U.S. territory in the South Pacific Ocean
Unincorporated and unorganized U.S. territory in the United States
American Samoa
[c]
is an
unincorporated territory of the United States
located in the
South Pacific Ocean
, southeast of the
island country
of
Samoa
.
[1]
Centered on
14°18′S
170°42′W
/
14.3°S 170.7°W
/
-14.3; -170.7
, it is east of the
International Date Line
and the
Wallis and Futuna
Islands, west of the
Cook Islands
, north of
Tonga
, and some 500 kilometers (310 mi) south of
Tokelau
. American Samoa is the southernmost territory of the United States and one of two U.S. territories south of the Equator, along with the uninhabited
Jarvis Island
.
American Samoa consists of five main islands and two coral
atolls
; the largest and most populous island is
Tutuila
, with the
Manu?a Islands
,
Rose Atoll
and
Swains Island
also included in the territory. All islands except for Swains Island are part of the
Samoan Islands
, and the total land area is 199 square kilometers (76.8 sq mi), slightly more than
Washington, D.C.
As of 2022, the population of American Samoa is approximately 45,443 people, of whom the vast majority are indigenous ethnic
Samoans
.
[1]
Most American Samoans are bilingual and can speak
English
and
Samoan
fluently.
[1]
[5]
Inhabited by Polynesians since prehistoric times, American Samoa was first contacted by Europeans in the 18th century. The islands attracted missionaries, explorers, and mariners, particularly to its highly protected natural harbor of Pago Pago. The United States took possession of American Samoa in the late 19th century, developing it into a major naval outpost; its strategic value was reinforced by the Second World War and subsequent Cold War. In 1967, the territory became self-governing with the adoption of a constitution; into the 21st century, it remains
unorganized
and thus directly administered by the federal government. It has been a member of the
Pacific Community
since 1983.
Due to its strategic location, the U.S. military has a significant presence in American Samoa and plays a major role in its economy and society. The territory is noted for having the highest rate of military enlistment of any U.S. state or territory; as of 2021, the local
U.S. Army
recruiting station in
Pago Pago
ranked first in recruitment.
[6]
[7]
Tuna products are the main exports, with the U.S. proper serving as the largest trading partner. Tourism is a nascent but underdeveloped sector, owing in part to the territory's relative geographic isolation, which also accounts for its high rate of poverty and emigration.
Residents of American Samoa are
politically disenfranchised
, with no voting representation in the U.S. Congress. American Samoa is the only permanently inhabited territory of the United States in which
citizenship
is not granted at birth, and people born there are considered "
non-citizen nationals
" with limited rights.
History
[
edit
]
Traditional
oral literature
of Samoa and Manu?a talks of a widespread
Polynesian
network or
confederacy
(or "empire") that was prehistorically ruled by the successive Tui Manu?a dynasties. Manuan genealogies and religious oral literature also suggest that the Tui Manu?a had long been one of the most prestigious and powerful
paramounts
of Samoa. Oral history suggests that the Tui Manu?a kings governed a confederacy of far-flung islands which included
Fiji
,
Tonga
[8]
[9]
as well as smaller western Pacific
chiefdoms
and
Polynesian outliers
such as
Uvea
,
Futuna
,
Tokelau
, and
Tuvalu
. Commerce and exchange routes between the western Polynesian societies are well documented and it is speculated that the Tui Manu?a dynasty grew through its success in obtaining control over the oceanic trade of currency goods such as finely woven ceremonial mats, whale
ivory
"
tabua
",
obsidian
and
basalt
tools, chiefly red feathers, and seashells reserved for royalty (such as polished
nautilus
and the egg
cowry
).
18th century: First Western contact
[
edit
]
Contact with Europeans began in the early 18th century. Dutchman
Jacob Roggeveen
was the first known European to sight the
Samoan Islands
in 1722, calling them the "Baumann Islands" after one of his captains. The next explorer to visit the islands was
Louis-Antoine de Bougainville
, who named them the "Iles des Navigateurs" in 1768. British explorer
James Cook
recorded the island names in 1773, but never visited.
[10]
The 1789 visit by
Laperouse
ended in
an attack
, on a
Tutuila
water collection expedition, resulting in the deaths of his second in command
Capt. de Langle
and several of his crew. La Perouse named the island "Massacre Island", and the bay near
Aasu
is still called "Massacre Bay".
[10]
HMS
Pandora
, under the command of Admiral Edward Edwards (Royal Navy officer), visited the island in 1791 during its search for the
H.M.S.
Bounty
mutineers
.
Von Kotzebue
visited in 1824.
[10]
19th century
[
edit
]
Mission work
in the Samoas had begun in late 1830 when
John Williams
of the
London Missionary Society
arrived from the
Cook Islands
and
Tahiti
.
[11]
By the late nineteenth century, French, British, German, and American vessels routinely stopped at Samoa, as they valued
Pago Pago Harbor
as a refueling station for coal-fired shipping and whaling.
The
United States Exploring Expedition
visited the islands in 1839.
[12]
In March 1889, an
Imperial German
naval force entered a village in Samoa, and in doing so destroyed some American property. Three American warships then entered the
Apia
harbor and prepared to engage the three German warships found there. Before any shots were fired,
a typhoon
wrecked both the American and German ships. A compulsory
armistice
was then called because of the lack of any warships.
[13]
20th century
[
edit
]
Early 20th century
[
edit
]
At the turn of the 20th century, international rivalries in the latter half of the century were settled by the 1899
Tripartite Convention
in which Germany and the United States partitioned the
Samoan Islands
into two:
[14]
the eastern island group became a territory of the United States (Tutuila in 1900 and officially Manu?a in 1904)
[15]
and is today known as American Samoa; the western islands, by far the greater landmass, became known as
German Samoa
, after Britain gave up all claims to Samoa and in return accepted the termination of German rights in
Tonga
and certain areas in the
Solomon Islands
and
West Africa
.
[16]
Forerunners to the
Tripartite Convention
of 1899 were the Washington Conference of 1887, the
Treaty of Berlin of 1889
and the Anglo-German Agreement on Samoa of 1899.
American colonization
[
edit
]
The following year, the U.S. formally
annexed
its portion, a smaller group of eastern islands, one of which contains the noted harbor of
Pago Pago
.
[17]
After the
United States Navy
took possession of eastern Samoa for the
United States government
, the existing
coaling station
at Pago Pago Bay was expanded into a full
naval station
, known as
United States Naval Station Tutuila
and commanded by a commandant. The Navy secured a
Deed of Cession of Tutuila
in 1900 and a
Deed of Cession of Manu?a
in 1904 on behalf of the U.S. government. The last sovereign of Manu?a, the
Tui Manu?a Elisala
, signed a Deed of Cession of Manu?a following a series of U.S. naval trials, known as the "Trial of the Ipu", in Pago Pago, Ta?u, and aboard a
Pacific Squadron
gunboat.
[18]
The territory became known as the
U.S. Naval Station Tutuila
.
On July 17, 1911, the U.S. Naval Station Tutuila, which was composed of Tutuila,
Aunu?u
and Manu?a, was officially renamed American Samoa.
[19]
[20]
People of
Manu?a
had been unhappy since they were left out of the name "Naval Station Tutuila". In May 1911, Governor
William Michael Crose
authored a letter to the Secretary of the Navy conveying the sentiments of Manu?a. The department responded that the people should choose a name for their new territory. The traditional leaders chose "American Samoa", and, on July 7, 1911, the
solicitor general of the Navy
authorized the governor to proclaim it as the name for the new territory.
[21]
: 209
World War I and the 1918 influenza pandemic
[
edit
]
In 1918, during the final stages of
World War I
, the
Great Influenza epidemic
had taken its toll, spreading rapidly from country to country. American Samoa became one of the only places in the world (the others being
New Caledonia
and
Marajo island
in Brazil) to have proactively prevented any deaths during the pandemic through the quick response from
Governor John Martin Poyer
after hearing news reports of the outbreak on the radio and requesting
quarantine ships
from the U.S. mainland. The result of Poyer's quick actions earned him the
Navy Cross
from the
U.S. Navy
. With this distinction, American Samoans regarded Poyer as their hero for what he had done to prevent the deadly disease. The neighboring New Zealand territory at the time,
Western Samoa
, suffered the most of all
Pacific islands
, with 90% of the population infected; 30% of adult men, 22% of adult women and 10% of children died.
[23]
Poyer offered assistance to help his New Zealand counterparts but was refused by the administrator of Western Samoa,
Robert Logan
, who became outraged after witnessing the number of quarantine ships surrounding American Samoa. Angered by this, Logan cut off communications with his American counterparts.
Interwar period
[
edit
]
American Samoa Mau movement
[
edit
]
After World War I, during the time of the
Mau movement
in Western Samoa (then a
League of Nations
mandate governed by New Zealand), there was a corresponding American Samoa Mau movement led by Samuelu Ripley, a World War I veteran who was from
Leone
village, Tutuila. After meetings on the United States mainland, he was prevented from disembarking from the ship that brought him home to American Samoa and was not allowed to return because the American Samoa Mau movement was suppressed by the U.S. Navy. In 1930 the
U.S. Congress
sent a committee to investigate the status of American Samoa, led by Americans who had a part in the overthrow of the
Kingdom of Hawaii
.
