Samoa

Full name of country: Independent State of Samoa

Region: Australia-Oceania

Official language: Samoan (Polynesian), English

Population: 208,853 (2024 est.)

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

Land area: 2,821 sq km

Water area: 10 sq km

Capital: Apia

National anthem: "O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa" (The Banner of Freedom), by Sauni Liga Kuresa

National holiday: Independence Day Celebration, June 1 (1962); note - January 1, 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship; it is observed in June

Population growth: 0.65% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +13

Flag: The flag of Samoa consists of a red field with a blue canton (rectangle) in the upper hoist (left-hand) side. The Southern Cross constellation, made up of five white stars—four large, one small—sits in the canton. The traditional colors of red, blue, and white symbolize loyalty or courage, patriotism or freedom, and purity, respectively.

Independence: January 1, 1962 (from New Zealand–administered UN trusteeship)

Government type: parliamentary republic

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen

Samoa, previously named Western Samoa and officially renamed the Independent State of Samoa, is one of the smallest countries in the world. It consists of ten small islands located in the South Pacific, near New Zealand and Australia, and is part of the continental grouping of Oceania. Samoa is distinct from American Samoa, which comprises several islands to the east of Samoa. The people of Samoa form a community largely of self-sufficient farmers.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Samoa has the most Polynesian population of any country. According to 2011 estimates, 96 percent of all residents were Samoan citizens. The remainder held Samoan and New Zealander citizenship or belonged to minority nationalities.

The European population in Samoa is mainly the result of Germany's occupation of the islands during World War I and New Zealand's subsequent guardianship until 1962. The capital, Apia, is home to more minorities, including a large Chinese population.

The vast majority of Samoans identify as Christian. Several denominations of Christianity are represented, the largest being Congregationalism (29 percent of the population as of the 2016 census), Roman Catholicism (18.8 percent), Mormonism (16.9 percent), Methodism (12.4 percent), Assemblies of God (6.8 percent), and Seventh-Day Adventism (4.4 percent). Some 3.6 percent held other Christian affiliations. Christianity has had an enormous impact on the islands' culture, which was previously polytheist. Many traditional religious elements remain, but some traditional Polynesian practices were forbidden by the missionaries who brought Christianity to the region. About 2.9 percent of the population identified with a non-Christian faith, such as Islam or Baháʼí, while 0.2 percent professed no religion.

The people of Samoa live in villages throughout the islands. Samoan society is based on the importance of family and agriculture. In a system that is separate from the national government, Polynesians use community councils to direct local affairs.

Polynesians use the Samoan word matai, which means "chief," to refer to landowners at the village level. Samoa's eleven administrative districts contain hundreds of villages in which Polynesian families live on privately owned farmland. This land is overseen by a family's matai. The role of the matai also extends beyond the family. Matais play a role in village councils known as Fonos and make up the majority of the forty-nine members of Samoa's legislature.

Fishing and agriculture are daily practices for Polynesians, who are almost entirely self-sufficient farmers. The capital and only city, Apia, is used primarily for government functions and as a marketplace for trading goods.

Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the designated national language of the islands and the most widely spoken. Some Polynesians also know some English and use it primarily in business, such as when trading with New Zealand and Australia.

Samoa's HDI value for 2022 is 0.702— which put the country in the High human development category—positioning it at 116 out of 193 countries and territories.

Indigenous People: Although Samoa has been inhabited and controlled by many groups of people, the predominant Polynesian culture has existed there for more than two thousand years. It is believed that the predecessors of the Polynesians, known to archaeologists as the Lapita people, traveled east from Southeast Asia and settled in Samoa, on the island of Upolu, around 900 BCE. It is difficult to know the cultural habits of the original Polynesians because the Christian missionaries who later came to the islands have had such a strong influence on Polynesian lifestyle.

Education: The adult literacy rate in Samoa is high, at 99.1 percent according to 2021 estimates—99 percent among men and 99.3 percent among women.

Education in Samoa is compulsory between ages six and fourteen (grades 1 through 8). While public schools do not charge fees, families are expected to contribute to maintenance costs and other expenses. After completing compulsory education, students may continue at the secondary and postsecondary levels. The National University of Samoa has several campuses throughout the islands. It is one of two major universities in Samoa, the other being the Alafua campus of the University of the South Pacific.

