American Samoa Map
American Samoa
Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
American Samoa is an unorganized, unincorporated
territory of the United States in the South Pacific
Ocean, to the East of the larger state of Samoa.
Originally inhabited as early as 1000 BC, Samoa was
reached by European explorers in the 18th century.
American Samoa
National motto: Samoa, Muamua Le Atua (Samoa,
Let God Be First)
Official languages: Samoan, English
Capital: Pago Pago
Area: 199 km² Ranked 226th
Population: 70,260 (2003); 353/km² Ranked
203rd
Currency: USD
Time zone: UTC -11 (no DST)
Internet TLD: .as
Calling Code: +1 684
International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th
century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany
and the U.S. divided the Samoan archipelago.
The U.S. formally occupied its portion—a smaller
group of eastern islands with the noted harbour of Pago
Pago—the following year.
The western islands are now the independent state of
Samoa.
The U.S. Navy built a coaling station in Pago Pago Bay
for its Pacific Squadron, appointed a local Secretary
and secured a Deed of Cession of Tutuila in 1900 and
a Deed of Cession of Manu'a in 1904.
During World War II, U.S. Marines in American Samoa,
outnumbering the local population, had a huge cultural
influence.
After World War II, Organic Act 4500, a U.S. Department
of Interior-sponsored attempt to incorporate American
Samoa, was defeated in Congress, primarily through the
efforts of American Samoan chiefs, led by Tuiasosopo
Mariota.
These chiefs' efforts led to the creation of a local
legislature, the American Samoa Fono.
In time, the Navy-appointed governor was replaced by
a locally elected one.
Although technically considered "unorganized"
in that the U.S. Congress has not passed an Organic
Act for the territory, American Samoa is self-governing
under a constitution that became effective on July 1,
1967.
The U.S. Territory of American Samoa is on the United
Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, a listing
which is disputed by the country.
Geography of American Samoa
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean,
about two thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Includes (According to size) Tutuila, Ta'u, Ofu, Olosega,
Aunu'u, Swain's, and Rose Islands.
Area - Slightly larger than Washington, DC.
Climate
Tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds;
annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season from
November to April, dry season from May to October; little
seasonal temperature variation
Island Names in order of size
Terrain
Five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited
coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains
Island)
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m;
highest point: Lata 966 m
Natural resources: Pumice, pumicite.
Land use: arable land: 5%. permanent crops: 10%. permanent
pastures: 0%, forests and woodland: 70%, other: 15%
(1993 est.).
Natural hazards: hurricane season from December to March;
Hurricane Heta struck Tutuila and Manu`a January, 2004.
and landslides
Environment - current issues
Limited natural fresh water resources; the water division
of the government has spent substantial funds in the
past few years to expand the well system, to improve
water catchments and pipelines.
Geography - note
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors
in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from
rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from
high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific
Ocean
Politics of American Samoa
Conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa;
conventional short form: American Samoa; abbreviation:
AS
Dependency status: unincorporated and unorganized territory
of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs,
US Department of the Interior
Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US);
there are no first-order administrative divisions as
defined by the US Government, but there are three districts
and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a,
Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western
Legislative branch: bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly
consists of the House of Representatives (21 seats -
20 of which are elected by popular vote and 1 is an
appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island; members
serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members
are elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held NA November
1998 (next to be held NA November 2000); Senate - last
held 3 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000)
election results: House of Representatives - percent
of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
note: American Samoa elects one delegate to the US House
of Representatives; election last held 3 November 1998
(next to be held 7 November 2000); results - Eni R.
F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate
for a sixth term
Judicial branch: High Court (chief justice and associate
justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)
Flag description: blue, with a white triangle edged
in red that is based on the outer side and extends to
the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle
flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional
Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club.
Economy
This is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more
than 90% of the land is communally owned.
Economic activity is strongly linked to the US, with
which American Samoa conducts the great bulk of its
foreign trade.
Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone
of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary
export.
Transfers from the US Government add substantially to
American Samoa's economic well-being.
Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader
economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its
limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes.
Tourism, a developing sector, may be held back by the
current financial difficulties in East Asia.
Trivia
American Samoa is the location of Rose Atoll, the southernmost
point in the United States (if insular areas are included);
see extreme points for more information).
Goods manufactured in territories or protectorates of
the United States, including American Samoa, can be
labeled "Made in the USA."
About 30 ethnic Samoans, many from American Samoa, currently
play in the National Football League. It has been 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.
A number have also ventured into professional wrestling.
Persons born in American Samoa are United States nationals,
but not United States citizens. This is virtually the
only circumstance under which an individual would be
one and not the other.
The American Samoa national soccer team holds an unwanted
world record in international soccer—the record
defeat in an international match, a 31-0 crushing by
Australia on April 11, 2001.
External links
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This page was retrieved and condensed from
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Samoa) October
2005.
All text is available under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation License (see
Copyrights
for details).
About Wikipedia Disclaimers
This information was correct in October 2005. E. & O.E.
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