Annexation of Swains Island
[
edit
]
Swains Island
, which had been included in the list of guano islands
appertaining
to the United States and bonded under the
Guano Islands Act
, was
annexed
in 1925 by Pub. Res. 68?75,
[24]
following the dissolution of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony
by the United Kingdom.
World War II and aftermath
[
edit
]
During
World War II
,
U.S. Marines
stationed in Samoa outnumbered the local population and had a huge cultural influence. Young Samoan men from age 14 and above were combat trained by
U.S. military personnel
. Samoans served in various capacities during World War II, including as combatants, medical personnel, code personnel, and ship repairmen.
In 1949, Organic Act 4500, a
U.S. Department of Interior
?sponsored attempt to incorporate American Samoa, was introduced in Congress. It was ultimately defeated, primarily through the efforts of Samoan chiefs, led by Tuiasosopo Mariota.
[25]
The efforts of these chiefs led to the creation of a territorial legislature, the
American Samoa Fono
, which meets in the village of
Fagatogo
. In 1950 the Department of the Interior began to administer American Samoa.
[26]
1951?1999
[
edit
]
By 1956, the U.S. Navy-appointed governor was replaced by
Peter Tali Coleman
, who was locally elected. Although technically considered "unorganized" since 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 the territorial government officials, who do consider themselves to be self-governing.
American Samoa and
Pago Pago International Airport
had historic significance with the
Apollo Program
.
[27]
The
astronaut
crews of
Apollo 10
,
12
,
13
,
14
, and
17
were retrieved a few hundred miles from Pago Pago and transported by helicopter to the airport prior to being flown to Honolulu on
C-141 Starlifter
military aircraft.
[28]
While the two Samoas share language and ethnicity, their cultures have recently followed different paths, with American Samoans often emigrating to
Hawai?i
and the U.S. mainland, and adopting many U.S. customs, such as the playing of
American football
and
baseball
.
Samoans
have tended to emigrate instead to
New Zealand
, whose influence has made the sports of
rugby
and
cricket
more popular in the western Samoan islands. Travel writer
Paul Theroux
noted that there were marked differences between the societies in
Samoa
and American Samoa.
21st century
[
edit
]
American Samoans have a high rate of service in the
U.S. Armed Forces
.
[29]
Because of economic hardship, military service has been seen as an opportunity in American Samoa and other
U.S. Overseas territories
.
[30]
Notable events
[
edit
]
Pre-20th century
[
edit
]
On December 13, 1784, French navigator
Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte de Laperouse
landed two exploration parties on Tutuila's north shore: one from the ship
La Boussole
at Fagasa, and the other from
L'Astrolabe
at
A?asu
. One of the cooks, David, died of "scorbutic dropsy". On December 11, twelve members of Laperouse's crew (including First Officer
Paul Antoine Fleuriot de Langle
) were killed by angry Samoans at A?asu Bay, Tutuila, thereafter known as "Massacre Bay", which Laperouse described as "this den, more fearful from its treacherous situation and the cruelty of its inhabitants than the lair of a lion or a tiger". This incident gave Samoa a reputation for savagery that kept Europeans away until the arrival of the first Christian missionaries four decades later. On December 12, at A?asu Bay, Laperouse ordered his gunners to fire one cannonball amid the attackers who had killed his men the day before and were now returning to launch another attack. He later wrote in his journal "I could have destroyed or sunk a hundred canoes, with more than 500 people in them: but I was afraid of striking the wrong victims; the call of my conscience saved their lives."
[31]
[32]
20th century
[
edit
]
On December 19, 1912, English writer
William Somerset Maugham
arrived in Pago Pago, allegedly accompanied by a missionary and Miss Sadie Thompson. His visit inspired his short story "
Rain
" which later became plays and three major motion pictures. The building still stands where Maugham stayed and has been renamed the
Sadie Thompson Building
. Today it is a prominent restaurant and inn.
[33]
On November 2, 1921, American Samoa's 13th
naval governor
, Commander
Warren Jay Terhune
, died by suicide with a pistol in the bathroom of the government mansion, overlooking the entrance to Pago Pago Harbor. His body was discovered by Government House's cook, SDI
[
clarification needed
]
First Class Felisiano Debid Ahchica, USN. His ghost is rumored to walk about the grounds at night.
On August 17, 1924,
Margaret Mead
arrived in American Samoa aboard the SS
Sonoma
to begin fieldwork for her doctoral dissertation in anthropology at Columbia University, where she was a student of Professor
Franz Boas
. Her work
Coming of Age in Samoa
was published in 1928, at the time becoming the most widely read book in the field of
anthropology
. The book has sparked years of ongoing and intense debate and controversy. Mead returned to American Samoa in 1971 for the dedication of the
Jean P. Haydon Museum
.
In 1938, the noted aviator
Ed Musick
and his crew died on the
Pan American World Airways
S-42
Samoan Clipper
over Pago Pago, while on a survey flight to
Auckland
,
New Zealand
. Sometime after takeoff, the aircraft experienced trouble, and Musick turned it back toward Pago Pago. While the crew dumped fuel in preparation for an emergency landing, an explosion occurred that tore the aircraft apart.
[34]
On November 21, 1939, American Samoa's last execution was carried out. Imoa was convicted of stabbing Sema to death and was
hanged
in the
Customs House
. The popular Samoan song "Fa?afofoga Samoa" is based on this, said to be the final words of Imoa.
[35]
On January 13, 1942, at 2:26
am, a Japanese submarine surfaced off Tutuila between Southworth Point and
Fagasa
Bay and fired about 15 shells from its 5.5-inch deck gun at the U.S. Naval Station Tutuila over the next 10 minutes. The first shell struck the rear of Frank Shimasaki's store, ironically owned by one of Tutuila's few Japanese residents. The store was closed, as Mr. Shimasaki had been interned as an enemy alien. The next shell caused slight damage to the naval dispensary, the third landed on the lawn behind the naval quarters known as "Centipede Row," and the fourth struck the stone seawall outside the customs house. The other rounds fell harmlessly into the harbor. As one writer described it, "The fire was not returned, notwithstanding the eagerness of the Samoan Marines to test their skill against the enemy
... No American or Samoan Marines were wounded."
[36]
Commander Edwin B. Robinson was bicycling behind Centipede Row and was wounded in the knee by a piece of
shrapnel
, and "a member of the colorful native Fita Fita Guard" received minor injuries; they were the only casualties. This was the only time the Japanese attacked Tutuila during
World War II
, although "Japanese submarines had patrolled the waters around Samoa before the war, and continued to be active there throughout the war."
[36]
On August 24, 1943, First Lady
Eleanor Roosevelt
visited American Samoa and inspected the Fita Fita Guard and Band and the First Samoan Battalion of U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at the U.S. Naval Station American Samoa.
[37]
: 178
[38]
The fact that First Lady reviewed the troops led to further assurance that Tutuila Island was considered safe.
[39]
Her presence underscored that World War II had passed by American Samoa. While the Fita Fita band played, Eleanor Roosevelt inspected the guard.
[40]
On October 18, 1966, President
Lyndon Baines Johnson
and First Lady
Lady Bird Johnson
visited American Samoa. Mrs. Johnson dedicated the "Manulele Tausala" ("Lady Bird") Elementary School in
Nu?uuli
, which was named after her. Johnson is the only US president to have visited American Samoa, while Mrs. Johnson was the second First Lady, preceded by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1943.
[37]
: 192
The territory's only hospital was renamed the
LBJ Tropical Medical Center
in honor of President Johnson.
[41]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, American Samoa played a pivotal role in five of the
Apollo Program missions
. The astronauts landed several hundred miles from Pago and were transported to the islands en route back to the mainland. President
Richard Nixon
gave three
Moon rocks
to the American Samoan government, and these are on display in the Jean P. Haydon Museum, along with a flag carried to the Moon on one of the missions.
[42]
In November 1970,
Pope Paul VI
visited American Samoa in a brief but lavish greeting.
[21]
: 292
On January 30, 1974,
Pan Am Flight 806
from
Auckland
, New Zealand crashed at Pago Pago International Airport at 10:41
pm, with 91 passengers aboard. 86 people were killed, including Captain Leroy A. Petersen and the entire flight crew. Four of the five surviving passengers were seriously injured, with the other only slightly injured. The airliner was destroyed by the impact and succeeding fire. The crash was attributed to poor visibility, pilot error, or wind shear since a violent storm was raging at the time.
[43]
In January 2014, filmmaker Paul Crompton visited the territory to interview local residents for a documentary film about the 1974 crash.
