American Samoa | Facts & Information

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
  • American Samoa Profile
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Facts & Figures

  • TERRITORY OF AMERICAN SAMOA

    Status: Territory

    Governor: Lolo Matalasi (2013)

    Capital (2011 est.): Pago Pago, 64,000

    Total area: 77 sq mi (199 sq km)

    Population (2014 est.): 54,517 (growth rate: –0.35%); birth rate: 22.87/1000; infant mortality rate: 8.92/1000; life expectancy: 74.91

    Languages: Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%, other 2% note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)

    Ethnicity/race: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 91.6%, Asian 2.8%, white 1.1%, mixed 4.2%, other 0.3% (2000 est.)

    Religions: Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30%

    Literacy rate: 97% (1980 est.)

    Monetary unit: U.S. dollar

    Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $575.3 million; per capita $8,000. Real growth rate: 3%. Inflation: n.a. Unemployment: 29.8% (2005). Arable land: 9.5%. Agriculture: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock. Labor force: 17,630 (2005); government 33%, tuna canneries 34%, other 33% (1990). Industries: tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts. Natural resources: pumice, pumicite. Exports: $445.6 million (2004 est.): canned tuna 93% (2004 est.). Imports: $308.8 million (2004 est.): materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%, machinery and parts 6% (2004 est.). Major trading partners: Samoa, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Germany (2004).

    Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 10,000 (2012); mobile cellular: 2,550 (1997). Broadcast media: 3 TV stations; multi-channel pay TV services are available; about a dozen radio stations, some of which are repeater stations (2009). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2,387 (2012). Internet users: n.a.

    Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 241 km. Ports and harbors: Pago Pago. Airports: 3 (2013).

    International disputes: Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olosega) in its 2006 draft independence constitution.

    Major sources and definitions