elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004
(next to be held November 2006); Senate - last held 2 November 2004
(next to be held November 2008)
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
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives; election last held 2 November 2004 (next
to be held November 2006); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
(Democrat) reelected as delegate
Judicial branch:
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by
the US Secretary of the Interior)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F.
FAALEVAO]
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%
Labor force:
14,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation:
tuna canneries 34%, government 33%, other 33% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
6% (2000)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
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 (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
120.9 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
3,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA
Oil - imports:
NA
Exports:
$30 million (2002)
Exports - commodities:
canned tuna 93%
Exports - partners:
Samoa 39.8%, Australia 19.9%, Japan 15.1%, New Zealand 10.5% (2004)
Imports:
$123 million (2002)
Imports - commodities:
materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%,
machinery and parts 6%
Imports - partners:
Japan 31.4%, New Zealand 27.9%, Germany 17.1%, Australia 8.9% (2004)
Debt - external:
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in
1994
Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)
Currency code:
USD
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
Communications American Samoa
Telephones - main lines in use:
15,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,377 (1999)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone
services; domestic