A U.S. Navy
P-3 Orion
patrol plane from
Patrol Squadron 50
(VP-50) had its vertical stabilizer shorn off by the Solo Ridge-Mount Alava
aerial tramway
cable across Pago Pago harbor on April 17, 1980, during the
Flag Day
celebrations, when carrying six skydivers from the U.S. Army's Hawaii-based Tropic Lightning Parachute Club. The plane crashed, demolishing a wing of the
Rainmaker Hotel
and killing all six crew members and one civilian. The six skydivers had already left the aircraft during a demonstration jump. A memorial monument is erected on Mt. Mauga O Ali?i to honor their memory.
On November 1, 1988, President
Ronald Reagan
signed a bill which created
American Samoa National Park
.
[44]
21st century
[
edit
]
On July 22, 2010, Detective Lieutenant Lusila Brown was fatally shot outside the temporary High Court building in Fagatogo. It was the first time in more than 15 years that a police officer was killed in the line of duty. The last was Sa Fuimaono, who drowned after saving a teenager from rough seas.
[45]
On November 8, 2010,
United States Secretary of State
and former
First Lady
Hillary Clinton
made a refueling stopover at the
Pago Pago International Airport
. She was greeted by government dignitaries and presented with gifts and a traditional kava ceremony.
[46]
Mike Pence
was the third sitting U.S. vice president to visit American Samoa (after
Dan Quayle
and
Joe Biden
)
[47]
when he made a stopover in Pago Pago in April 2017.
[48]
He addressed 200 soldiers here during his refueling stop.
[49]
U.S. Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson
visited town on June 3, 2017.
[50]
September 2009 earthquake and tsunami
[
edit
]
On September 28, 2009, at 17:48:11 UTC, an 8.1
magnitude
earthquake
struck 120 miles (190 km) off the coast of American Samoa, followed by smaller aftershocks.
[51]
It was the
largest
earthquake of 2009. The quake occurred on the
outer rise
of the
Kermadec-Tonga Subduction Zone
. This is part of the
Pacific Ring of Fire
, where
tectonic plates
in the Earth's
lithosphere
meet, and earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. The quake struck 11.2 miles (18.0 km) below the ocean floor and generated an onsetting
tsunami
that killed more than 170 people in the Samoa Islands and
Tonga
.
[52]
[53]
Four waves with heights from 15 feet (4.6 m) to 20 feet (6.1 m) high were reported to have reached up to one mile (1.6
km) inland on the island of Tutuila.
[54]
The
Defense Logistics Agency
worked with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
to provide 16 ft × 16 ft (4.9 m × 4.9 m) humanitarian tents to the devastated areas of American Samoa.
Government and politics
[
edit
]
Government
[
edit
]
American Samoa is classified in U.S. law as an
unincorporated territory
; the
Ratification Act of 1929
vested all civil, judicial, and military powers in the
President of the United States
.
[17]
In 1951, with
Executive Order
10264
, President Harry Truman delegated that authority to the
Secretary of the Interior
. On June 21, 1963
Paramount Chief Tuli Le?iato of Faga?itua
was sworn in and installed as the first Secretary of Samoan Affairs by Governor
H. Rex Lee
.
[55]
On June 2, 1967, Interior Secretary
Stewart Udall
promulgated the Revised Constitution of American Samoa, which took effect on July 1, 1967.
[56]
The
Governor of American Samoa
is the
head of government
and along with the
Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
is elected on the same
ticket
by
popular vote
for a four-year term.
[57]
The governor's office is located in
Utulei
.
[58]
[59]
Since American Samoa is a U.S. territory, the President of the United States serves as the
head of state
but does not play a direct role in government. The Secretary of the Interior oversees the government, retaining the power to approve constitutional amendments, overrides the governor's
vetoes
, and nomination of justices.
[56]
The
legislative power
is vested in the
American Samoa Fono
, which has
two chambers
. The
House of Representatives
has 21 members serving two-year terms, being 20 representatives popularly elected from various districts and one non-voting delegate from
Swains Island
elected in a public meeting. The
Senate
has 18 members, elected for four-year terms by and from the
chiefs of the islands
.
[56]
The Fono is located in
Fagatogo
.
[60]
[59]
The
judiciary of American Samoa
is composed of the
High Court of American Samoa
, a District Court, and village courts.
[61]
The High Court and District Court are located in Fagatogo, near the Fono.
[62]
[63]
[60]
The High Court is led by a Chief Justice and an Associate Justice, appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.
[64]
Other judges are appointed by the governor upon the recommendation of the Chief Justice and confirmed by the Senate.
[65]
[66]
Politics
[
edit
]
American Samoa is an unincorporated and
unorganized territory
of the United States, administered by the
Office of Insular Affairs
,
U.S. Department of the Interior
. American Samoa's constitution was ratified in 1966 and came into effect in 1967.
However, despite being
de jure
unorganized as no Organic Act for it has been adopted by the U.S. Congress, instead leaving power vested in the U.S. president, American Samoa is
de facto
organized, with its politics taking place in the framework of a
presidential
representative democratic
dependency
, whereby the
Governor
is the
head of government
, and of a
pluriform
multi-party system
.
Executive power
is exercised by the governor.
Legislative power
is vested in the two chambers of the legislature. The
American political parties
(
Republican
and
Democratic
) exist in American Samoa, but few politicians are aligned with the parties. The
judiciary
is independent of the
executive
and the
legislature
.
There is also the traditional village politics of the Samoa Islands, the "
fa?amatai
" and the "
fa?a S?moa
", which continues in American Samoa and independent Samoa, and which interacts across these current boundaries. The fa?a S?moa is the language and customs, and the fa?amatai are the protocols of the "fono" (council) and the chief system. The fa?amatai and the fono take place at all levels of the Samoan body politic, from the family to the village, to the region, to national matters.
The
?aiga
is the family unit of Samoan society, which differs from the Western sense of a family
[67]
in that it consists of an "extended family" based on the culture's communal
socio-political
organization. The head of the ?aiga is the matai. The matai (chiefs) are elected by consensus within the fono of the extended family and village(s) concerned. The matai and the fono, which are themselves made of matai, decide on the distribution of family exchanges and tenancy of communal lands. The majority of lands in American Samoa and independent Samoa are
communal
. A matai can represent a small family group or a great extended family that reaches across islands and to both American Samoa and independent Samoa.
In 2010, voters rejected a
package of amendments
to the territorial constitution, which would have, among other things, allowed U.S. citizens to be legislators only if they had Samoan ancestry.
In 2012, both the Governor and American Samoa's delegate to the U.S. Congress
Eni Faleomavaega
called for the populace to consider a move toward autonomy if not independence, with a mixed response.
[68]
[69]
Nationality
[
edit
]
According to the
Immigration and Nationality Act
(INA), the people born in American Samoa?including those born on
Swains Island
?are "
nationals
but not
citizens of the United States
at birth".
[70]
[71]
[72]
If a child is born on any of these islands to any U.S. citizen, then that child is considered a national and a citizen of the United States at birth.
[73]
All U.S. nationals have statutory rights to reside in all parts of the United States, and may apply for citizenship by
naturalization
after three months of residency by paying a fee, passing a test in English and civics, and taking an oath of allegiance to the United States.
[74]
All U.S. nationals also have the right to work in the United States, except in certain government jobs that specifically require U.S. citizenship.
In 2012, a group of American Samoans sued the federal government seeking recognition of birthright citizenship for American Samoans in the case
Tuaua v. United States
. In an
amicus curiae
brief filed in federal court, American Samoan Congressman Faleomavaega supported the legal interpretation that the
Citizenship Clause
of the
Fourteenth Amendment
does not extend
birthright citizenship
to United States nationals born in unincorporated territories.
[75]
[76]
In June 2015, the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
affirmed that Fourteenth Amendment citizenship guarantees did not apply to persons born in unincorporated territories and a year later the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the lower court's decision.
[77]
In December 2019, U.S. District Judge
Clark Waddoups
struck down
8 U.S.C.
§ 1408(1)
as facially unconstitutional, holding that "Persons born in American Samoa are citizens of the United States by the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment",
[78]
but the
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
reversed the district court's judgment and found the statute constitutional.
[79]
On July 20, 2021, the Legislature of American Samoa unanimously passed a resolution in support of the 10th Circuit Court's decision to reverse.
[80]
Voting rights
[
edit
]
As U.S. nationals, American Samoans can vote in local elections in the territory; however, if they live in other parts of the United States, they are
not allowed to vote
in federal, state or the vast majority of local elections unless they become U.S. citizens. The only federal office American Samoans elect directly is a
non-voting delegate
to the
United States House of Representatives
.
[81]
Since the
delegate's office
was created in 1978, three people have held the seat:
Democrat
Fof? Iosefa Fiti Sunia
(1981?1988); Democrat
Eni Faleomavaega
(1989?2015); and
Republican
Aumua Amata Radewagen
(2015?)
[82]
American Samoans also participate in partisan
presidential primaries
, as well as send delegates to the
Democratic
and
Republican
National Conventions.
[83]
Immigration
[
edit
]
Unique among U.S. territories, American Samoa has its own immigration law, separate from the
laws that apply
in other parts of the United States. U.S. nationals may freely reside in American Samoa.
