Tanumafili II had held this post alone since the death of his colleague (Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole) in 1963. Malietoa Tanumafili II died 11 May 2007. He was the oldest living monarch at the time of his death. His successor, Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi was selected by the legislature on the 17 June 2007 for a 5-year term.[17]

Government buildings in Apia.

The unicameral legislature (Fono) consists of 49 members serving 5-year terms. Forty-seven are elected from territorial districts by ethnic Samoans; the other two are chosen by non-Samoans with no chiefly affiliation on separate electoral rolls.[18] Universal suffrage was extended in 1990, but only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Samoan seats. There are more than 25,000 matais in the country, about 5% of whom are women.[19] The prime minister is chosen by a majority in the Fono and is appointed by the head of state to form a government. The prime minister's choices for the 12 cabinet positions are appointed by the head of state, subject to the continuing confidence of the Fono.

The judicial system is based on English common law and local customs. The Supreme Court of Samoa is the court of highest jurisdiction. Its chief justice is appointed by the head of state upon the recommendation of the prime minister.

Political Districts

Main article: Districts of Samoa

Samoa is made up of eleven itūmālō (political districts). These are the traditional eleven districts that were established well before European arrival. Each district has its own constitutional foundation (faavae) based on the traditional order of title precedence found in each district's faalupega (traditional salutations).

The capital village of each district administers and coordinates the affairs of the district and confers each districts' paramount title, amongst other responsibilities. For example, the District of A'ana has its capital at Leulumoega. The paramount title of A'ana is the TuiA'ana. The orator group which confers this title - the Faleiva (House of Nine) - is based at Leulumoega. This is also the same for the other districts. In the district of Tuamasaga, the paramount title of the district - The Malietoa title - is conferred by the FaleTuamasaga based in Afega.

Political Districts of Samoa

    Upolu (including minor islands)

  1. Tuamasaga (Afega)
  2. A'ana (Leulumoega)
  3. Aiga-i-le-Tai (Mulifanua)1
  4. Atua (Lufilufi)2
  5. Va'a-o-Fonoti (Samamea)
  1. Fa'asaleleaga (Safotulafai)
  2. Gaga'emauga (Saleaula)3
  3. Gaga'ifomauga (Safotu)
  4. Itu Asau (Asau)
  5. Satupa'itea (Satupa'itea)
  6. Palauli (Vailoa i Palauli)

1 including islands Manono, Apolima and Nu'ulopa
2 including the Aleipata Islands and Nu'usafe'e Island
3 smaller parts also on Upolu (Salamumu (incl. Salamumu-Utu) and Leauvaa villages)

Geography

Map of Samoa

The country is located east of the international dateline and south of the equator, about halfway between Hawai‘i and New Zealand in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean. The Samoas are of volcanic origin, and the total land area is 2934 km² (slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Rhode Island), consisting of the two large islands of Upolu and Savai'i which account for 99% of the total land area, and eight small islets: the three islets in the Apolima Strait (Manono Island, Apolima and Nu'ulopa), the four Aleipata Islands off the eastern end of Upolu (Nu'utele, Nu'ulua, Namua, and Fanuatapu), and Nu'usafe'e (less than 0.01 km² in area and about 1.4 km off the south coast of Upolu at the village of Vaovai).[1] While all of the islands have volcanic origins, only Savai'i has had recent eruptions and could be considered volcanically active. The last major eruption occurred in the 1700s, and smaller eruptions occurred between 1904 - 1906. The highest point in Samoa is Mauga Silisili, at 1858 m. The main island of Upolu is home to nearly three-quarters of Samoa's population, and its capital city is Apia. The climate is tropical, with an average annual temperature of 26.5 °C, and a rainy season from November to April.[20]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Samoa
Taro, a root crop, traditionally was Samoa's largest export, generating more than half of all export revenue in 1993. But a fungal blight decimated the plants, and in each year since 1994 taro exports have accounted for less than 1% of export revenue.

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, private family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, noni (juice of the nonu fruit, as it is known in Samoan), and copra.[21] Outside of a large automotive wire-harness factory (Yazaki Corporation), the manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Tourism is an expanding sector which now accounts for 25% of GDP. Toursit arrivals have been increasing over the years with more than 100,000 tourists visiting the islands in 2005, up from 70,000 in 1996. The Samoan government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. The sector has been helped enormously by major capital investment in hotel infrastructure, political instability in neighboring Pacific countries, and the 2005 launch of Polynesian Blue a joint-venture between the government and Virgin Airlines.

Samoa is a fertile, fruitful, productive country. In the period before German colonization, it produced mostly copra. German merchants and settlers were active in introducing large scale plantation operations and developing new industries, notably cocoa and rubber, relying on imported laborers from China and Melanesia. When the value of natural rubber fell drastically, about the end of the Great War (World War I), the New Zealand government encouraged the production of bananas, for which there is a large market in New Zealand.

