Amerika Samoa
American Samoa

(Flag)

(Seal)

National motto: Samoa, Muamua Le Atua (Samoa, Let God Be First) Official languages English, Samoan Capital Pago Pago Head of State George W. Bush Governor Togiola Tulafono Area
 - Total
 - % water Ranked 212th
199 km² (76.8 sq. mi)
0% Population
 - Total (2005)
 - Density Ranked 203rd
64,869
353/km² (914/sq. mi) Currency USD Time zone UTC -11 (no DST) National anthem Amerika Samoa Internet TLD .as Calling Code +1 684 Fatu Rock (right) and Futi Rock (left), islets on the reef of Tutuila at the entrance to Pago Pago Harbor (seen behind Fatu). American Samoa (Samoan: Amerika Samoa) is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa. The main (largest and most populous) island is Tutuila, with the Islands, Rose Atoll, and Swains Island also included in the territory. American Samoa is part of the Samoan Islands chain, located west of the Cook Islands, north of Tonga, and some 300 miles (500 km) south of Tokelau. To the west are the islands of the Wallis and Futuna group. The 2000 census showed a total population of 57,291 ^*.

History

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Main article: History of Samoa, History of American Samoa

Originally inhabited as early as 1000 BC, Samoa was not reached by European explorers until the 18th century.

International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 Treaty of Berlin in which Germany and the U.S. divided the Samoan archipelago. The U.S. formally occupied its portion—a smaller group of eastern islands with the noted harbor of Pago Pago—the following year. The western islands are now the independent state of Samoa.

After the U.S. took possession of American Samoa, the U.S. Navy built a coaling station on Pago Pago Bay for its Pacific Squadron and appointed a local Secretary. The navy secured a Deed of Cession of Tutuila in 1900 and a Deed of Cession of in 1904. The last sovereign of , the , was forced to sign a Deed of Cession of following a series of US Naval trials, known as the "Trial of the Ipu", in Pago Pago, , and aboard a Pacific Squadron gunboat.

During World War II, U.S. Marines in American Samoa outnumbered the local population, having a huge cultural influence. After the war, Organic Act 4500, a U.S. Department of Interior-sponsored attempt to incorporate American Samoa, was defeated in Congress, primarily through the efforts of American Samoan chiefs, led by Tuiasosopo Mariota. These chiefs' efforts led to the creation of a local legislature, the American Samoa Fono, which meets in the village of Fagatogo, the territory's de facto and de jure capital. (See the Trivia section below for more information on Fagatogo.)

In time, the Navy-appointed governor was replaced by a locally elected one. Although technically considered "unorganized" in that the U.S. Congress has not passed an Organic Act for the territory, American Samoa is self-governing under a constitution that became effective on July 1, 1967. The U.S. Territory of American Samoa is on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, a listing which is disputed by territorial government officials.

Employment on the island is historically hard to come by. Most people who have jobs travel to nearby Hawaii for work or join the U.S. military; in fact, the military is the largest employer on the islands.

Politics

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Politics of American Samoa takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic dependency, whereby the Governor is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. American Samoa is a unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. Its constitution was ratified 1966 and came into effect 1967. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the legislature. The party system is a copy of the United States party system. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Administrative Divisions

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American Samoa is administratively divided into 3 districts and 2 "unorganized" islands. These districts are subdivided into 73 villages. Districts:

• Eastern
• Western
• Manu'a

Unorganized Islands:

• Rose Island
• Swains Island
  The villages for Eastern and Western districts are:

  Asu Afao Afono Agugulu Alao Alofau Aloga Amaluia Amanave Amaua Amouli Anua Aoa Aoloau Asili Atu'u Aua Auasi Aumi Aunu'u Auto Avaio Faga'alu Faga'itua Fagaili'i Fagamalo Faganeanea Fagasā Fagatogo Failolo Faleniu Fatumafuti

  Futiga Ili'ili Leloaloa Leone Lauli'i Malaeimi Malaeloa/Aitulagi Malaeloa/Ituau Maloatā Mapusagafou Masausi Masefau Matu'u Mesespa Nu'uuli Nua Onenoa Pago Pago Pava'ia'i Poloa Sa'ilele Se'etaga Tafuna Taputimu Tula Utulei Utumea East Utumea West Vailoatai Vaitogi Vatia

  The villages for the Manu'a district are:
  1. Faleasao
  2. Leusoali'i
  3. Luma
  4. Maia
  5. Ofu
  6. Olosega
  7. Si'ufaga
  8. Sili

  There is one village on Swains Island. Rose Island is an uninhabited wildlife refuge.