[d]
The American Samoan government, via its Immigration Office, controls the migration of foreign nationals to the islands.
[86]
Special application forms exist for migration to American Samoa based on family or employment sponsorship.
[87]
Unlike all other permanently inhabited U.S. jurisdictions (
states
,
District of Columbia
,
Puerto Rico
,
U.S. Virgin Islands
,
Guam
and
Northern Mariana Islands
), American Samoa is not considered a U.S. state for the purposes of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.
[88]
As a result, there is no path for immigrants to American Samoa to apply for U.S. citizenship, or U.S. nationality at all, without permanent residence in another U.S. jurisdiction.
[89]
[90]
In addition, foreign nationals who do have
lawful permanent residence in the United States
may be considered to have abandoned it if they have moved to live in American Samoa, and time spent there does not count in the required period of U.S. presence for naturalization.
[91]
U.S. nationals without U.S. citizenship (the status of most American Samoans) have the right to reside in all parts of the United States without immigration restrictions. They also have the same rights as lawful permanent residents to sponsor foreign family members to immigrate to the United States (they may sponsor spouses and unmarried children), but not the same rights as U.S. citizens (who may also sponsor parents, married children, and siblings).
[92]
Land ownership
[
edit
]
Under American Samoan law, land ownership is subject to racial restrictions.
[93]
Since 1900, there have been three main categories of land ownership: native, individual, and freehold. Native land, which makes up over 90% of all land in the territory, is land under the communal ownership of an
?aiga
, as opposed to the private ownership of an individual. Freehold land, which makes up only about 2% of the total, is land which was granted to foreigners before the U.S. took possession of the territory in 1900 and whose owners have not chosen to revert to native or individual land status.
[94]
[95]
The American Samoa Code (Annotated) prohibits the transfer of ownership (whether by sale or otherwise) of any land other than freehold land to any person who has less than one-half native Samoan blood, which in this context includes both American and Western Samoa.
[96]
In addition, it is prohibited to transfer ownership of any native (communal) land to any person who is not a full-blooded native Samoan: this includes any person who has any non-native blood whatsoever, even if they are more than one-half native Samoan.
[97]
[98]
In
Craddick v. Territorial Registrar
, 1 Am. Samoa 2d. 10, 14 (1980), the Appellate Division of the High Court of American Samoa held that while these laws created a classification based on race, they did not violate the guarantees of equal protection and due process contained in the U.S. Constitution and the Revised American Samoan Constitution. Given the cruciality of land ownership and the communal ownership structure to American Samoan culture, and the American Samoan government's vital and demonstrated interest in preserving Samoan land and culture, the Court found that the laws in question pursued a proper purpose rather than a discriminatory one, and, being necessary to achieve that purpose, were sufficiently justified and thus constitutional.
[99]
Official protest to naming of neighboring Samoa
[
edit
]
The U.S. Embassy in Samoa notes that: "In July 1997 the Constitution was amended to change the country's name from Western Samoa to Samoa. Samoa had been known simply as Samoa in the United Nations since joining the organization in 1976. The neighboring U.S. territory of American Samoa protested the move, feeling that the change diminished its own Samoan identity. American Samoans still use the terms Western Samoa and Western Samoans."
[100]
Administrative divisions
[
edit
]
?
?
Islands
,
atolls
,
districts
and counties of American Samoa
[e]
[105]
|
American Samoa is administratively divided into three
districts
–
Western
,
Eastern
and
Manu?a
– and two "unorganized" atolls,
Swains Island
and the uninhabited
Rose Atoll
. The districts are subdivided into counties and villages.
Pago Pago
, often cited as the capital of American Samoa,
[b]
is one of the largest villages and is located on the central part of Tutuila island in
Ma?oputasi County
.
Geography
[
edit
]
American Samoa, located within the geographical region of
Oceania
, is one of only two possessions of the United States in the
Southern Hemisphere
, the other being
Jarvis Island
. Its total land area is 76.1 square miles (197.1 km
2
)?slightly larger than
Washington, D.C.
?consisting of five rugged,
volcanic islands
and two coral
atolls
.
[107]
The five volcanic islands are
Tutuila
,
Aunu?u
,
Ofu
,
Olosega
, and
Ta??
. The coral atolls are
Swains
and
Rose Atoll
. Of the seven islands, Rose Atoll is the only
uninhabited
one; it is a
Marine National Monument
. American Samoa is the southernmost reach of the United States at fourteen degrees below the
equator
.
[108]
Due to its positioning in the South
Pacific Ocean
, it is frequently hit by
tropical cyclones
between November and April. Rose Atoll is the easternmost point of the territory. American Samoa's
Rose Atoll
is the
southernmost point of the United States
.
[109]
American Samoa is home to the
National Park of American Samoa
.
The highest mountains are:
Lata Mountain
(
Ta??
), 3,170 ft (970 m);
Matafao Peak
, 2,141 ft (653 m); Piumafua (
Olosega
), 2,095 ft (639 m); and Tumutumu (
Ofu
), 1,621 ft (494 m).
Mount Pioa
, nicknamed the Rainmaker, is 1,718 ft (524 m).
[21]
: 3
American Samoa is also home to some of the world's highest sea cliffs at 3,000 ft (910 m).
[110]
The
Vailulu?u
seamount, an
active submerged volcano
, lies 28 miles (45 km) east of
Ta??
in American Samoa. It was discovered in 1975 and has since been studied by an international team of scientists, contributing towards understanding of the Earth's fundamental processes.
[111]
Growing inside the
summit crater
of Vailulu?u is an active underwater
volcanic cone
, named after Samoa's goddess of war,
Nafanua
.
American Samoa lies within two terrestrial ecoregions:
Samoan tropical moist forests
and
Western Polynesian tropical moist forests
.
[112]
Climate
[
edit
]
American Samoa has a
tropical climate
all year round with two distinct
seasons
, the
wet
and
dry season
. The wet season is usually between December and March and the dry season is from April through to September with the average daily temperature around 81?83 °F (27?28 °C) all year round.
The climate is warm, tropical, and humid, averaging around 80 °F or 26.7 °C, with a variation of about 15 °F or 8 °C during the year. The southern hemisphere winter, from June to September, is the coolest time of the year. The summer months of December to March bring hotter temperatures, while the months from April to November are considered the "dry" season. Throughout the year, however, rain follows clouds blown in by the trade winds that rise from the east almost daily. The mountains of the
Pago Pago
area, standing over
Pago Pago Harbor
, catch these clouds, bringing an average of 200 inches or 5,100 millimeters of rainfall per year.
[21]
: 4
Climate data for
Pago Pago International Airport
, Pago Pago (1991?2020 normals, extremes 1957?present)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °F (°C)
|
95
(35)
|
99
(37)
|
95
(35)
|
95
(35)
|
93
(34)
|
95
(35)
|
91
(33)
|
92
(33)
|
92
(33)
|
94
(34)
|
95
(35)
|
94
(34)
|
99
(37)
|
Mean maximum °F (°C)
|
91.0
(32.8)
|
91.3
(32.9)
|
91.3
(32.9)
|
90.7
(32.6)
|
89.6
(32.0)
|
88.0
(31.1)
|
87.7
(30.9)
|
88.0
(31.1)
|
88.9
(31.6)
|
89.6
(32.0)
|
90.4
(32.4)
|
90.7
(32.6)
|
92.4
(33.6)
|
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)
|
87.8
(31.0)
|
88.1
(31.2)
|
88.4
(31.3)
|
87.8
(31.0)
|
86.5
(30.3)
|
85.3
(29.6)
|
84.6
(29.2)
|
84.8
(29.3)
|
85.7
(29.8)
|
86.4
(30.2)
|
87.0
(30.6)
|
87.6
(30.9)
|
86.7
(30.4)
|
Daily mean °F (°C)
|
83.0
(28.3)
|
83.2
(28.4)
|
83.3
(28.5)
|
83.0
(28.3)
|
82.2
(27.9)
|
81.5
(27.5)
|
80.9
(27.2)
|
80.9
(27.2)
|
81.6
(27.6)
|
82.1
(27.8)
|
82.5
(28.1)
|
82.9
(28.3)
|
82.3
(27.9)
|
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)
|
78.2
(25.7)
|
78.3
(25.7)
|
78.2
(25.7)
|
78.1
(25.6)
|
77.9
(25.5)
|
77.8
(25.4)
|
77.2
(25.1)
|
77.0
(25.0)
|
77.5
(25.3)
|
77.7
(25.4)
|
78.0
(25.6)
|
78.2
(25.7)
|
77.8
(25.4)
|
Mean minimum °F (°C)
|
75.1
(23.9)
|
75.2
(24.0)
|
75.0
(23.9)
|
74.7
(23.7)
|
73.6
(23.1)
|
73.4
(23.0)
|
72.4
(22.4)
|
72.6
(22.6)
|
73.3
(22.9)
|
73.7
(23.2)
|
73.9
(23.3)
|
74.7
(23.7)
|
70.7
(21.5)
|
Record low °F (°C)
|
67
(19)
|
65
(18)
|
63
(17)
|
68
(20)
|
65
(18)
|
61
(16)
|
62
(17)
|
60
(16)
|
62
(17)
|
59
(15)
|
60
(16)
|
65
(18)
|
59
(15)
|
Average
precipitation
inches (mm)
|
15.25
(387)
|
13.70
(348)
|
10.95
(278)
|
11.27
(286)
|
11.73
(298)
|
6.37
(162)
|
7.51
(191)
|
6.93
(176)
|
7.99
(203)
|
10.24
(260)
|
12.05
(306)
|
14.35
(364)
|
128.34
(3,260)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.01 in)
|
24.3
|
22.0
|
23.8
|
22.2
|
20.8
|
18.8
|
20.0
|
19.0
|
18.4
|
21.1
|
21.3
|
23.8
|
255.5
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
82.8
|
83.3
|
83.2
|
84.0
|
83.6
|
82.0
|
80.4
|
79.8
|
80.2
|
81.5
|
82.3
|
82.1
|
82.1
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
165.3
|
150.3
|
179.2
|
132.2
|
123.3
|
113.7
|
148.0
|
168.0
|
196.0
|
159.6
|
156.7
|
156.8
|
1,849.1
|
Percent
possible sunshine
|
41
|
43
|
48
|
37
|
35
|
34
|
42
|
47
|
54
|
41
|
41
|
39
|
42
|
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961?1990)
[113]
[114]
[115]
|
Climate change
[
edit
]
Climate change in American Samoa
encompasses the effects of
climate change
, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric
carbon dioxide
, in the U.S. territory of American Samoa. The American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) notes that the territory "has a fragile ecosystem" which is "directly and immediately impacted by global climate change".
