Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western
Independence:
none (territory of the US)
National holiday:
Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
Constitution:
ratified 1966, in effect 1967
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001)
election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of
vote: Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3%
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same
ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected
on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election
last held 2 and 16 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003)
cabinet: NA
Legislative branch:
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of
Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote
and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island;
members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are
elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2002
(next to be held 2 November 2004); Senate - last held 7 November
2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2002 (next
to be held 2 November 2004); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
(Democrat) reelected as delegate
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - independents 18
Judicial branch:
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by
the US Secretary of the Interior)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [leader NA]; Republican Party [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of the US)
Flag description:
blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer
side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald
eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional
Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club
Economy American Samoa
Economy - overview:
This is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of
the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked
to the US, with which American Samoa conducts most of its foreign
trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of
the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers
from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's
economic well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger
and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its
limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is a
promising developing sector.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $500 million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
NA
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA (2003 est.)
Labor force:
14,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation:
tuna canneries 34%, government 33%, other 33% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
6% (2000)
Budget:
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(FY96/97)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra,
pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock
Industries:
tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels),
handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:
NA
Electricity - production:
130 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
120.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
3,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Exports:
$30 million (2002)
Exports - commodities:
canned tuna 93%
Exports