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Samoa Country Guide

Explore Samoa in Oceania

Samoa with the capital city Apia is located in Oceania (Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean). It covers some 2,944 square kilometres (slightly smaller than Rhode Island) with 217,000 citizens.

Interactive map of Samoa

The topography includes two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets with narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior. The average density of population is approximately 74 per km². The notable climate conditions in Samoa can be described as tropical with rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October). Possible natural disasters include occasional typhoons or active volcanism.

To reach someone in Samoa dial +685 prior to a number. There are 31,900 installed telephones. And there are 151,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 1900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".ws". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.

About the flag and history of Samoa

Samoa Flag Icon

Red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation; red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity.


New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.



Geography Quick-Facts

SummaryContinent: Oceania
Neighbours:
Capital: Apia
Size2,944 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 1,136 square miles (mi² or sqmi)
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Population217,000
CurrencyName Tala, Currency Code:WST
Country Top Level Domain (cTLD).ws
Telephone Country Prefix+685
Mobile Phone Connections151,000
Landline Phone Connections31,900

Country Position in World Rankings

Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).

Geography

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Area2,831 (sq km)178

People and Society

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Population195,476 184
Population growth rate0.59 (%)144
Birth rate21.70 (births/1,000 population)76
Death rate5.33 (deaths/1,000 population)177
Net migration rate-10.46 (migrant(s)/1,000 population)211
Maternal mortality rate100.00 (deaths/100,000 live births)71
Infant mortality rate20.95 (deaths/1,000 live births)88
Life expectancy at birth72.94 (years)129
Total fertility rate3.03 (children born/woman)58
Health expenditures6.50 (% of GDP)98
Obesity - adult prevalence rate54.10 (%)6
Education expenditures5.80 (% of GDP)45
Unemployment, youth ages 15-2412.20 (%)96

Economy

Value nameValueWorld Rank
GDP (purchasing power parity)1,146,000,000 203
GDP - real growth rate1.20 (%)159
GDP - per capita (PPP)6,300 145
Labor force47,930 193
Taxes and other revenues37.90 (% of GDP)54
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)-6.30 (% of GDP)181
Inflation rate (consumer prices)3.70 (%)105
Commercial bank prime lending rate9.97 (%)90
Stock of narrow money100,300,000 183
Stock of broad money327,900,000 185
Stock of domestic credit301,700,000 179
Industrial production growth rate2.80 (%)100
Current account balance-76,110,000 67
Exports27,380,000 205
Imports318,700,000 197
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold166,800,000 162
Debt - external235,500,000 184

Energy

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Electricity - production104,200,000 (kWh)195
Electricity - consumption96,910,000 (kWh)196
Electricity - installed generating capacity41,100 (kW)187
Electricity - from fossil fuels70.60 (% of total installed capacity)104
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants29.20 (% of total installed capacity)78
Electricity - from other renewable sources0.20 (% of total installed capacity)87
Refined petroleum products - consumption1,070 (bbl/day)199
Refined petroleum products - imports1,125 (bbl/day)191
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy147,400 (Mt)202

Communications

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Telephones - main lines in use35,300 173
Telephones - mobile cellular167,400 183
Internet hosts18,013 120
Internet users9,000 202

Transportation

Value nameValueWorld Rank
Airports4 188
Roadways2,337 (km)171
Merchant marine2 143

Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases

List of current world heritage sites

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