[116]
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative
[117]
finds that the climate crisis has worsened human rights conditions in American Samoa slightly (2.3 out of 6).
[118]
Human rights experts provided that the climate crisis has affected shores, fishers and resource availability, and that only a small group of people are able to connect the climate crisis with existing human rights conditions.
[119]
Economy
[
edit
]
The economic health of American Samoa reflects the trends in other populated U.S. territories, which are in turn dependent on federal appropriations. Federal dollars enter the economy through congressional appropriations, categorical grants,
Social Security
payments, and payments to Samoans retired from the
military
. Tuna canning is the backbone of the American Samoa economy. Cannery employment and local auxiliary businesses provide additional revenues for the territorial government. In the mid-1960s, efforts began to develop a tourism industry in American Samoa. Efforts were delayed due to issues with inconsistent airline service, insufficient high-quality accommodations, and the lack of well-trained workers in the hospitality and tourism industries. Agriculture and fishing still provide sustenance for local families.
[21]
: 8?9
Employment on the island falls into three relatively equal-sized categories of approximately 5,000 workers each: the
public sector
, the single remaining
tuna
cannery
, and the rest of the
private sector
.
There are only a few
federal
employees in American Samoa and a few
active duty
military personnel, except members of the
U.S. Coast Guard
, military recruiters, and some Full-Time Support staff at the Pele Army Reserve unit that maintains the facility and provides cadre, training, and logistics support. The Pele US Army Reserve Center is in
Tafuna
,
[120]
and a
U.S. Army
and
United States Marine Corps
recruiting station is in
Nu?uuli
.
There are six Army Reserve units at Pele:
[121]
- Bravo Company, 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry
- Charlie Company, 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry
- 411th Forward Support Company (Engineer)
- USAR Theater Support Group Detachment American Samoa
- 1st Evacuation/Mortuary Platoon, 2nd Platoon, 962nd Quartermaster Company
- 127th Chaplain Detachment
The overwhelming majority of public sector employees work for the American Samoa territorial government. One tuna cannery is
StarKist
, which exports several hundred million dollars worth of canned tuna to the United States each year. In early 2007, the Samoan economy was highlighted in the
Congress
at the request of
Eni Faleomavaega
, the Samoan delegate to the
United States House of Representatives
, as it was not mentioned in the
minimum wage
bill. It was given no exemption from the coming increases, which he protested as unfair to the Samoan economy. House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi
initially granted his request for an exemption, but backed down after being accused of serving special interests, since tuna packing company
Chicken of the Sea
was based in her district. Samoa Packing, a
Chicken of the Sea
subsidiary
closed in 2009, citing both
minimum wage
increases and increasing foreign competition, with the latter as the "main reason". Minimum wage in Samoa has been the topic of much debate, with the Samoan government and Chamber of Commerce strongly opposed, while businesses and workers hold nuanced views.
[122]
[123]
From 2002 to 2007,
real GDP
of American Samoa increased at an average annual rate of 0.4 percent. The annual growth rates of real GDP ranged from ?2.9 percent to +2.1 percent. The volatility in the growth rates of real GDP was primarily accounted for by changes in the exports of canned tuna. The tuna canning industry was the largest private employer in American Samoa during this period. In 2017, GDP in American Samoa decreased by 5.8%, but in 2018 it increased by 2.2%.
[124]
| This section needs to be
updated
.
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
(
May 2020
)
|
Summary statistics for American Samoa
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2002?2007 AAGR
A
|
GDP
B
|
536
|
527
|
553
|
550
|
548
|
532
|
?0.1%
|
Real GDP
C
|
527
|
535
|
539
|
550
|
534
|
537
|
0.4%
|
Population
D
|
60,800
|
62,600
|
64,100
|
65,500
|
66,900
|
68,200
|
2.3%
|
Real GDP per capita
|
8,668
|
8,546
|
8,409
|
8,397
|
7,982
|
7,874
|
?1.9%
|
- A
Average annual growth rate.
- B
In millions of dollars.
- C
In millions of 2005
chained dollars
.
- D
Source: 2008 American Samoa Statistical Yearbook.
From 2002 to 2007, the population of American Samoa increased at an average annual rate of 2.3 percent, and real GDP per capita decreased at an average annual rate of 1.9 percent.
Agricultural production serves as a cover for domestic needs and only a small share of fruits and vegetables are exported. According to figures as of 2013, the ratio between import and export is almost balanced. Many residents rely on transfer payments from relatives living on the mainland or from federal subsidies.
[125]
The
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
has contained special provisions for American Samoa since its inception, citing its limited economy.
[126]
American Samoan wages are based on the recommendations of a Special Industry Committee meeting bi-annually.
[127]
Originally, the act contained provisions for other territories, provisions which were phased out as those territories developed more diverse economies.
[128]
In 2007, the
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007
was passed, increasing the minimum wage in American Samoa by 50¢ per hour in 2007 and another 50¢ per hour each year thereafter until the minimum wage in American Samoa equals the
federal minimum wage
of $7.25 per hour in the United States.
[129]
In response to the minimum wage increase, the
Chicken of the Sea
tuna canning plant was shut down in 2009, and 2,041 employees were laid off in the process.
[130]
The other major tuna canning plant in American Samoa is
StarKist
, which began laying off workers in August 2010, with plans to lay off a total of 800 workers due to the minimum wage increases and other rising operation costs.
[131]
American Samoa Governor
Togiola Tulafono
suggested that, rather than laying off minimum wage workers, the companies could reduce salaries and bonuses of top-tier employees.
[132]
The
unemployment rate
was 29.8% in 2005 but improved to 23.8% as of 2010
[update]
. In 2020, American Samoa's GDP was $709
million.
[3]
Its GDP per capita (PPP) was $11,200 as of 2016
[update]
.
[1]
Some aspects of
telecommunications in American Samoa
are, like other
U.S. territories
, inferior to that of the mainland United States; a recent estimate showed that American Samoa's Internet speed is slower than that of several
Eastern European
countries.
[133]
Taxation
[
edit
]
As in other U.S. territories, the U.S. federal government imposes
payroll taxes
[134]
[135]
and the equivalent self-employment tax
[136]
on income from work in American Samoa, but not the
federal income tax
on income generated in American Samoa by its residents (except from work as U.S. government employees).
[137]
Instead, the government of American Samoa itself taxes the worldwide income of its residents, as well as the income generated there by nonresidents, largely under the same rules and rates as the U.S. tax code in effect in 2000,
[138]
with certain modifications such as a minimum tax rate of 4%.
[139]
[140]
A similar situation applies to corporations.
[141]
In 1983, the use of citizenship in taxation by American Samoa (due to its incorporation of the U.S. tax code) was ruled unconstitutional.
[142]
The U.S. federal government does not impose
estate
or
gift taxes
on property not located in the United States (states and
District of Columbia
) owned by residents of a U.S. territory (including American Samoa) who are not U.S. citizens or who acquired U.S. citizenship by birth or naturalization in that same U.S. territory.
[143]
However, these taxes still apply to residents of a U.S. territory who acquired U.S. citizenship by birth or naturalization in a different part of the U.S. or by descent.
[144]
It has been argued that this distinction based on place of birth, and not only residence or citizenship, is a rare case of unconstitutional tax discrimination, but it has never been challenged in court.
