Outline of Samoa
Encyclopedia
Island nation
An island country is a state whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. As of 2011, 47 of the 193 UN member states are island countries.-Politics:...
located in the western Samoan Islands
Samoan Islands
The Samoan Islands or Samoa Islands is an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and the wider region of Oceania...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
in the South Pacific Ocean. Previous names
Geographical renaming
Geographical renaming is the changing of the name of a geographical feature or area. This can range from the uncontroversial change of a street name to a highly disputed change to the name of a country. Some names are changed locally but the new names are not recognised by other countries,...
were Samoa from 1900 to 1919, and Western Samoa from 1914 to 1997. It was admitted to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
on 15 December 1976. The entire island group, inclusive of American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, was known by Europeans as the Navigators Islands before the 20th century because of the Samoans' seafaring skills.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Samoa:
General reference
- PronunciationInternational Phonetic AlphabetThe International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...
: - Common English country name: SamoaSamoaSamoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, archaic Western Samoa - Official English country name: The Independent State of Samoa
- Common endonym(s):
- Official endonym(s):
- Adjectival(s): Samoan
- Demonym(s):
- EtymologyEtymologyEtymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
: Name of Samoa - ISO country codes: WS, WSM, 882
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:WSISO 3166-2:WSISO 3166-2:WS is the entry for Samoa in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Samoa, ISO 3166-2 codes are defined...
♥ - InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
country code top-level domainCountry code top-level domainA country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....
: .ws.ws.ws is the Internet country code top-level domain for Samoa. It is administered by SamoaNIC, for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Samoa....
Geography of Samoa
- Samoa is: a country
- Location:
- Western HemisphereWestern HemisphereThe Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
and Southern HemisphereSouthern HemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"... - Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
- South Pacific Ocean
- OceaniaOceaniaOceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
- PolynesiaPolynesiaPolynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
- Polynesia
- Oceania
- South Pacific Ocean
- Time zoneTime zoneA time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
: Samoa Standard Time (UTC-11UTC-11UTC−11 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −11. This time is used in:-As standard time :*American Samoa - Samoa Time Zone...
), Samoa Daylight Time (UTC-10UTC-10UTC−10 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −10. This time is used in:-As standard time :*Cook Islands *Tokelau *French Polynesia...
) October–March - Extreme points of Samoa
- High: Mauga Silisili on Savai'iSavai'iSavaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...
1857 m (6,093 ft) - Low: South Pacific Ocean 0 m
- High: Mauga Silisili on Savai'i
- Land boundaries: none
- Coastline: South Pacific Ocean 403 km
- Western Hemisphere
- Population of Samoa: 188,540 (2008) - 178th most populous country
- Area of Samoa: 2,831 km2
- Atlas of Samoa
Environment of Samoa
- Climate of Samoa
- Environmental issues in Samoa
- Ecoregions in Samoa
- Renewable energy in Samoa
- Geology of Samoa
- Protected areas of Samoa
- Biosphere reserves in Samoa
- National parks of Samoa
- Wildlife of Samoa
- Flora of Samoa
- Fauna of Samoa
- Birds of Samoa
- Mammals of Samoa
Natural geographic features of Samoa
- Islands of Samoa
- Lakes of Samoa
- Mountains of Samoa
- Volcanoes in Samoa
- Rivers of Samoa
- Waterfalls of Samoa
- Valleys of Samoa
- World Heritage Sites in Samoa: None
Administrative divisions of Samoa
- Districts of SamoaDistricts of SamoaSamoa is made up of eleven itūmālō . These are the traditional eleven districts that were established well before European arrival...
Government and politics of Samoa
- Main article: Government of Samoa and Politics of SamoaPolitics of SamoaPolitics of Samoa takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic state whereby the Prime Minister of Samoa is the head of government...
- Form of governmentForm of governmentA form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...
: - Capital of Samoa: Apia
- Elections in SamoaElections in SamoaAt the national level, Samoa elects a legislature. The Fono or Legislative Assembly has 49 members elected for a five year term, 47 members out of the matai in six two-seat, 35 single-seat constituencies, and 2 members by the non-Samoan nationals...
- (specific elections)
- Political parties in Samoa
- Political scandals of Samoa
- Taxation in Samoa
Executive branch of the government of Samoa
- Head of stateHead of StateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
: O le Ao o le MaloO le Ao o le MaloO le Ao o le Malo is the Samoan head of state, which is the title's rough translation.... - Head of governmentHead of governmentHead of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
: Prime Minister of SamoaPrime Minister of SamoaThis is a list of Prime Ministers of Samoa from the establishment of that office in 1875 until the present day.-List of Prime Ministers of Samoa :-See also:*Samoa**Politics of Samoa...
, - Cabinet of SamoaCabinet of SamoaThe Cabinet is the executive branch of the government of the Independent State of Samoa.Per article 31 of the Constitution, executive power is vested in the Head of State. Per article 26, however, "the Head of State in the performance of his functions shall act on the advice of Cabinet, the Prime...