Health Care: Samoans enjoy free health care services in government health facilities, primarily at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital in Motootua, as well as associated facilities throughout the island. There are certain fees associated with specific patients and treatments. Immunization, care for the elderly, and emergency treatment are available to all of Samoa's residents. Facilities for tertiary care are limited, and most specialized cases are referred to New Zealand facilities, with assistance provided by the Samoan government.

Food: In Samoa, eating is a large part of the traditional culture. Polynesians eat in family groups and often invite others to join in their large meals, which are eaten by hand while sitting on floor mats. A Sunday feast called to'ona'i is prepared in a large cooking pot called an umu. This community meal involves mass prayer, and diners are expected to offer their food to others and share throughout the meal.

Tropical fruits and vegetables such as coconuts, breadfruits, papayas, mangoes, taro, and yams make up the majority of the Polynesian diet. Beef and pork are often used in Polynesian recipes.

Seafood is another important part of Samoan cuisine. Tuna, lobster, crabs, and squid are staples of the Samoan diet. Limu is a common dish made from seaweed. A preparation of dissected sea slugs known simply as "sea" is sold in bottles as a delicacy.

Arts & Entertainment: Entertainment in Samoa is largely based on tradition and religion. Music is an important part of religious practice. Polynesians are particularly known for their singing voices and musical ability. Brass band performances are popular and are often performed by Samoa's official police band.

Music is a substantial element of Samoa's most significant artistic performance: the fiafia, a traditional blend of dance, music, and live entertainment that is now an important part of popular culture. Traditional Polynesian dances such as the sasa, the siva, and the taualuga are included in the fiafia. While dance was once an integral part of the religious practices of the Samoan Islands, it was altered and censored by Christian missionaries. Dance is now primarily a form of entertainment and has been stripped of its religious significance.

Although Polynesian folklore is kept alive in Samoa by the oral tradition, there is a strong interest in written literature. Because of the high literacy rate and the proliferation of the arts, Polynesian literature is widely read. Notable Samoan authors include novelist and poet Sia Figiel, short-story writer Afemata Tunumafono Apelu Aiavao, and poet Albert Wendt. One of Samoa's most famous inhabitants was the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, whose works are celebrated on the islands.

Holidays: There are few national celebrations outside of Christian holidays, which are observed in Samoa. Mother's Day is commemorated in May, Father's Day in August, and White Sunday, celebrating children, in October. Independence Day is celebrated on June 1; the nation officially gained independence from New Zealand on January 1, 1962, but Samoans chose to commemorate the day in June so that New Year's Day could remain a separate festival. Independence celebrations typically include group dances and songs, horse and boat races, and large feasts.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Samoa's area covers ten volcanic islands. Therefore, the terrain is mountainous and covered with high slopes and ridges that extend to the shores.

The majority of the country is divided between the two main islands, Savai'i and Upolu, which were formed by volcanic eruptions. The remaining land area is spread across the eight smaller islands, only two of which, Manono and Apolima, are inhabited. Samoa's highest point is Mount Silisili, located on Savai'i, which reaches a height of 1,857 meters (6,092 feet) at its peak.

Natural Resources:Deforestation is causing a crisis for Samoa's natural resources. Dense hardwood rainforests cover some areas of the islands, but the demand for the rare woods has raised concerns that logging will irreversibly damage the islands' ecosystem. Because the islands are so small, the natural resources are few.

Hydroelectricity is fundamental to Samoa's industry. Because of the strong currents flowing around the islands, hydropower is perhaps Samoa's most sustainable resource.

Fish are considered a natural resource, since the fishing industry feeds most Samoans. Due to the lack of other natural resources, Samoa remains dependent on neighboring nations for many of its needs.

Plants & Animals: Samoa has a tropical climate and is therefore home to a large number of plant and animal species. Palm trees are found along the shore, while the mountains are surrounded by rainforest areas. Dozens of species of birds surround the islands, in addition to flying foxes, skinks, porpoises, dolphins, and lizards. Land and sea turtles are found along the shores, and more than nine hundred species of fish contribute substantially to Samoa's agricultural economy.

On the land, the rainforest is home to nearly seventy-five species of tropical vegetation, many of which are used as herbal remedies and medicines. Researchers around the world work with Samoan vegetation in the search for new medicines. The surrounding Pacific Ocean contains numerous varieties of coral reefs.

Climate: Because of Samoa's tropical climate, the islands experience hot weather year-round. The average temperature is about 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). Rather than cold and warm seasons, there is a wet season, during which there is substantial rainfall, and a dry season that lasts for the majority of the year.