[145]
The government of American Samoa itself does not impose estate or gift taxes.
[146]
Unlike U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals without U.S. citizenship (the status of most American Samoans) who do not reside in the United States or any U.S. territory enjoy the unique combination of maintaining a
U.S. passport
and the right of return to the U.S. while not being subject to U.S. federal income tax on their non-U.S. income,
[147]
or to U.S. federal estate or gift taxes on their non-U.S. property.
[148]
[149]
U.S. citizens (or anyone) cannot acquire this status after birth.
[150]
[151]
American Samoa does not impose a sales tax, but it imposes a general import tax of 8%.
[152]
[153]
American Samoa is an independent
customs territory
, whose importation rules and taxes differ from those applicable to other parts of the United States.
[154]
[155]
Telecommunications
[
edit
]
In 2012 Michael Calabrese, Daniel Calarco, and Colin Richardson stated that American Samoa had the most expensive internet of any U.S. territory and that the speeds were only slightly superior to those of
dial-up internet
in the U.S. Mainland in the 1990s. They also stated that many American Samoans are too poor to afford "high-speed internet".
[156]
Transportation
[
edit
]
American Samoa has 150 miles (240
km) of
highways
(estimated in 2008).
[1]
The maximum speed limit is 30 miles per hour.
[157]
Ports
and
harbors
include
Aunu?u
,
Auasi
,
Faleasao
,
Ofu
and
Pago Pago
.
[1]
American Samoa has no railways.
[1]
The territory has three
airports
, all of which have paved
runways
. The main airport is
Pago Pago International Airport
,
[1]
on the island of Tutuila. The Manu?a group has two airports:
Ofu Airport
on the island of Ofu, and
Fitiuta Airport
on the island of Ta??. According to a 1999 estimate, the territory has no
merchant marine
.
[1]
On June 8, 1922, the first bus service on Tutuila began its operations.
[158]
The
?aiga
bus system travels across the island of
Tutuila
.
[159]
[160]
Demographics
[
edit
]
As of 2022, the population of American Samoa is estimated around 45,443 people.
[1]
The
2020 census
counted 49,710 people, 97.5% of whom lived on the largest island,
Tutuila
.
[2]
[161]
About 57.6% of the population were born in American Samoa, 28.6% in independent
Samoa
, 6.1% in other parts of the United States, 4.5% in
Asia
, 2.9% in other parts of
Oceania
, and 0.2% elsewhere. At least 69% of the population had a parent born outside American Samoa.
[5]
American Samoa is small enough to have just one
ZIP code
, 96799, and uses the
U.S. Postal Service
(state code "AS") for mail delivery.
[162]
[163]
Ethnicity and language
[
edit
]
In the 2020 census, 89.4% of the population reported at least partial
Samoan
ethnicity, 83.2% only Samoan, 5.8% Asian, 5.5% other
Pacific island ethnicities
, 4.4%
mixed
, and 1.1% other ethnicities.
[164]
The
Samoan language
was spoken at home by 87.9% of the population, while 6.1% spoke other
Pacific island languages
, 3.3% spoke
English
, 2.1% spoke an
Asian language
, and 0.5% spoke other languages; 47.2% of the population spoke English at home or "very well".
[5]
In 2022, Samoan and English were designated as official languages of the territory.
[165]
At least some of the
deaf
population use
Samoan Sign Language
.
Religion
[
edit
]
Major
Christian denominations
on the island include the
Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa
, the
Catholic Church
, The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
, and the Methodist Church of Samoa. Collectively, these churches account for the vast majority of the population.
J. Gordon Melton
in his book claims that
Methodists
,
Congregationalists
with the
London Missionary Society
, and
Catholics
led the first Christian missions to the islands. Other denominations arrived later, beginning in 1895 with the
Seventh-day Adventists
, various
Pentecostals
(including the
Assemblies of God
),
Church of the Nazarene
,
Jehovah's Witnesses
and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
CIA Factbook
2010 estimate shows the religious affiliations of American Samoa as 98.3%
Christian
, other 1%, unaffiliated 0.7%.
[1]
World Christian Database 2010 estimate shows the religious affiliations of American Samoa as 98.3% Christian, 0.7%
agnostic
, 0.4%
Chinese Universalist
, 0.3%
Buddhist
and 0.3% followers of the
Baha?i Faith
.
[166]
According to
Pew Research Center
, 98.3% of the total population is Christian. Among Christians, 59.5% are
Protestant
, 19.7% are
Catholic
and 19.2% are
other Christians
. A major Protestant church on the island, gathering a substantial part of the local Protestant population, is the
Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa
, a
Reformed
denomination in the
Congregationalist tradition
. As of April 2023
[update]
,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
website claims a membership of 16,512 (nearly 30% of American Samoa's entire population), with 43 congregations and five family history centers.
[167]
Jehovah's Witnesses
claim 210 "ministers of the word" and three congregations.
[168]
The
Catholic Church
has at least 18 churches in the territory
[169]
and 29 parishes
[170]
under the Diocese of Samoa-Pago (Diœcesis Samoa-Pagopagensis)
[170]
which was created in 1982 by
Pope
John Paul II
through the bull
Studiose quidem
[171]
and constitutes a
suffragan see
of the Archdiocese of Samoa-Apia. The bishop has his see in the
Cathedral of the Holy Family
in Tafuna and in the
Co-cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker
in Fagatogo.
Education
[
edit
]
The island contains 23
primary schools
. Of the ten
secondary schools
, five are operated by the
American Samoa Department of Education
;
[172]
the other five are either administered by
religious denominations
or are
privately owned
.
American Samoa Community College
, founded in 1970, provides
post-secondary education
on the islands.
American Samoa was home to one high school as of 1961, which existed due to the matai's pressure on the naval governor to transform the old Marine barracks at
Utulei
into a school. The teenagers of well-off and more politically connected families attended the school, which would later be known as
Samoana High School
. With a median age of 15, the demand for more high schools was increasing, and three new high schools were established by 1968. Another two soon followed, and by 1979, 2,800 high school students were attending six public and private high schools in American Samoa. Looking for a cost-effective way for educational reformation, Governor
H. Rex Lee
introduced the public television system in 1964.
[40]
When TV was introduced, there were 6,000 educational programs produced annually; by 1981, only one series comprising 40-minute
lessons in
English language
skills was still aired. One of the side effects of
advertising
in popular programming from the U.S. was an increase in sales of
over-the-counter drugs
such as
Pepto Bismol
and
Sominex
, with television being directly blamed for the decline of village life.
[173]
Culture
[
edit
]
The Samoan culture has developed over 3,500 years and largely withstood interaction with European cultures. It was adapted well to the teachings of
Christianity
. The Samoan language is still in use in daily exchange; however, English is widely used and also the legal official language. Besides
Samoan language
classes and cultural courses, all instructions in public schools are in English. The basic unit of the American Samoa culture is the
?aiga
(family). It consists of both immediate and extended family.
The
matai
, or chief, is the head of the ?aiga. The chief is the custodian of all ?aiga properties. A village (nu?u) is made up of several or many ?aiga with a common or shared interest. Each ?aiga is represented by their chief in the village councils.
[21]
: 5?6
Music
[
edit
]
The
Music of Samoa
is a complex mix of cultures and traditions, with pre- and post-European contact histories. Since American colonization, popular traditions such as
rap
and
hip hop
have been integrated into Samoan music.
Traditional Samoan
musical instruments
includes several different distinctive instruments, including a
fala
, which is a rolled-up mat beaten with sticks and several types of
slit drum
.
Sports
[
edit
]
The main sports played in American Samoa are
football
,
Samoan cricket
,
canoeing
,
yachting
,
basketball
,
golf
,
netball
,
tennis
,
rugby
,
table tennis
,
boxing
,
bowling
,
volleyball
, and fishing tournaments. Some current and former sports clubs are the American Samoa Tennis Association, Rugby Unions, Lavalava Golf Club, and Gamefish Association. Leagues improved and organized better after the completion of the
Veterans Memorial Stadium
.
[21]
: 338
The
1997 South Pacific Mini Games
were the biggest international event ever to take place in American Samoa. The bid to host the games for the 23 participating countries was approved in May 1993. In January 1994, Governor
A. P. Lutali
appointed Fuga Teleso to head the task force charged with game preparations, including the construction of a stadium. Groundbreaking was in January 1994. The Governor later handed the task force on preparations to Lieutenant Governor Togiola. The task force merged with the American Samoa National Olympics Committee to better coordinate and facilitate preparations. V.P. Willis Construction built the 1,500-seat stands. The
Department of Public Safety
trained its force for special games security. The opening ceremony became extravagant where the
U.S. Army Reserve
carried the torch from
Tula
and
Leone
.
[21]
: 357?358
About 2,000 athletes, coaches, and sponsors attended from 19 countries and competed in 11 sports at the game. American Samoa fielded a team of 248 athletes. The team won 48 medals, 22 of which were gold medals, and American Samoa came in fourth overall in the ratings.
