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

Age structure
0-14 years: 36.6% (male 10,983; female 10,208)
15-64 years: 60.3% (male 18,010; female 16,933)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 699; female 1,069) (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock

Airports
3 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)

Area
total: 199 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
water: 0 sq km
land: 199 sq km

Area - comparative
slightly larger than Washington, DC

Background
Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.

Birth rate
24.46 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Budget
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY96/97)

Capital
Pago Pago

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

Coastline
116 km

Constitution
ratified 1966, in effect 1967

Country name
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS

Currency
US dollar (USD)

Currency code
USD

Death rate
3.39 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Debt - external
NA (2002 est.)

Dependency status
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Diplomatic representation from the US
none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of the US)

Disputes - international
none

Economic aid - recipient
important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994

Economy - overview
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 most 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, has been held back by the recurring financial difficulties in East Asia.

Electricity - consumption
120.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production
130 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m

Environment - current issues
limited natural fresh water resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines

Ethnic groups
Samoan (Polynesian) 89%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 4%, other 5%

Exchange rates
the US dollar is used

Executive branch
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
election results: Tauese P. SUNIA reelected governor; percent of vote - Tauese P. SUNIA (Democrat) 50.7%, Lealaifuaneva Peter REID (independent) 47.8%
note: Togiola TULAFONO became acting governor 26 March 2003 upon the death of Governor Tauese P. SUNIA
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003) following the death of Governor Tauese P. SUNIA on 26 March 2003; TULAFONO had been the Lieutenant Governor
cabinet: NA

Exports
$30 million (2002)

Exports - commodities
canned tuna 93%

Exports - partners
Samoa 30%, Canada 20%, Japan 20%, Australia 10%, New Zealand 10%, South Korea 10% (2003 est.)

Fiscal year
1 October - 30 September

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

GDP
purchasing power parity - $500 million (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA

GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate
NA

Geographic coordinates
14 20 S, 170 00 W

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

Government type
NA

Highways
total: 350 km
paved: 150 km
unpaved: 200 km

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage shar
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Imports
$123 million (2002)

Imports - commodities
materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6%

Imports - partners
Australia 23.2%, New Zealand 23.2%, South Korea 21.4%, Mauritius 6.3% (2003 est.)

Independence
none (territory of the US)

Industrial production growth rate
NA

Industries
tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts

Infant mortality rate
total: 9.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 10.06 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA (2003 est.)

International organization participation
Interpol (subbureau), IOC

Internet country code
.as

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)

Internet users
NA

Irrigated land
NA sq km

Judicial branch
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior)

Labor force
14,000 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation
tuna canneries 34%, government 33%, other 33% (1990)

Land boundaries
0 km

Land use
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 15%
other: 75% (2001)

Languages
Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English
note: most people are bilingual

Legal system
NA

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)
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 - independents 18
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA (Democrat) reelected as delegate
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.62 years
male: 72.05 years
female: 79.41 years (2004 est.)

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.)

Location
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references
Oceania

Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Median age
total: 22.4 years
male: 22.1 years
female: 22.7 years (2004 est.)

Merchant marine
none

Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US

National holiday
Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

Nationality
noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan

Natural hazards
typhoons common from December to March

Natural resources
pumice, pumicite

Net migration rate
-20.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption
3,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports
NA (2001)

Oil - imports
NA (2001)

Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party [leader NA]; Republican Party [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders
NA

Population
57,902 (July 2004 est.)

Population below poverty line
NA

Population growth rate
0.04% (2004 est.)

Ports and harbors
Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u

Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios
57,000 (1997)

Religions
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30%

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Suffrage
18 years of age; universal

Telephone system
general assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
international: country code - 684; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use
15,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular
2,377 (1999)

Television broadcast stations
1 (2004)

Televisions
14,000 (1997)

Terrain
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Total fertility rate
3.41 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate
6% (2000)