CAPITAL: Apia

GOVERNMENT:
Parliamentary democracy with a unicameral legislative assembly consisting of 49 members, 47 of who are matai (chiefly titleholders) elected by citizens aged 21 years and over, and 2 of whom represent the part and non Samoan population. The Prime Minister selects 12 other parliamentarians to form a Cabinet. General elections are held every five years. The Human Rights Protection Party has been in power for an uninterrupted 23 years. The 1990 Village Fono Act gives village councils authority over village law and order, health and social issues.

INDEPENDENCE:
1st January 1962 (Western) Samoa became independent from New Zealand administered UN trusteeship. The Independent State of Samoa celebrates Independence on 1st June every year.

LEGAL SYSTEM:
Samoa has a Westminster legal system based on the English legal system as adopted by many of the Commonwealth countries. It is also a Parliamentary democracy where its Parliament is elected through universal suffrage every five years and a Prime Minister and Cabinet manage the day to day affairs of the country.

JUDICIARY:
Samoa’s court system consists of two District courts and a Supreme Court manned by five local judges, and an Appeal Court that sits once a year and is overseen by overseas judges. There is a separate Land and Titles Court that deals with matters relating to customary land ownership and ‘matai’ (chief) titles.

UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE:
The Electoral Reforms in 1990 resulted in adoption of Universal Sufferage permitting all Samoan citizens 21 years and over to vote, a privilege that was enjoyed only by holders of Matai Titles and Individual Voters.

OFFICIAL LANGAGE: Samoan and English.

EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE:Smallest in the Pacific at 98,500 km2.

CLIMATE: Rainy season (November to April) Dry season (May to Oct).

TERRAIN:
The islands are of volcanic origin, and the coasts are surrounded by coral reefs. Rugged mountain ranges form the core of both main islands.

HIGHEST POINT: Mount Silisili - 1857M (Savaii)

POPULATION: 180,741 (2006)

BIRTH RATE: 27.3 births/1,000 population (2006)
                       DEATH RATE:4.0 deaths/1,000 population (2006)
                       NET MIGRATION RATE:1.6 - 2.2% per annum

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: SAT$1,248.7 million; US$455.7 million. (2006)

GDP COMPOSITION: Primary Sector 11.4%; (2006)
                                   Secondary Sector: 26.6% (2006)
                                   Tertiary Sector: 62.1% (2006)

GDP PER CAPITAL: SAT$6,969; US$2,543.(2006)

REMITTANCES: (1990 - 2003 average): about 20% of GDP.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX:
0.778, placing Samoa 75th out of 177 countries, in the medium human development group. (2004)

(Source: SDS - Ministry of Finance)