American Samoa Rotary Club
honored Fuga Tolani Teleso with the community's top award, the Paul Harris Fellowship Award, for his work on constructing the
Veterans Memorial Stadium
.
[21]
: 359
In 1982, yachters competed in the Hobie World Championship held in
Tahiti
. American Samoa beat the
Apia
team by half a point and won the Samoa Cup. In 1983, a team coached by Adele Satele-Galeai brought home the winning trophy from the Regional women's volleyball tournament in
Hawaii
. Also in 1983, the
South Pacific Games
were held in Apia. American Samoa received 13 medals: four gold, four silver, and five bronze. That same year, three junior golfers made the cut out of 1,000 players to attend the World Junior Golf Tournament in
San Diego, California
.
[21]
: 338
In 1987, American Samoa became the 167th member of the
International Olympic Committee
. The first South Pacific Junior Tennis Tournament was held at the
Tafuna
courts in January 1990.
[21]
: 339
Tony Solaita
was the first American Samoan to play in
Major League Baseball
.
[21]
: 339
There are thirty players from American Samoa in the National Football League (NFL) as of 2015 and over 200 play Div. I
NCAA Football
.
[174]
Some American Samoan NFL football players are
Shalom Luani
,
Junior Siavii
,
Jonathan Fanene
,
Mosi Tatupu
,
Shaun Nua
,
Isaac Sopoaga
, and
Daniel Te?o-Nesheim
.
After
World War II
, a Welfare and Recreation Department was created. This department arranged bowling, softball, badminton tournaments, basketball, and volleyball at various Tutuila locations. Boxing matches and dancing also became popular activities.
[175]
About 30 ethnic Samoans, all from American Samoa, currently play in the
National Football League
, and more than 200 play
NCAA
Division I
college football
.
[176]
In recent years, it has been estimated that a Samoan male (either an American Samoan, or a Samoan living in the mainland United States) is anywhere from 40
[177]
to 56 times
[176]
more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American, giving American Samoa the nickname "Football Islands".
[178]
Samoans are the most disproportionately overrepresented ethnic group in the National Football League.
[179]
[180]
Six-time
All-Pro
Junior Seau
was one of the most famous Americans of Samoan heritage ever to play in the NFL, having been elected to the
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
and
Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
Pittsburgh Steelers
safety
Troy Polamalu
, though born and raised in the mainland United States, is another famous American of Samoan heritage to have played in the NFL, not having his hair cut since 2000 (and only because a
USC
coach told him he had to) and wearing it down during games in honor of his heritage. The football culture was featured on
60 Minutes
on January 17, 2010.
At the
2016 Republican National Convention
, American Samoa's delegation said American Samoa is "the greatest exporter of NFL players".
[181]
[182]
The
American Samoa national football team
is one of the newest teams in the world and is also noted for being the world's weakest. They lost to
Australia
31?0
in a
FIFA World Cup
qualifying match on April 11, 2001, but on November 22, 2011, they finally won their first ever game, beating
Tonga
2?1 in a
FIFA World Cup
qualifier.
[183]
The appearance of American Samoa's
Jaiyah Saelua
in the contest "apparently became the first transgender player to compete on a World Cup stage".
[184]
The American Samoan national team features in the highly rated 2014
British
film
Next Goal Wins
. The film documents the team's
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
campaign, in which they achieved their first-ever international win. Saelua and
Nicky Salapu
, the man famous for being the
goalkeeper
during the team's 31?0 loss to Australia in 2001, feature prominently in the film.
[185]
[186]
A
feature film adaptation
of the documentary was released in 2023 and was directed by
Taika Waititi
.
[187]
[188]
Rugby league
[
edit
]
The
American Samoa national rugby league team
represents the country in international
rugby league
. The team competed in the 1988, 1992, 1998 and 2004
Pacific Cup
competitions. The team has also competed in the 2003 and 2004
World Sevens
qualifiers in the 2005 World Sevens. America Samoa's first match in the international Rugby League was in the 1988
Pacific Cup
against
Tonga
,
Tonga
won the match 38?14 which is still the biggest loss by an American Samoan side. American Samoa's biggest win was in 2004 against
New Caledonia
with a final score of 62?6.
American Samoa gets broadcasts of the
National Rugby League
in Australia on
free-to-air television
.
[189]
There is also a new movement that aims to set up a four-team domestic competition in American Samoa.
[189]
Rugby union
[
edit
]
Rugby union
is a growing sport in American Samoa. The first rugby game recorded in American Samoa was in 1924, since then the development of the game had been heavily overshadowed by the influence of
American Football
during the 1970s. The highest governing body of rugby in American Samoa is the
American Samoa Rugby Union
which was founded in 1990 and was not affiliated with the
IRB
until 2012. Internationally, two American Samoans have played for the
New Zealand
national rugby union team, known as the
All Blacks
.
Frank Solomon
(born in
Pago Pago
) became the first American national of Samoan descent to play for a New Zealand team. Considered a pacific pioneer in New Zealand rugby,
[190]
Solomon scored a try against
Australia
in the inaugural
Bledisloe Cup
match in 1932, which New Zealand won 21?13.
The second American Samoan to play for the All Blacks is
Jerome Kaino
(born in
Faga?alu
). A native of
Leone
, Kaino moved to New Zealand when he was four. In 2004, at age 21, he played his first match for New Zealand against the
Barbarians
where he scored his first try, contributing to New Zealand's 47?19 victory that resulted in him becoming a man of the match.
[191]
He also played a crucial role in the
Rugby World Cup 2011
playing every match in the tournament. He scored four tries in the event which led to New Zealand winning the final against
France
8?7. Kaino was also a key member of the
2015 Rugby World Cup
squad, where he played every match including a try he scored in the quarterfinals against
France
which New Zealand won 62?13. He scored again in the semifinals against
South Africa
, which New Zealand won 20?18. He played in the World Cup final against
Australia
where New Zealand won again 34?17 to become world champions for a record three times (1987, 2011, and 2015). Kaino is one of twenty New Zealand rugby players to have won the
Rugby World Cup
twice, back to back in 2011 and 2015. In August 2015, the American Samoa Rugby Union Board selected Leota Toma Patu from the village of Leone as the coach for the Talavalu 15 men's team that represented American Samoa at the Ocean Cup 2015 in Papua New Guinea.
Other sports
[
edit
]
Recreation
[
edit
]
A team from the
Bureau of Outdoor Recreation
conducted a parks survey on American Samoa in the 1960s. Their team recommended sites at
Cape Taputapu
,
Le?ala
at
Vailoatai
,
A?oloau
(the plateau), Matautuloa Point,
Nu?uuli
,
Matafao Peak
,
Pago Pago
,
Vai?ava Strait
, Anasosopo,
?Aoa
, Cape Matautuloa, and
Aunu?u Island
. After an initial objection, Secretary Le?iato gave his support and was appointed Chairman of the Territorial Parks and Recreation Committee. The first field meeting for a parkland acquisition was held between Judge Morrow on behalf of the government and the village council of
Vatia
to make the
Pola Island
area a public park. The dredge
Palolo
was hired from
Upolu
in January 1966 in order to dredge sand for
Utulei Beach
. A specialist in beach developments, Ala Varone of the Army, directed the project. The centerpiece of the park was to be at the head of
Pago Pago Harbor
, where it proposed a 13-acre site created by the dredge. The park would have facilities for sports and recreation as well as facilities for boats and the growing number of Asian immigrants arriving from Korea, Japan, and China.
[21]
: 285
The Department of Parks and Recreation was created by law in 1980 and the Parks Commission was also established.
[21]
: 315
In 1981, Governor
Peter Tali Coleman
appointed Fuga Tolani Teleso as Director of Parks and Recreation. On May 25, 1984, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Onesosopo reclamation to initiate work on the first park in the
Eastern District
.
[21]
: 332
At the urging of Paul Cox, High Chief Nafanua of
Falealupo
, and the Bat Preservers Association, Congressman
Fof? Iosefa Fiti Sunia
introduced a bill in 1984 which would enter American Samoa into the Federal Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act. The purpose of the bill was to protect the ancient
paleotropical
rainforests and the
Flying fox
megabat
. The signing marked the beginning of American Samoa's entry into the U.S.
National Park System
. In July 1987, the National Park Service began establishing a federal park, the
National Park of American Samoa
. An initial appropriation of $400,000 was made in 1989. It contains one of the world's most remarkable rainforest and coastal reef ecologies and spreads across three islands. One of the most popular sites on
Tutuila Island
include Pola Rock, a rise of sheer rock formations that protrudes over 400
feet (120
m) above the ocean's surface. It is located off the shores of
Vatia
.
[21]
: 332
On September 19, 1991, Governor
Peter Tali Coleman
and
Department of the Interior
secretary
Manuel Lujan
signed leases formalizing the establishment of the fiftieth U.S. National Park.
