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Asia and Oceania
Samoa |
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Last reviewed: 10 July 2009 |
Country information
Area: 2,850 sq km (1,770 sq miles)
Population: 214,765
Capital city: Apia
People: Samoan, Euronesians, and Europeans
Languages: Samoan, English
Religions: Mostly Christian Roman Catholic, Methodist and Mormon
Currency: Samoan Tala (WST$)
Major political parties: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), Samoan Democratic United Party (SDUP)
Government: Unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono
Head of State: Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Efi
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister: The Hon Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi (since Nov 1998)
Membership of international groups/organisations: Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Commonwealth, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Group of 77 at the United Nations, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Development Association (IDA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement (SPARTECA), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), United Nations (UN), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Trade Organisation (WTO) (observer).
Health
Most healthcare is funded through public money. Samoa has two public hospitals, three district hospitals, 11 health centres and 17 health subcentres. There is one private hospital.
Economy
Basic economic facts
GDP per capita: US$2047 (2007)
Annual growth: 0.3% (2008)
Inflation: 11.5% (2008)
Major industries: agriculture, tourism, fishing, manufacturing
Major trading partners: American Samoa, Fiji, Japan, US, New Zealand, Australia
UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: Samoa
Samoa's economy has traditionally been dependent on development assistance, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and fishing. Official development assistance is equivalent to around 14% of GDP (2007 est), while remittances amount to around 25% of GDP (2006).
A determined programme of economic reforms initiated during the 1990s helped earn Samoa the reputation as the Pacific's model economy and placed the Samoan economy among the fastest growing of the Pacific Islands. Economic growth over the period of 2000-2005 averaged 4%, driven by increased public investment, enhanced tourism earnings, and an increase in agricultural production. Coming off a period of fairly strong expansion in 2007, the economy grew by just 0.3% in 2008. Job cutbacks at Yazaki, which assembles automotive parts for export and is the biggest private-sector employer, contributed to the slowdown. The company reduced its workforce by more than a third in 2008 and cut the working week of the remaining employees. In the 12 months to September 2008, value added in manufacturing contracted by 5.7% and in construction by 7.3%. About 3% of formal jobs were lost in the first 9 months of 2008, many from construction and manufacturing. Inflation accelerated to a peak of 18.7% in November 2008, year on year, driven by rising prices of food and fuel. Food was propelled by the rise in global prices, higher costs of agricultural inputs including fuel, and reduced supplies of some locally grown food. Year-average inflation at 11.5% was more than double the 2007 level. The economy is forecast to contract by about 1.0% in 2009 (ADB, Pacific Economic Outlook 2009).
Only 12% of the total population in Samoa is engaged in formal paid employment. Two thirds of the labour force is absorbed by "subsistence" village agriculture, with the agricultural and fishing industries accounting for around 11% of GDP. Industry accounts for around 25% of GDP, with manufacturing dominated by a Japanese-owned company "Yazaki", which produces automobile electrical systems for an assembly plant in Australia under a concessionary market-access arrangement. Yazaki is the largest single employer in Samoa. The service sector accounts for around 60% of GDP with tourism the largest single activity. Increased arrivals from New Zealand and Australia have contributed to the sector’s 18% annual growth rate in the year ending April 2007.
Samoa's export base is narrow, with its main sources of export income fish (the largest commodity export), garments, beer, coconut oil and cream, noni fruit products, taro, automobile parts and tourism. It is primarily through tourism revenue, remittances and official development assistance that Samoa is able to finance its persistently large trade deficit (43% of GDP in 2007). In his recent budget address, the Finance Minister, Niko Lee Hang, stressed that it is imperative that Samoa apply responsible fiscal and monetary policies in order to arrest the balance of payments decline. Samoa maintains a pegged exchange rate regime, and has a benchmark for international reserves at 4.0 months of import cover.
Over the long term, Samoa's key strengths include a cohesive social structure, a flexible labour market and an improving investment environment. Reinvigoration of the agricultural and manufacturing sectors are a key focus of Samoa's latest Strategy for the Development of Samoa. Samoa's economy remains vulnerable to external shocks, particularly the vagaries of weather. Cyclones in 1990, 1991, and 2004 caused severe economic setbacks.
History
Recent history
Samoa became the first South Pacific Island country to gain independence, on 1 January 1962. Samoa joined the UN in 1976. In 1997 Samoa changed its formal name from the Independent State of Western Samoa to the Independent State of Samoa.
