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Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific
Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 14 20 S, 170 00 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 116 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds;
annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season from November to
April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature
variation
Terrain: five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited
coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata 966 m
Natural resources: pumice, pumicite
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 10%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 70%
other: 15% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons common from December to March
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water
resources; the water division of the government has spent substantial
funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines
Geography - note: Pago Pago has one of the best natural
deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape
from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high
winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean
Background: Settled as early as 1000 B. C., Samoa was "discovered"
by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries
in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty
in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago.
The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern
islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.
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