OFFICIAL NAME: American Samoa
CAPITAL: Pago Pago
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: Unorganized and Unincorporated US Territory
AREA: 199 Sq Km (77 Sq Mi)
ESTIMATED 2000 POPULATION 53,000


Direct Link to Political MapDirect Link to Physical MapLOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY: American Samoa is a small group of five volcanic islands and two coral atolls located in the South Pacific Ocean about 3,700 km (2,298 mi) southwest of Honolulu and 2,575 km (2,220 mi) northeast of New Zealand. The principal island is Tutuila while the other islands are the Aunu'u, Tau, Ofu, Olosega, Swains island and the small isolated atoll of Rose Island.


CLIMATE: American Samoa has a tropical maritime climate moderated by the SE trade winds. The rainy season is from November to April and the dry season is from May to October with little seasonal temperature variation.


PEOPLE: The principal ethnic majority are the Samoans who are Polynesians and ethnically the same as those located in Western Samoa, speaking the same language.


RELIGIONS: Mostly Christians with more than half the islanders members of the Congregational Church while 19% of the population are Roman Catholic.


LANGUAGES: The official languages are Samoan and English with the majority of the population bilingual. The Samoan language is closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages.


MODERN HISTORY - WWII TO 1990: American Samoa remains an unincorporated territory of the US and its people are US nationals, but not citizens. The 1960 constitution, which combines traditional practices with the needs of a modern state, gives the American Samoans self government with certain powers reserved to the US Secretary of the Interior. A revised constitution was drawn up in 1986 which still excludes commoners and women from voting, but this has yet to be ratified by the US congress.


CURRENCY: The official currency is the US Dollar divided into 100 Cents.


MAIN TRADING PARTNERS: Its main trading partners are the US, other Pacific Islands as well as Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

MAIN PRIMARY PRODUCTS: Bananas, Fish, Taro, Vegetables.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Aluminum Recycling, Drink Bottling, Electrical and Automotive Workshops, Fish Processing and Canning, Handicrafts, Shipping Services.

MAIN EXPORTS: Bananas, Handicrafts, Pet Food.


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