Legislative branch of the government of Samoa
- Parliament of Samoa (bicameral), is the Legislative Assembly of Samoa
Judicial branch of the government of Samoa
- Supreme Court of Samoa
Foreign relations of Samoa
- Diplomatic missions in Samoa
- Diplomatic missions of SamoaDiplomatic missions of SamoaThis is a list of diplomatic missions of Samoa. The Pacific state of Samoa has a very limited number of diplomatic missions, complemented by several honorary consulates...
International organization membership
The Independent State of Samoa is a member of:- African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
- Asian Development BankAsian Development BankThe Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
(ADB) - Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
- Food and Agriculture OrganizationFood and Agriculture OrganizationThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
(FAO) - Group of 77Group of 77The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
(G77) - International Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentInternational Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentThe International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...
(IBRD) - International Civil Aviation OrganizationInternational Civil Aviation OrganizationThe International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
(ICAO) - International Criminal CourtInternational Criminal CourtThe International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(ICCt) - International Development AssociationInternational Development AssociationThe International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...
(IDA) - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesThe International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...
(IFRCS) - International Finance CorporationInternational Finance CorporationThe International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
(IFC) - International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentInternational Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentThe International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...
(IFAD) - International Labour OrganizationInternational Labour OrganizationThe International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
(ILO) - International Maritime OrganizationInternational Maritime OrganizationThe International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...
(IMO) - International Monetary FundInternational Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) - International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) - International Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementInternational Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementThe International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
(ICRM)
- International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication UnionThe International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU) - International Trade Union ConfederationInternational Trade Union ConfederationThe International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...
(ITUC) - Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee AgencyMultilateral Investment Guarantee AgencyThe Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency is a member organization of the World Bank Group that offers political risk insurance. It was established to promote foreign direct investment into developing countries. MIGA was founded in 1988 with a capital base of $1 billion and is headquartered in...
(MIGA) - Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
- Pacific Islands ForumPacific Islands ForumThe Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
(PIF) - Secretariat of the Pacific CommunitySecretariat of the Pacific CommunityThe Secretariat of the Pacific Community, or SPC , is a regional intergovernmental organisation whose membership includes both nations and territories...
(SPC) - South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation AgreementSouth Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation AgreementThe South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement is a nonreciprocal trade agreement in which Australia and New Zealand offer duty-free and unrestricted access for specified products originating from the developing island member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum...
(Sparteca) - United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UN) - United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentUnited Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentThe United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
(UNCTAD) - United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Universal Postal UnionUniversal Postal UnionThe Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
(UPU) - World Customs OrganizationWorld Customs OrganizationThe World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community...
(WCO) - World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) - World Intellectual Property OrganizationWorld Intellectual Property OrganizationThe World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....
(WIPO) - World Meteorological OrganizationWorld Meteorological OrganizationThe World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
(WMO) - World Trade OrganizationWorld Trade OrganizationThe World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(WTO) (observer)
Law and order in Samoa
- Capital punishment in Samoa
- Constitution of SamoaConstitution of SamoaThe Constitution of Samoa is the supreme law under which the Samoan Government operates.The 1960 Constitution, which formally came into force with independence from New Zealand in 1962, is based on the British pattern of parliamentary democracy, modified to take account of Samoan customs.In July...
- Crime in Samoa
- Human rights in SamoaHuman rights in SamoaSamoa, formally the Independent State of Samoa, has a population of approximately 188,000 people. Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 and has a Westminster model of parliamentary democracy which incorporates aspects of traditional practices...
- LGBT rights in SamoaLGBT rights in SamoaHomosexuality is illegal in Samoa. The Samoa Crimes Ordinance 1961 criminalises homosexuality in section 58E,58G and 58J. Samoan culture is historically tolerant of homosexuality. In particular there is a tradition of raising some boys in a family as a girl in order to play an important domestic...
- Freedom of religion in Samoa
- LGBT rights in Samoa
- Law enforcement in SamoaLaw enforcement in SamoaSamoa has no standing army, as defense is the responsibility of New Zealand. However, Samoa does have a unitary national police force, the Samoa Police Service....
Military of Samoa
- Command
- Commander-in-chiefCommander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
:- Ministry of Defence of Samoa
- Commander-in-chief
- Forces
- Army of Samoa
- Navy of Samoa
- Air Force of Samoa
- Special forces of Samoa
- Military history of Samoa
- Military ranks of Samoa
Local government in Samoa
The Fa'amatai system is Samoa's chiefly system of governance existing at the local village level.History of Samoa
- Main article: History of SamoaHistory of Samoa-Myths:According to legend, Samoa shares the common Polynesian ancestor of Tagaloa; according to many legends, Samoa was Tagaloa's first creation...
, Timeline of the history of Samoa, and Current events of Samoa
- Economic history of Samoa
- Military history of Samoa
Culture of Samoa
- Architecture of SamoaArchitecture of SamoaThe architecture of Samoa is characterised by openness, with the design mirroring the culture and life of the Samoan people who inhabit the Samoa Islands. Architectural concepts are incorporated into Samoan proverbs, oratory and metaphors, as well as linking to other art forms in Samoa, such as...
