Country: Western Samoa - Geography Total area: 2,860 km2; land area: 2,850 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island Land boundaries: none Coastline: 403 km Maritime claims: Extended economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October) Terrain: narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish Land use: 19% arable land; 24% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 47% forest and woodland; 10% other Environment: subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism Note: located 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand - People Population: 186,031 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990) Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 69 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Western Samoan(s); adjective--Western Samoan Ethnic divisions: Samoan; about 7% Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood), 0.4% Europeans Religion: 99.7% Christian (about half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist) Language: Samoan (Polynesian), English Literacy: 90% Labor force: 37,000; 22,000 employed in agriculture (1983 est.) Organized labor: Public Service Association (PSA) - Government Long-form name: Independent State of Western Samoa Type: constitutional monarchy under native chief Capital: Apia Administrative divisions: 11 districts; Aana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Faasaleleaga, Gagaemauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupaitea, Tuamasaga, Vaa-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano Independence: 1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand) Constitution: 1 January 1962 Legal system: based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: National Day, 1 June Executive branch: monarch, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal Leaders: Chief of State--Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963); Head of Government--Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988) Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), Tofilau Eti, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), Tupua Tamasese Efi, chairman Suffrage: there are two electoral rolls--the matai (head of family) roll and the individuals roll; about 12,000 persons are on the matai roll, hold matai titles, and elect 45 members of the Legislative Assembly; about 1,600 persons are on the individuals roll, lack traditional matai ties, and elect two members of the Legislative Assembly by universal adult suffrage at the age of NA Elections: Legislative Assembly--last held 26 February 1988 (next to be held by February 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(47 total) HRPP 25, SNDP 22 Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, WHO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT; Chancery (temporary) at the Western Samoan Mission to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196; US--the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa Flag: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation - Economy Overview: Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and is the source of 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports about five times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way. GDP: $112 million, per capita $615; real growth rate 0.2% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5% (1988) Unemployment rate: NA%; shortage of skilled labor Budget: revenues $54 million; expenditures $54 million, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1988) Exports: $9.9 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coconut oil and cream 42%, taro 19%, cocoa 14%, copra, timber; partners--NZ 30%, EC 24%, Australia 21%, American Samoa 7%, US 9% (1987) Imports: $51.8 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%; partners--New Zealand 31%, Australia 20%, Japan 15%, Fiji 15%, US 5%, EC 4% (1987) External debt: $75 million (December 1988 est.) Industrial production: growth rate - 4.0% (1987) Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: timber, tourism, food processing, fishing Agriculture: coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams) Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $16 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $261 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million Currency: tala (plural--tala); 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene Exchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1--2.2857 (January 1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988), 2.1204 (1987), 2.2351 (1986), 2.2437 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Highways: 2,042 km total; 375 km sealed; remainder mostly gravel, crushed stone, or earth Ports: Apia Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,930 GRT/34,135 DWT; includes 2 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: 7,500 telephones; 70,000 radio receivers; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT station - Defense Forces Branches: NA Military manpower: NA Defense expenditures: NA