Because of variations in altitude, a large range of tropical and subtropical crops can be cultivated, but land is not generally available to outside interests. Of the total land area of 2,934 km² (725,000 acres), about 24.4% is in permanent crops and another 21.2% is arable. About 4.4% is Western Samoan Trust Estates Corporation (WSTEC).

The staple products of Samoa are copra (dried coconut meat), cocoa (for chocolate), and bananas. The annual production of both bananas and copra has been in the range of 13,000 to 15,000 metric tons. If the rhinoceros beetle in Samoa were eradicated, Samoa could produce in excess of 40,000 metric tons of copra. Cocoa is of very high quality and used in fine New Zealand chocolates. Most cocoa trees are Criollo-Forastero hybrids. Coffee grows well, but production has been uneven. WSTEC is the biggest coffee producer. Rubber has been produced in Samoa for many years, but its export value has little impact on the economy.

Other agricultural industries have been less successful. Sugarcane production, originally established by Germans in the early 20th century, could be successful. Old train tracks for transporting cane can be seen at some plantations east of Apia. Pineapples grow well in Samoa, but beyond local consumption have not been a major export.

Components of the economy

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2006 was estimated at $1.218 billion USD. The industrial sector is the largest component of GDP at 58.4%, followed by the services sector at 30.2% (2004 est.). Agriculture represents only 11.4% of GDP (2004 est.). Samoan labor force is estimated at 90 thousand.

Demographics

A Samoan family.
Main article: Demographics of Samoa

According to the CIA World Factbook, Samoa has a population of 214,265 of which 92.6% are Samoans, 7% Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) and 0.4% are Europeans. About three-quarters of the population live on the main island of Upolu.[15] Only the Māori of New Zealand outnumber Samoans among Polynesian groups, but a larger portion of Māori identify with more than one ethnic group.

Roughly 98% of Samoans are Christians, divided among many different churches, including: Congregationalist 35.5%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-day Adventist 3.5%, other Christian 4.0%, Worship Centre 1.3%, unspecified 0.8% (2001 census).[22] The Head of State until 2007, His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, was a Bahá'í convert. Samoa hosts one of seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship in the world; completed in 1984 and dedicated by the Head of State, it is located in Tiapapata, 8 km from Apia.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Samoa has a large gender imbalance.[23] The cause of this imbalance is uncertain, but it fits the profile of a large-scale emigration of women. Why most of Samoa's women would emigrate and not the men, and why this process would affect Samoa but none of its neighbors such as Tonga, and where these women have gone, has never been properly explained.

Culture

A Catholic church in Samoa.
Main article: Culture of Samoa
See also: Music of Samoa

The fa'a Samoa, or traditional Samoan way, remains a strong force in Samoan life and politics. Despite centuries of European influence, Samoa maintains its historical customs, social and political systems, and language. Samoans are a deeply spiritual and religious people, and have subtly adapted the dominant religion of Christianity to 'fit in' with fa'a Samoa and vice versa. As such, ancient beliefs continue to co-exist side-by-side with Christianity, particularly in regard to the traditional customs and rituals of fa'a Samoa.

Samoans had gods of their own, as their mythological story of creation tells. The Samoan culture is centered around the principle of vāfealoa'i, the relationships between people. These relationships are based on respect, or fa'aaloalo. When Christianity was introduced in Samoa, most Samoan people converted. Currently 98% of the population identify themselves as Christian. The other 2 percent either identify themselves as irreligious, or do not belong to any congregation.

The Samoans have a communal way of life with little privacy. They do almost all their activities collectively. An example of this are the traditional Samoan fales (houses) which are open with no walls, using blinds made of coconut palm fronds during the night or bad weather.

A Samoan woman with a traditional malu.

As with many Polynesian islands with significant and unique tattoos, Samoans have two gender specific and culturally significant tattoos. For males, it is called the tatau and consists of intricate and geometrical patterns tattooed that cover areas from the knees up towards the ribs. A male who possess such a tatau is called a soga'imiti. A Samoan girl or teine is given a malu, which covers the area from just below her knees to her upper thighs.[24]

The traditional Samoan dance is the Siva. This dance is similar to the Hawaiian hula, with gentle movements of the hands and feet in time to music and which tells a story, although the Samoan male dances are more aggressive and snappy.[25] The "Sasa" is also a traditional Samoan dance, in which rows of dancers perform rapid synchronised movements in time to drums tins, or rolled mats. It name originates from the Samoan word for "slap", hence the Samoan "slap dance" which is accomplished by slapping different parts of the body. This was originally derived from slapping insects on the body and later became a form of dance.