- Cuisine of Samoa
- Ethnic minorities in Samoa
- Festivals in Samoa
- Humor in Samoa
- Languages of Samoa
- Media in Samoa
- National symbols of Samoa
- Coat of arms of SamoaCoat of arms of SamoaThe coat of arms of Samoa takes its inspiration from the United Nations, as New Zealand administered Western Samoa first as a League of Nations Mandate and then as a United Nations trusteeship until the country received its independence on June 1, 1962, as Western Samoa. Samoa was the first...
- Flag of SamoaFlag of SamoaThe flag of Samoa was adopted on February 24, 1949. It consists of a red field with a blue rectangle in the canton. The blue rectangle bears the Southern Cross Constellation: four large white stars and one smaller star.-Historical flags:...
- National anthem of Samoa
- Coat of arms of Samoa
- People of Samoa
- Prostitution in Samoa
- Public holidays in SamoaPublic holidays in SamoaHolidays Date English Name Local Name RemarksJanuary 1 New Year's Day January 2 Day after New Year's Day The Friday before Easter Sunday Good Friday First Sunday after the first full moon since the vernal equinoxEaster Sunday...
- Records of Samoa
- Religion in SamoaReligion in SamoaReligion in Samoa encompasses a range of groups, but nearly 100% of the population of Samoa is Christian. The 2001 Census revealed the following distribution of Christian groups: Congregational Christian, 34.8 percent; Roman Catholic, 19.6 percent; Methodist, 15 percent; the Church of Jesus Christ...
- Buddhism in Samoa
- Christianity in Samoa
- Hinduism in Samoa
- Islam in Samoa
- Judaism in Samoa
- Sikhism in Samoa
- World Heritage Sites in Samoa: None
Art in Samoa
- Art in Samoa
- Cinema of SamoaCinema of SamoaSamoa's first ever feature film, The Orator , was released in 2011. Shot and set in Samoa, in the Samoan language, it features a Samoan cast...
- Literature of SamoaLiterature of SamoaSamoan literature is diverse. The emergence of Samoan written literature took place in the context of the development of indigenous Pacific Islander literature in the Pacific region as a whole, beginning in the late 1960s....
- Music of SamoaMusic of SamoaThe music of Samoa is integral to life in the country. The most important and essential avenue has always been the voice. Singers mourn, rejoice, and reflect every emotion. The past, present, and sometimes the near future are put to song...
- Television in Samoa
- Theatre in Samoa
Sports in Samoa
- Football in SamoaFootball in SamoaThe sport of football in the country of Samoa is run by the Football Federation Samoa. The association administers the national football team, as well as the Samoa National League....
- Samoa at the OlympicsSamoa at the OlympicsSamoa first participated at the Olympic Games in 1984, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. The nation has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games....
Economy and infrastructure of Samoa
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 180th (one hundred and eightieth)
- Agriculture in Samoa
- Banking in Samoa
- National Bank of SamoaNational Bank of SamoaThe National Bank of Samoa is a locally owned and private bank in Samoa.-History:The idea of forming was first envisaged in March 1994 by Luamanuvae Dick Meredith, a successful Samoan businessman, matai and entrepreneur....
- National Bank of Samoa
- Communications in SamoaCommunications in SamoaThis article is about communications systems in Samoa.In 2009, the Samoa-American Samoa Cable provided inter-island communication, as well as enabling users in Samoa to access the ASH cable capacity and connect to the global networks...
- Internet in Samoa
- Companies of Samoa
- Currency of SamoaCurrencyIn economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
: TalaSamoan talaThe tālā is the currency of Samoa. It is divided into 100 sene. The terms tālā and sene are the equivalents or transliteration of the English words dollar and cent, in the Samoan language....
- ISO 4217ISO 4217ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
: WST
- ISO 4217
- Economic history of Samoa
- Energy in Samoa
- Energy policy of Samoa
- Oil industry in Samoa
- Mining in Samoa
- Tourism in Samoa
- Transport in SamoaTransport in SamoaTransport in Samoa includes one international airport situated on the north west coast of Upolu island, paved highways reaching most parts of the two main, one main port in the capital Apia and two ports servicing mainly inter island ferries for vehicles and passengers between the two main islands,...
- Samoa Stock Exchange
Infrastructure of Samoa
- Health care in Samoa
- Transportation in Samoa
- Airports in Samoa
- Rail transport in Samoa
- Roads in Samoa
- Water supply and sanitation in Samoa
See also
- Index of Samoa-related articles
- List of international rankings
- List of Samoa-related topics
- Member state of the Commonwealth of Nations
- Member state of the United Nations
- Outline of geographyOutline of geographyThe following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to geography:Geography – science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth.- Geography is :...
- Outline of OceaniaOutline of OceaniaOceania is a geographical, and often geopolitical, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. The term is also sometimes used to denote a continent comprising Australia and proximate Pacific islands,....