[21]
: 335
The ASG Parks and Recreation oversees the maintenance of all public parks, including the
Amanave
Mini Park, Lions Park in
Tafuna
, Onesosopo Park in
Aua
, Malaloa Mini Park,
Faga?alu
Park,
Tia Seu Lupe
historical site at
Fatuoaiga
, Pago Pago Park, Pago Pago Tennis Courts, the Little League Softball Field, Tony Sola?ita Baseball Field, Solo Ridge at the Utulei Tramway, Utulei Beach Park and Su?igaulaoleatuvasa in
Utulei
.
[192]
American Samoa has seven areas designated as National Natural Landmarks on Tutuila Island. This program is administrated by the U.S. National Park Service and the areas contain unique ecological or geological features. Except
Vai?ava Strait
, none of the areas are within the National Park of American Samoa.
[193]
: 281
American Samoa's seven
National Natural Landmarks
(NNL) were designated in 1972:
Wildlife
[
edit
]
Notable terrestrial species include the
Pacific tree boa
and the
Samoa flying fox
, which has a three-foot wingspread.
[194]
Two snake species can be found in American Samoa: The
Brahminy blind snake
is found on Tutuila, while the Pacific tree boa occurs on Ta??. The islands are home to five species of geckos:
Pacific slender-toed gecko
,
Oceanic gecko
,
Mourning gecko
,
Stump-toed gecko
, and
House gecko
.
[195]
[193]
: 253
Turtles include the threatened
Green sea turtle
and the endangered
Hawksbill sea turtle
. Hawksbill sea turtles tend to nest on Tutuila beaches, while the Green sea turtle is most common on
Rose Atoll
.
[196]
Tutuila has the highest number of nesting turtles, consisting of around fifty nesting females per year.
[197]
American Samoa is home to one species of amphibian: the
Cane toad
. Biologists estimate that there are over two million toads on Tutuila.
[193]
: 252
915 nearshore fish species have been recorded in American Samoa, compared to only 460 nearshore fish species in
Hawaii
.
[193]
: 20
With over 950 species of native fish and 250 coral species, American Samoa has the greatest
marine biodiversity
in the United States.
[198]
Fruit bats
[
edit
]
Megabats
are the only native mammal in American Samoa. The islands are home to two species of fruit bats:
Pacific flying fox
and
Samoa flying fox
. The
Sheath-tailed bat
is another species found here, which is a smaller insect-eating bat. In 1992, the American Samoa Government banned the hunting of fruit bats to help their populations recover.
[199]
The Samoa flying fox is only found in
Fiji
and the Samoan Islands.
[195]
[193]
: 200
From 1995 to 2000, the population of Samoa flying fox remained stable at about 900 animals on Tutuila, and 100 in the
Manu?a Islands
.
[200]
As of the year 2000, scientists from the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resource estimated that there are fewer than 5,500 Pacific flying foxes in American Samoa, and an estimated 900 or fewer Samoa flying foxes.
[193]
: 199
The best and biggest known
roost
on Tutuila Island for the Sheath-tailed bat is in the Anape?ape Cove near
?fono
.
[201]
Amalau Valley
on Tutuila's north coast offers great roadside views of many bird species and both species of fruit bat.
[193]
: 274
The valley has been called a prime bird- and bat-watching area.
[202]
[203]
[204]
Avifauna
[
edit
]
Sixteen of the Samoan Islands' 34 bird species are found nowhere else on Earth. This includes the critically endangered
tooth-billed pigeon
.
[205]
Four species of birds are only found in the Manu?a Islands and not on Tutuila. These include American Samoa's only parrot, the
blue-crowned Lory
. Other special birds to Manu?a are the
lesser shrikebill
and the
friendly ground-dove
. The
spotless crake
has only been observed on Ta?? Island.
[195]
There are more species of birds than all species of reptiles, mammals and amphibians combined. Native land birds include two honeyeaters:
cardinal honeyeater
and
wattled honeyeater
. Cardinal honeyeaters only occur on Tutuila Island. The only endemic land bird to American Samoa is the
Samoan starling
. Four pigeons are native to American Samoa:
Pacific imperial pigeon
,
many-colored fruit dove
,
white-capped fruit dove
, and
shy ground dove
. The local government banned all pigeon hunting in 1992.
[206]
The many-colored fruit dove is one of the rarest birds that nest on Tutuila. Studies in the 1980s estimated their population size at Tutuila to be only around 80 birds.
[195]
Amalau Valley
has been described as the best place in American Samoa to observe the many-colored fruit dove.
[207]
The offshore islet of
Pola Island
near
Vatia
is a nesting site for many seabird species and an excellent area to observe seabirds.
[208]
[207]
The Pola region of Vatia and
Rose Atoll
are the only places in American Samoa where there are breeding colonies of
red-footed boobies
.
[209]
Birds that depend on freshwater habitat include the
Pacific reef heron
and
Pacific black duck
, the Samoan Islands' only species of duck. The largest wetland areas are the pala lagoons in
Nu?uuli
and
Leone
as well as Pala Lake on
Aunu?u
Island.
[195]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
American Samoa belongs to, but is not a part of, the United States. See the page for the
Insular Cases
for more information.
- ^
a
b
c
The constitution specifies the seat of government at
Fagatogo
, where the
legislature
,
High Court
and District Court are located.
[56]
[62]
[63]
[60]
The executive office building is located in neighboring
Utulei
.
[58]
[59]
These two villages are located along
Pago Pago Harbor
, whose largest village is
Pago Pago
. Many sources list Pago Pago as the capital, referring to the whole agglomeration around the harbor.
[106]
[1]
- ^
Samoan
:
Amerika S?moa
,
pronounced
[a?m??ika
?saːm?a]
; also
Amelika S?moa
or
S?moa Amelika
- ^
To travel to American Samoa, U.S. nationals need to show proof of existing residence or future employment in American Samoa, or a ticket for future departure from the territory.
[84]
However, once there, U.S. nationals may reside indefinitely and cannot be deported.
[85]
- ^
An American Samoan law of 1962 defined 14 counties.
[101]
The constitution of 1967, signed by delegates from these 14 counties, established 15 counties from then on, separating Fofo from Lealataua.
[56]
The election law was later revised accordingly.
[102]
[103]
[104]
However, the U.S. Census Bureau continues to list 14 counties, treating Fofo as part of Lealataua.
[2]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
"American Samoa"
.
The World Factbook
.
CIA
.
Archived
from the original on January 29, 2021
. Retrieved
August 30,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
Population of American Samoa: 2010 and 2020
Archived
February 6, 2022, at the
Wayback Machine
, U.S. Census Bureau.
- ^
a
b
American Samoa
Archived
August 30, 2019, at the
Wayback Machine
, World Bank.
- ^
"Gross domestic product for American Samoa increases for the second year in a row"
(PDF)
. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on May 13, 2017
. Retrieved
July 14,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Selected social characteristics
Archived
December 1, 2022, at the
Wayback Machine
, 2020 Decennial Census of the Island Areas, American Samoa demographic profile, U.S. Census Bureau.
- ^
"American Samoans' strong military tradition"
.
KIRO 7 News Seattle
. May 27, 2021.
Archived
from the original on April 27, 2023
. Retrieved
April 27,
2023
.
- ^
"Local US Army recruiting station ranked #1 in the world ? Samoa News"
. Archived from
the original
on April 2, 2015
. Retrieved
March 10,
2015
.
- ^
Calder, Alex; Lamb, Jonathan; Orr, Bridget (April 1, 1999).
Voyages and Beaches: Pacific Encounters, 1769?1840
. University of Hawaii Press.
ISBN
978-0-8248-2039-8
.
Archived
from the original on June 30, 2023
. Retrieved
November 24,
2020
.
- ^
E. E. V. Collocott
.
"Journal of the Polynesian Society: An Experiment In Tongan History, By E. E. V. Collocott, P 166-184"
.
www.jps.auckland.ac.nz
.
Archived
from the original on April 11, 2021
. Retrieved
November 19,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Keating, Barbara (1991). Keating, Barbara; Bolton, Barrie (eds.).
The Geology of the Samoan Islands, in Geology and Offshore Mineral Resources of the Central Pacific Basin, Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources Earth Science Series, Vol. 14
. Springer-Verlag. pp. 128?129.
ISBN
0387977716
.
- ^
Watson, R.M. (1919).
History of Samoa: The Advent of the Missionary. (1830. 1839)
. Chapter III. Archived from
the original
on May 3, 2011.
- ^
Stanton, William (1975).
The Great United States Exploring Expedition
. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp.
132?133
.
ISBN
0520025571
.
- ^
Stevenson, Robert Louis (1892).
A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa
. BiblioBazaar.
ISBN
1-4264-0754-8
.
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Further reading
[
edit
]
- Ellison, Joseph (1938).
Opening and Penetration of Foreign Influence in Samoa to 1880
. Corvallis: Oregon State College.
- Sunia, Fofo (1988).
The Story of the Legislature of American Samoa
. Pago Pago: American Samoa Legislature.
- Meti, Lauofo (2002).
Samoa: The Making of the Constitution
. Apia: Government of Samoa.
External links
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edit
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14°18′S
170°42′W
/
14.3°S 170.7°W
/
-14.3; -170.7