Longer historical perspective
Before first European contact in the 1720s, the Samoan Islands experienced long periods of contact with both Tongans and Fijians. As with other Pacific Island groups, intermittent European visitations followed. The first major settlements of missionaries and traders took place in the 1830s. Samoa became a German colony in 1899 after a succession of wrangles between the UK, the USA and Germany.
New Zealand assumed control of Samoa following the outbreak of the First World War and the islands became a mandated territory of New Zealand under a League of Nations mandate. Between the wars there was a considerable agitation for the removal of foreign control over Samoan affairs. After the Second World War Samoa was administered by New Zealand as a UN trust territory, and measures were gradually introduced to prepare the islands for self-government.
BBC News Country Timeline: Samoa
International relations
Samoa's relations with its neighbours
Samoa is an active member of the Pacific Islands Forum. The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Pacific region office for the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) are located in Samoa.
Samoa's relations with the international community
Samoa is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the ACP grouping, which allows it access to European Union development funding. Samoa's international interests are mainly economic and environmental. Samoan Police have participated in UN and other international peacekeeping missions including in East Timor, Liberia and the Solomon Islands.
Samoa's relations with the UK
The United Kingdom has a long-standing and warm relationship with Samoa based on our shared historic links.
The British High Commissioner to Samoa is Mr George Fergusson, who is based in Wellington, New Zealand. Dr Stephen Rogers is the Honorary Consul at Apia. Samoa's High Commissioner to London is based in Brussels and Samoa also has an Honorary Consul in London, Ms Prunella Scarlett, LVO.
Aid and development
The UK does not have a bilateral aid programme with Samoa. Specific bilateral projects are coordinated by the British High Commission in Wellington. In 2009 the BHC sponsored Hon. Mr Fonotoe Pierre LAUOFO MP to attend the 58th Seminar on Parliamentary Practice and Procedures at Westminster, 1-13 March 2009. The UK is a major funder of EU development assistance, which supports water sector development and a micro-projects programme in Samoa.
Recent visits
The Samoan Prime Minister visited the UK in November 2002 and May 2004 to attend Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meetings. The Samoan Deputy Prime Minister visited the UK in September 2002 to attend the Commonwealth Finance Ministers' meeting.
Geography
Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa) consists of two large islands, Upolu and Savai'i, and several small ones. It is a separate country from the US-administered American Samoa. It has a tropical climate with a rainy season from November to April. The population is approximately 77% rural, 23% urban. Samoa has a relatively young population with about 40% under 15 years of age and 18% aged 15-24. Samoans are mostly Polynesian and speak Samoan and English.
Trade and investment
Trade and investment with the UK
Given the immense distances involved there is traditionally little direct trade between the UK and Samoa, although some goods and services are provided in Samoa by the subsidiaries of British firms based in the region.
Politics
Samoa is a Constitutional Monarchy with a UK-style cabinet government modified to take account of Samoan customs. The constitution provides for a Head of State, a Prime Minister and a Cabinet of Ministers, who comprise the Executive Council, and a Legislative Assembly. The current Head of State is Tupua Tamasese, a former Prime Minister of Samoa. The previous Head of State, Malietoa Tanumafili II, held office for life, but the current and future Heads of State are elected by Parliament for a five-year term. The Parliament (or Fono) has 49 members. 47 members are elected by all Samoans aged 21 or over, to represent 41 constituencies, while the remaining two are elected from electoral rolls made up of Samoans who are not affiliated to a village.
Universal suffrage was introduced in 1991. However, by convention, only tribal chiefs (Matai) may stand for election. There are two main political parties, the governing Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) and the opposition Samoa Democratic United Party (SDUP), plus a small number of Independent MPs. The HRPP has dominated politics over the past two decades and currently hold 36 of the 49 seats. The next general election will be held in 2011.
Recent political developments
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi became Prime Minister in 1998 following the retirement of his predecessor, Tofilau Eti Alesana, who retired due to illness. Tuilaepa has been the driving force behind many of the radical liberal economic reforms that have occurred over the past decade.
Human rights
Samoa's record on human rights is good, although there have been some concerns about the restrictions on who may stand for election. Samoa has so far ratified two of the six core Human Rights Treaties. Samoa formally abolished the death penalty in January 2004.
