American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. In practical terms, this means very little. The citizens of American Samoa are US "nationals" and not US "citizens," but they are allowed to travel freely between the American Samoa and the US Mainland. They are not required to obtain green cards or visas to stay or work in the United States, and they are allowed to serve in the US armed forces (and often do). There are some ways that American Samoa's special status as an unincorporated territory have interesting legal consequences. The US Constitution is not necessarily the supreme law of the land in American Samoa, and Samoan cultural norms -- in particular, those related to the ownership of property and public displays of religion -- actually trump certain well-settled US constitutional rights in American Samoa.

 • Tutuila - The main island.
 • Ofu
 • Olosega
 • Ta'u
 • Rose Island
 • Swains Island

The islands are frequently referred to as Samoa, which is the name of a separate island, and independent country, that used to be known as Western Samoa, that lies about 100km west of American Samoa. Also the whole island group, including Samoa, are often identified as the Samoan islands.

Settled as early as 1000 B. C. by Polynesian navigators, 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.

US occupation of the islands came in 1900, following an agreement with Germany, which kept control of what is now Samoa. (Samoa subsequently fell under New Zealand control after WWI before becoming independent.)

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, Western

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 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.

GDP

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

GDP - per capita

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

Labor force

14,000 (1996)
 

Labor force - by occupation

government 33%, tuna canneries 34%, other 33% (1990) (1990)
 

Unemployment rate

6% (2000)
 

Budget

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

Industries

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

Electricity - production

130 million kWh (2000)
 

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% (2000)
 

Electricity - consumption

120.9 million kWh (2000)
 

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$345 million (1999)
 

Exports - commodities

canned tuna 93%
 

Exports - partners

US 99.6%
 

Imports

$452 million (1999)
 

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 62%, Australia 11%, Japan 9%, NZ 7%, Fiji 4%, other 7%
 

Economic aid - recipient

important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in 1994
 

Currency

US dollar (USD)
 

Currency code

USD
 

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used
 

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

Telecommunications

Telephones - main lines in use

13,000 (1997)
 

Telephones - mobile cellular

2,550 (1997)
 

Telephone system

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
 

Radios

57,000 (1997)
 

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)
 

Televisions

14,000 (1997)
 

Internet country code

.as
 

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Electricity

Officially 120V 60Hz, which is identical to the U.S. and Canadian standard. Outlets are North American NEMA 5-15 grounded outlets, identical to standard U.S. and Canadian wall outlets. Occasionally non-grounded NEMA 1-15 outlets may be found. Non-grounded outlets do not accept the third, round pin present on grounded plugs. Adapters are available to allow equipment with grounded (three-pin) plugs to plug into non-grounded outlets while avoiding the otherwise necessary step of cutting the grounding pin off of the plug.

Additionally, U.S. and Canadian outlets are polarized. Polarized means that one of the two vertical blades is taller/wider than the other. This is a safety feature which restricts a non-grounded plug from being inserted into an outlet "upside down". Older North American outlets found in much of Central and South America, the Caribbean and other areas may not be polarized. As such, polarized plugs may not fit into non-polarized outlets. To remedy this, the wider vertical blade on a polarized plug may be filed down to match the width of the other. Otherwise, adapters are available which accept a polarized plug and adapt it for use with a non-polarized outlet.

Cities

Pago Pago (pronounced "Pango Pango") - capital city

Ports and harbor

Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Ta'u

National holiday

Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

Nationality

noun: American Samoan(s)
adjective: American Samoan

 

Ethnic groups

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

 

Religions

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

Country name

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

Transportation

Airports

4 (2001)
 

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
 

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

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

Language

The native language is Samoan, a Polynesian language related to Hawaiian and other Pacific island languages.

English is widely spoken, and most people can at least understand it. Most people are bilingual to some degree.

Geography

Geographic coordinates

14 20 S, 170 00 W

 

Area

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

 

Coastline

116 km

 

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

 

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

 

Terrain

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

 

Highest point

Lata 966 m

 

Natural resources

pumice, pumicite

 

Land use

arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 10%
other: 85% (1998 est.)

 

Natural hazards

Tropical cyclones (typhoons/hurricanes) common from December to March

 

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

 

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