American Samoa - geography.

American Samoa - geography. I INTRODUCTION American Samoa, unincorporated territory of the United States, formed by a group of seven islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, comprising Tutuila, on which a U.S. naval station is located; the Manua group, consisting of Tau, Olosega, and Ofu; Aunuu; Rose Island; and Swains Island. Privately owned Swains Island and uninhabited Rose Island are coral atolls; the other islands are mountainous and of volcanic formation. Tutuila, the largest island of the group, covers an area of 143 sq km (55 sq mi). In 1990 Tutuila's population was 45,043. Pago Pago (2003 population, 52,000), on Tutuila, is the seat of government of American Samoa and has one of the finest harbors in the South Pacific. The total area of American Samoa is 200 sq km (77 sq mi); in 2008 the population was estimated to be 57,496. II POPULATION AND EDUCATION The Samoans are a branch of the Polynesian people (see Polynesia). Their language is considered to be one of the oldest forms of Polynesian used today. Most Samoans also speak English. The majority of Samoans are Christians; though some of the practices of their traditional, animistic religions may still be followed, these traditional religions have virtually disappeared. Samoan society is organized around the extended family, or aiga, headed by a chief. Traditional houses have oval, thatched roofs and are supported on wooden poles. Foreigners, including Americans, are prohibited by local laws from buying Samoan-owned land. Many Samoans have migrated to Hawaii and the continental United States. Since the mid-20th century the birthrate has declined gradually, while the death rate has remained stable. Education is free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 18. Instruction is provided by 30 public primary schools and 6 private schools, about 160 village schools, for early education, and a community college. In the consolidated public elementary schools, television is used for instruction purposes. III ECONOMY Agriculture is a principal occupation, and tuna fishing and tourism are major industries. The most important crops include taro, coconuts, bananas, oranges, pineapples, papayas, breadfruit, and yams. Additional food must be imported. Canned tuna as well as grass mats and other handicrafts are exported. The economy, however, remains largely dependent upon grants and appropriations by the Congress of the United States. Regular shipping services connect American Samoa with the mainland United States, Fiji, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. The airport at Pago Pago is an important stop for transpacific flights. IV GOVERNMENT The islands are administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Under their constitution of 1966, executive authority lies with the governor, who has been elected by popular vote since 1977. Samoans are U.S. nationals, and their constitution contains most of the guarantees of the U.S. Bill of Rights. Legislative authority is vested in the Samoan legislature, or Fono, which consists of a senate and house of representatives. The senate has 18 members, who are elected, according to Samoan custom, from the local chiefs, and the house has 20 members, elected by popular vote. The islands are divided into three districts, each having a Samoan governor. Local administrative matters are conducted by village, county, and district councils composed of hereditary chiefs and their advisers. The judicial system includes a high court and five district courts. The secretary of the interior appoints the chief justice and an associate justice, who are assisted by four Samoan associate judges. Medical attention is provided by the government, which operates a general hospital, eight dispensaries, and a medical center that specializes in treatment of tropical diseases. V HISTORY According to indigenous tradition, the Samoa Islands were the original home of the Polynesian race, from which colonists peopled the other Polynesian islands of the Pacific. Ethnologists, however, now believe that two separate waves of immigrants populated the islands, the first group probably originating in southeastern Asia. The later migration displaced the original Samoans, who then began to colonize the more easterly islands of Polynesia. The first European to visit the islands was Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutch navigator, in 1722. In 1768 Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French explorer, named the group the Navigators Islands. During the 19th century Germany, Britain, and the United States established commercial posts on the islands. In 1878 the United States annexed Pago Pago for use as a naval coaling station. In 1888 disturbances among indigenous Samoans resulting from the selection of a king created a crisis among the three powers. The matter was settled by the Act of Berlin in 1889, which proclaimed the independence and neutrality of the islands and guaranteed the Samoans full liberty in the election of their king. In 1899 the United States and Britain formed an alliance against Germany, and Apia, the site of the German station, was shelled by British and U.S. ships. Agreement, however, was reached in the same year. By the treaty then concluded, Germany received the islands west of longitude 171° west, which eventually became the independent nation of Samoa (formerly Western Samoa). United States sovereignty was recognized over the islands east of the meridian, and Britain received the Solomon Islands and Tonga as compensation. The indigenous chiefs of Tutuila and Aunuu ceded these islands to the United States in 1900, and the Manua group was ceded in 1904. Swains Island was annexed by the United States in 1925 and added to American Samoa. The islands were administered by the U.S. Navy until 1951, when they came under the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Samoans approved a territorial constitution in 1960, and adopted a revised constitution in 1967. In 1988 the National Park of American Samoa was established here on 3,600 hectares (9,000 acres) of land donated by Samoan families. In December 1991, typhoon Val caused $80 million in damage in American Samoa. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.