:Western Sahara Communications
Highways:
6,200 km total; 1,450 km surfaced, 4,750 km improved and unimproved earth
roads and tracks
Ports:
El Aaiun, Ad Dakhla
Airports:
13 total, 13 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
sparse and limited system; tied into Morocco's system by microwave,
tropospheric scatter, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations linked to
Rabat, Morocco; 2,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 2 TV
:Western Sahara Defense Forces
Branches:
NA
Manpower availability:
NA
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
:Western Samoa Geography
Total area:
2,860 km2
Land area:
2,850 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
403 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Natural resources:
hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
arable land 19%; permanent crops 24%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and
woodland 47%; other 10%
Environment:
subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Note:
located 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
:Western Samoa People
Population:
194,992 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
34 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
40 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
65 years male, 70 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Western Samoan(s); adjective - Western Samoan
Ethnic divisions:
Samoan; Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) about 7%,
Europeans 0.4%
Religions:
Christian 99.7% (about half of population associated with the London
Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist,
Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Languages:
Samoan (Polynesian), English
Literacy:
97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
Labor force:
38,000; 22,000 employed in agriculture (1987 est.)
Organized labor:
Public Service Association (PSA)
:Western Samoa Government
Long-form name:
Independent State of Western Samoa
Type:
constitutional monarchy under native chief
Capital:
Apia
Administrative divisions:
11 districts; A`ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa`asaleleaga, Gaga`emauga,
Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa`itea, Tuamasaga, Va`a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
Independence:
1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)
Constitution:
1 January 1962
Legal system:
based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of
legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
National Day, 1 June
Executive branch:
chief, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Chief Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962
until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)
Political parties and leaders:
Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti, chairman; Samoan National
Development Party (SNDP), VA'AI Kolone, chairman
Suffrage:
universal adult over age 21, but only matai (head of family) are able to run
for the Legislative Assembly
Elections:
Legislative Assembly:
last held NA February 1991 (next to be held by NA February 1994); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) HRPP 30, SNDP 14,
independents 3
Member of:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT; Chancery (temporary) at suite 510,
1155 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005; telephone (202) 833-1743
US:
the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa (mailing
address is P.O. Box 3430, Apia); telephone (685) 21-631; FAX (685) 22-030
Flag:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five
white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation