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One-fourteenth the area of all of the Samoan Islands, in the South Pacific, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand. Its capital the port town of Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango). It rains a lot, as in Somerset Maugham's story about Sadie Thompson, "Rain."
A dispute exists over the Swains Island, administered by American Samoa, with a population of less than 50, culturally a part of the Tokelau Islands, a territory of New Zealand.
American Samoa is territory administered by the United States Department of the Interior. It was acquired in 1900 in a treaty with Germany that divided the Samoan archipelago.
Its government includes a House of Representatives with 20 seats elected by popular vote.
People born in American Samoa are U.S. "nationals," but not U.S. citizens. Samoans elect one non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. They also send delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions.
Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.
Factbook: "American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its commerce. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export."
2007: $8,000
2005: 29.8%
Thirty-three percent work for the U.S. government.
Its 2002 export/import ratio was very negative: 30/123
American Samoa's major export is canned tuna, to the United States.
Aid infusions from Washington DC are regular, amounting in 1994 to $40 million - about $700 for each person in American Samoa.
More than 90 percent of the land in communally owned -- a Polynesian tradition.
Living in an urban area: 92% (2008)
July 2009: 65,628
Density estimated for 2005: 291 persons per square kilometer, compared to only 60 for the other Samoa and 58 for French Polynesia. Growth estimated for 2008: minus 0.322 percent per year (an estimated population decline of 185 people, a lower number because of emigration).
2009: More leaving than arriving. A net loss of 6.99 per 1,000: These are U.S. citizens, many going to the Hawaiian Islands or to California.
2009: 10.18 -- compared to 7.55 for French Polynesia
2009: 73.72 -- compared to 76.71 for French Polynesia
Polynesian 89 percent, Caucasian 2 percent.
SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Copyright © 2010 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.