Sport

See also: Sport in Samoa

The main sports played in Samoa are rugby union and Samoan cricket. About 30 ethnic Samoans, many from American Samoa, currently play in the National Football League. A 2002 article from ESPN estimated that a Samoan male (either an American Samoan, or a Samoan living in mainland United States) is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American.[26]

File:South Africa versus Samoa.jpg
Samoa (blue) vs. South Africa at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Rugby union is very popular in Samoa and the national team nicknamed the Manu Samoa, is consistently competitive against teams from vastly more populous nations. Samoa have competed at every Rugby World Cup since 1991, and have made the quarter finals in 1991 (where they beat Wales and came close to upsetting eventual world champions Australia), 1995 and the second round of the 1999 world cup.[27] At the 2003 world cup, Manu Samoa came close to beating eventual world champions, England. Samoa also played in the Pacific Nations Cup and the Pacific Tri-Nations The sport is governed by the Samoa Rugby Football Union, who are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, and thus, also contribute to the international Pacific Islanders rugby union team. At club level there is the National Provincial Championship and Pacific Rugby Cup Prominent Samoan players include Pat Lam and Brian Lima. In addition there are many Samoans that have played for or are playing for the All Blacks.

Rugby league is also popular amongst Samoans, with Samoa reaching the quarter finals of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. They also took home the cup at Wellington and the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in 2007 - for which the Prime Minister of Samoa, also Chairman of the national rugby union, Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, declared a national holiday. Many Samoans and New Zealanders or Australians of Samoan descent play in the Super League and National Leagues in Britain. Examples are Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala who represented the New Zealand All Blacks, then became the first million dollar player to be contract out to Rugby League to play for Wigan, then played Rugby Union for Newcastle Falcons before representing Samoa. Ta'ane Lavulavu of Workington Town, Maurie Fa'asavalu of St Helens and David Fatialofa of Whitehaven.

Samoans have been very visible in American professional wrestling, boxing, kickboxing and sumo; some Samoan sumos have reached the highest rank of Ozeki and yokozuna. Despite the relatively small population of the islands many Samoans and people of Samoan descent have reached high ranks in many professional sports leagues.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Samoa an Overview". donbosco.asn.au. Retrieved 2007-11-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b "List of Member States: S". United Nations. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  3. ^ "Samoa - The Heart of Polynesia". Polynesian Culture Center. Retrieved 2007-11-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Watson, R.M. (1918). History of Samoa: THE ADVENT OF THE MISSIONARY. (1830.1839). pp. Chapter III.
  5. ^ Stevenson, Robert Louis. A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa. BiblioBazaar. ISBN 1-4264-0754-8.
  6. ^ "Annexation of Samoa". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  7. ^ Josiah Crosby (1948). "The Future of Western Samoa". International Affairs. 24 (1): 89–99. doi:10.2307/3016954.
  8. ^ "New Zealand goes to war: The Capture of German Samoa". nzhistory.net.nz. Retrieved 2007-11-27. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "Imperialism as a Vocation: Class C Mandates". Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  10. ^ "The 1918 flu pandemic". NZHistory.net.nz. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  11. ^ "Nelson, Olaf Frederick 1883 - 1944". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  12. ^ "The Mau Movement" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  13. ^ Field, Michael (2006). Black Saturday: New Zealand's tragic blunders in Samoa. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed Publishing (NZ). ISBN 0790011034.
  14. ^ "History and migration: Who are the Samoans?". Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  15. ^ a b c "Background Note: Samoa". U.S. State Department. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  16. ^ "Constitution Amendment Act (No 2) 1997". Retrieved 2007-11-27. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  17. ^ New Zealand Herald. "New head of state for Samoa". Retrieved 2007-06-16.
  18. ^ "Samoa: Key Facts: Political". New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  19. ^ "Samoa: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in 2006". U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  20. ^ "Smaoa: Climate". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  21. ^ "Samoa: Economy". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 2007-11-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  22. ^ "Samoa: People; Religions". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  23. ^ "International Data Base (IDB)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  24. ^ "Worn With Pride > Tatau (Tatoo)". Oceanside Museum of Art. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  25. ^ "Dance: Siva". Samoa.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  26. ^ "American football, Samoan style". ESPN. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  27. ^ "Rugby in Samoa". ManuSamoa.net. Retrieved 2007-11-26.

Further reading

  • Watson, RM, History of Samoa (Wellington, 1918)
  • Schnee, Dr. Heinrich [former Deputy Governor of German Samoa and last Governor of German East Africa]. 1926. German Colonization, Past and Future—The Truth about the German Colonies. London: George Allen & Unwin.
  • Eustis, Nelson. [1979] 1980. Aggie Grey of Samoa. Adelaide, South Australia: Hobby Investments. ISBN 0-9595609-0-4.
  • Stevenson, Robert Louis. A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa. BiblioBazaar. ISBN 1-4264-0754-8.


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