AMERICAN SAMOA (territory of the US) GEOGRAPHY Total area: 199 km2; land area: 199 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 116 km Maritime claims: Contiguous zone: 12 nm; Continental shelf: 200 m (depth); Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages 124 inches; 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 Natural resources: pumice and pumicite Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 75%; other 10% Environment: typhoons common from December to March 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 about 3,700 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand PEOPLE Population: 43,052 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991) Birth rate: 41 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 8 immigrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 11 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--American Samoan(s); adjective--American Samoan Ethnic divisions: Samoan (Polynesian) 90%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 2%, other 6% Religion: Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant denominations and other 30% Language: Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages) and English; most people are bilingual Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980) Labor force: 11,145; government 48%, tuna canneries 33%, other 19% (1986 est.) Organized labor: NA Note: about 65,000 American Samoans live in the States of California and Washington and 20,000 in Hawaii GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Territory of American Samoa Type: unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US Capital: Pago Pago Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US) Independence: none (territory of the US) Constitution: ratified 1966, in effect 1967 National holiday: Flag Day, 17 April (1900) Executive branch: President of the US, governor, lieutenant governor Legislative branch: bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives Judicial branch: High Court Leaders: Chief of State--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989); Head of Government--Governor Peter Tali COLEMAN (since 20 January 1989); Lieutenant Governor Galea'i POUMELE (since NA 1989) Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not US citizens Elections: Governor--last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--Peter T. COLEMAN was elected (percent of vote NA); Senate--last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--senators elected by county councils from 12 senate districts; seats--(18 total) number of seats by party NA; House of Representatives--last held NA November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results--representatives popularly elected from 17 house districts; seats--(21 total, 20 elected and 1 nonvoting delegate from Swain's Island); US House of Representatives--last held 19 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results--Eni R. F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA reelected as a nonvoting delegate Communists: none Member of: IOC, SPC Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US) Flag: blue with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly 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 Note: administered by the US Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not citizens of the US ECONOMY Overview: Economic development is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa does 90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private-sector economy, with canned tuna the primary export. The tuna canneries are the second-largest employer, exceeded only by the government. Other economic activities include meat canning, handicrafts, dairy farming, and a slowly developing tourist industry. GNP: $190 million, per capita $5,210; real growth rate NA% (1985) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1989) Unemployment rate: 13.4% (1986) Budget: revenues $51.2 million; expenditures $59.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1990) Exports: $288 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--canned tuna 93%; partners--US 99.6% Imports: $346 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--building materials 18%, food 17%, petroleum products 14%; partners--US 72%, Japan 7%, NZ 7%, Australia 5%, other 9% External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 42,000 kW capacity; 85 million kWh produced, 2,020 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign supplies of raw tuna) Agriculture: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas Economic aid: $21,042,650 million in operational funds and $5,948,931 million in construction funds for capital improvement projects from the US Department of Interior (1991) Currency: US currency is used Exchange rates: US currency is used Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: none Highways: 350 km total; 150 km paved, 200 km unpaved Ports: Pago Pago, Ta'u Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440 to 3,659 m (international airport at Tafuna, near Pago Pago); small airstrips on Ta'u and Ofu Telecommunications: 6,500 telephones; stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; good telex, telegraph, and facsimile services; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station, 1 COMSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Note: defense is the responsibility of the US