Due to its location, mountainous terrain, and extensive coastline, Samoa is constantly threatened by major storms. These windy storms are usually tropical cyclones that have killed many people and caused a good deal of destruction throughout the islands.

Economy

Samoa's gross domestic product (GDP) was an estimated US$$1.359 billion in 2023, or US$6,000 per capita. The unemployment rate was 9.75 percent (2023 estimate); most Samoans are self-sufficient, however, and do not need to hold a job in order to live.

Industry: Samoa is not dependent on industry for its economic survival. Most of the manufacturing jobs in the workforce are related to agricultural goods, which are used internally. Samoa's few major manufactured exports include electronics such as insulated wiring and integrated circuits.

Agriculture: Much of Samoa's economy and revenue is based on agriculture, and about two-thirds of the workforce was engaged in the agricultural sector in 2015. Some of Samoa's major exports include fish, arrowroot, and fruits like bananas, coconut products, and lemons. The majority of Samoa's goods are exported to the United States, New Zealand, American Samoa, Brazil, and Australia.

Devastating cyclone storms typical of the South Pacific region can cause large setbacks in agricultural output, potentially damaging the economy.

Tourism: In the twenty-first century tourism became an increasingly important part of Samoa's economy, helping to compensate for a decline in the fishing industry. Services, which include tourism, generated 66 percent of the country's GDP in 2017. According to the Samoa Tourism Authority, over 180,000 people visited the country in 2019. Despite general growth, however, the tourist industry can be volatile. For example, two cyclones that hit the islands in 2012 and 2013 caused a sharp decline in annual visits. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 led to only 23,900 arrivals that year and a dismal 2,500 visitors in 2021. Numbers began to recover thereafter, and the region saw over 50,000 visitors in 2022.

Regular destinations for tourists include the Mulinuu tombs, which house the remains of past royalty, and the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum.

Government

Samoa is a parliamentary republic. The Samoan government is based directly on that of Great Britain, and its parliament is known as the Fono, or the Legislative Assembly. The chief of state, a native chief called the "O le Ao o le Malo" (chieftain of the government), is elected by the Fono to oversee it. The O le Ao o le Malo has extremely limited powers and is in many ways a figurehead. The head of government is the prime minister, who is usually the leader of the majority party in government.

The unicameral legislature has forty-nine seats, which are based on geographic districts and one of which is reserved for a woman. Members are elected by majority vote to five-year terms.

There are a number of political parties in Samoa. The party to which a matai belongs is represented in the Fono once they gain a seat.

In 2021, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa becomes Samoa's first female prime minister.

Interesting Facts

• The last volcanic eruption in Samoa happened in 1911, when Mount Silisili on the island of Savai'i erupted. The volcano is still considered active.
• In 2000 Polynesian geography students found an active underwater volcano off the eastern shores of Samoa and named it Vailulu'u.
• In 2011 Samoa skipped the day of December 30 when it realigned to the west of the International Date Line, a move to make its time zone closer to trade partners Australia and New Zealand.
• Samoa and the surrounding Samoan Islands were once known as the Navigator Islands because the Polynesian people were known for being excellent canoe builders.
• In late 2016 it was announced that Samoan weightlifter Ele Opeloge would be the first from her country to receive an Olympic medal. The silver medal was awarded retroactively for her performance in the 2008 Olympic Games, in which she had placed fourth, after an investigation revealed that the silver and bronze medal winners had tested positive for banned substances.
• In 2016 only 8 percent of Samoan households had a mailbox.

Bibliography

"International Arrival Statistics Third Quarter 2023." Samoa Bureau of Statistics, Government of Samoa, 25 Oct. 2023, www.sbs.gov.ws/documents/social/International‗Arrival‗Statistics/2023/International-Arrivals-3rd-Quarter-2023-Report.pdf. Accessed 25 Oct. 2023.

"Samoa." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/WSM. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

"Samoa." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/samoa/. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

"Samoa." BBC News, 27 Oct. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-15655855. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

Samoa: National Education Profile. Education Policy and Data Center, FHI 360, 2018, www.epdc.org/sites/default/files/documents/EPDC‗NEP‗Samoa.pdf. Accessed 30 Jun. 2022.

"Statistics." Samoa Tourism Authority, www.sbs.gov.ws/index.php. Accessed 25 Oct. 2023.