  Trivia

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  • American Samoa is the location of Rose Atoll, the southernmost point in the United States (if insular areas and territories are included); see extreme points for more information).
  • About 30 ethnic Samoans, many from American Samoa, currently play in the National Football League. A 2002 article from ESPN estimated that a Samoan male (either an American Samoan, or a Samoan living in the 50 United States) is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American. A number have also ventured into professional wrestling (see especially Anoai wrestling family).
  • Persons born in American Samoa are United States nationals, but not United States citizens. This is the only circumstance under which an individual would be one and not the other.
  • Although many respected reference sources list the neighboring village of Pago Pago as the capital, Fagatogo is the de facto and de jure (i.e., constitutionally designated; cf. Article 5, Section 9) seat of government. Additionally, the governor's office is located in the village of Utulei, located on the opposite side of Fagatogo from Pago Pago. The reason why many sources list Pago Pago is because the name Pago Pago, the most popular port of call in American Samoa, has become associated with the harbor itself; thus Pago Pago is now generally applied to the harbor area and the capital. However, both the port itself and the legislature of American Samoa—known as the Fono—are located in Fagatogo, a village that is adjacent to (and for all practical purposes indistinguishable from) Pago Pago. (Cf. Wikipedia entry for Pago Pago.)
  • In March of 1889, a German naval force shelled a village in Samoa, and by doing so destroyed some American property. Three American warships then entered the Samoan harbor and were prepared to fire on the three German warships found there. Before guns were fired, a hurricane blew up and sank all the ships, American and German. A compulsory armistice was called because of the lack of warships.
  • On April 11 2001 in a World Cup qualifying match, American Samoa was beaten 31-0 by Australia.
  • In 1938, famous aviator Ed Musick and his crew died on the Pan American World Airways S-42 Samoan Clipper over Pago Pago, on a survey flight to Auckland, New Zealand. Sometime after take-off the aircraft experienced trouble and Musick turned it back toward Pago Pago. As the crew began dumping fuel in preparation for an emergency landing a spark in the fuel pump caused an explosion that tore the aircraft apart in mid-air.

  See also

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  • Scouting in American Samoa

  Government

  • Politics of American Samoa
  • List of American Samoa Governors
  • Elections in American Samoa

  Sports

  • American Samoa at the 1996 Summer Olympics
  • American Samoa at the 2000 Summer Olympics
  • American Samoa national rugby league team
  • American Samoa national soccer team

  CIA Factbook Data

  From the CIA World Factbook 2000:
  • Geography of American Samoa
  • Demographics of American Samoa
  • Politics of American Samoa
  • Economy of American Samoa
  • Communications in American Samoa
  • Transportation in American Samoa
  • Military: Defense is the responsibility of the US

  External links

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  • "The Passive Resistance of Samoans to US and Other Colonialisms", article in "Sovereignty Matters", ed. Joanne Barker, University of Nebraska Press, 2005.
  • History of American Samoa- Essay which looks at the history of the territory from ancient to more modern times.
  • Jane's American Samoa Page
  • Library of Congress Portals of the World - American Samoa - Library of Congress resource which provides links to resources on American Samoa.
  • Map of American Samoa - Map showing the basic layout of American Samoa.
  • Revised Constitution of American Samoa - Provides the text of the constition of American Samoa.
  • The Official Webpage of the American Samoa Government - Lists information on the territorial government including officials and recent legislation.
  • United Nations Decolonization Papers - Online United Nations Decolonization Documents including current and past Working Papers on American Samoa
  • ChooHoo! - An online community for Samoans. Features include forums, chat, blogs, etc.
  • Rulers.org — American_samoa List of rulers for American Samoa
  • Photographs of American Samoa
  • American Samoa Travel Photos

  American Samoa | Insular areas of the United States | Oceanic dependencies | Divided regions

  Bí-kok Samoa | Американска Самоа | Samoa Nord-americana | Americká Samoa | Amerikansk Samoa | Amerikanisch-Samoa | Ameerika Samoa | Αμερικανική Σαμόα | Samoa Americana | Usona Samoo | Samoa américaines | 아메리칸사모아 | Američka Samoa | Samoa Amerika | Bandaríska Samóa | Samoa Americane | סמואה האמריקנית | Samoa Amerikan | Samoa Americana | Austrumsamoa | Amerikos Samoa | Amerikai Szamoa | Американска Самоа | Samoa Amerika | Amerikaans-Samoa | アメリカ領サモア | Amerikansk Samoa | Amerikansk Samoa | Samoa Amerykańskie | Samoa Americana | Американское Самоа | Amerika Samoa | American Samoa | Americká Samoa | Ameriška Samoa | Америчка Самоа | Američka Samoa | Amerikan Samoa | Amerikanska Samoa | อเมริกันซามัว | Amerikan Samoası | Американське Самоа | 美屬薩摩亞