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II. Information on American Samoa Geography, History, Culture, Government, and Economics

Basic Information

American Samoa is an unincorporated and technically unorganized territory of the United States. It is "unincorporated" because unlike Hawaii and Alaska during their years as U.S. territories, not all provisions of the U.S. Constitution apply to the territory. American Samoa is an "unorganized" territory because Congress has not provided the territory with an organic act, which would organize the government, much like a constitution would. Instead, Congress gave plenary authority over the territory to the President of the United States who has delegated this authority to the Department of the Interior. The Secretary of the Interior in turn allowed American Samoans to draft their own constitution under which their government functions.

American Samoans are not United States citizens. They are classified as United States nationals and have freedom of entry into the continental United States. Many Samoans have served with distinction in the U.S. armed forces.

The territory consists of seven tropical islands and is the only U.S. soil located south of the equator.²  Comprising the eastern islands of the Samoan group, American Samoa is located at 14 degrees south latitude and about 170 degrees west longitude. Samoa, an independent nation, occupies the western part of the Samoan Island chain.³ American Samoa and Samoa share the same heritage, traditions, and culture, and are separated by only 40 miles at their closest points. American Samoa is about 2,300 miles south southwest of Hawaii and over 4,100 miles southwest of San Francisco. It is 1,600 miles east northeast of New Zealand.

The seven American Samoan islands are dispersed over 150 miles of water. The capital of American Samoa is Pago Pago, located on Tutuila, the main island of the group. Tutuila has a land area of approximately 56 square miles and is home to over 90 percent of the territory-s total population of 65,000. The harbor at Pago Pago is one of the deepest and best protected in the South Pacific. The total land area of all seven islands is 76 square miles. The remaining islands are Aunu'u, a small island off the southeastern tip of Tutuila; the Manu'a Islands, consisting of Ofu, Olosega, and Ta'u and located about 60 miles east of Tutuila; Rose Atoll, an uninhabited wildlife refuge located east of the Manu'a group; and Swains Island, a small privately-owned coral atoll located several hundred miles north of Tutuila.

The location of these islands in the path of the Southeast trade winds results in frequent rains and a pleasant, warm tropical climate. The year-round temperature ranges from 73 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the warmth of the surrounding ocean. The humidity averages about 80 percent during most of the year. Average annual rainfall is approximately 135 inches at the international airport, with the heaviest rains occurring between December and March.

The mountainous terrain of American Samoa, along with the heavy annual rainfall, has an impact on agriculture and the food supply. The main determinant of land use is topography and only about one-third of the land in Samoa is level or nearly level. The soil of the mountain slopes is very thin as a result of leaching and will support only tough jungle vegetation.

The soil in the valleys and on the plains is fertile and ideal for growing tropical fruits and vegetables. Commercial agricultural development has been hampered, however, by several factors. The largest area of level land lies in the Tafuna Plain, the location of the airport and the principal area for the development of housing and industry. Agriculture has been relegated to a third-tier priority. Another large area of level land is on the island of Ta'u, which is too remote from the markets in Pago Pago to be economically feasible for commercial agriculture.

Most agriculture, therefore, is for home consumption. Of the 7,966 acres of farmland on 1,126 farms in Samoa in 1990, 88 percent produced solely for the growers' families. The most common field crop is the taro root. Other staples include bananas, breadfruit, and coconuts. Fish are abundant locally, but most meat and other foods are imported.

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Social and Political Structure

American Samoans are among the last remaining true Polynesians, along with the Hawaiians, Maoris, Tongans, and Tahitians. Despite the strong influence of Western industrial culture, the American Samoans, more than the other Pacific Islanders, seem to hold more tenaciously to their ancient traditions. However, in recent years there appears to be some blending of Western with traditional ways. American Samoa still keeps the aiga, or extended family, as the basis of its social structure. This is a unique system where the matai, or chief, holds control over all of the family's land and property. He is responsible for the well-being of the family, as well as for its representation in the village and district councils. For the aiga to exist and function, every member must contribute to the welfare of the group. Each individual has duties to perform, from the trustee functions of the chief down to the most elementary tasks carried out by the children. The family group also owns land and it is estimated that more than 90 percent of the total acreage in American Samoa is communal family land.

In 1899, the United States began the acquisition process of American Samoa through a series of treaties and deeds of cession. The U.S. Navy first administered the territory and appointed the governor. In 1951, administrative responsibility was transferred by an Executive Order to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Constitution of American Samoa, approved by the Department of the Interior in April of 1960, established three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Heading the executive branch are the governor and lieutenant governor, who serve four- year terms. The local population of American Samoa began electing its own governor and lieutenant governor in 1977. (Prior to 1977, individuals holding these offices were appointed by the Department of the Interior.) Since 1981, American Samoa has had an elected, non-voting Member of Congress representing the territory in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Land Tenure System

The land tenure system of American Samoa merits attention because of its implications for economic development. Land is considered one of the most important tangible assets of the American Samoan people and has traditionally been the primary basis for family organization and family identity. Land is still passed on from generation to generation. The matais have control over the land and assign holdings to family members on a lifetime basis. The existing law on land tenure prohibits the transfer of land ownership, except freehold land, to any person whose blood is less than one-half Samoan. Freehold land is mostly located in the Pago Pago Bay area, the Tafuna Plain, and the Village of Leone.

American Samoa's total area of 76 square miles is equivalent to 48,767 acres. About two-thirds of the land is steeply sloping and virtually inaccessible. Approximately 20 percent of the land is developed.

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Population

The population growth rate has been on a steady upward trend over the past decade. Between 1980 and 1990 the American Samoa population grew at an annual rate of 3.7 percent.4  Since 1990 the rate of growth has diminished somewhat; between 1990 and 2000 it increased approximately 2.0 percent per year. The American Samoa Department of Commerce provides the following mid-year population estimates:

The American Samoa Statistical Yearbook for 2001 (latest year available), published by the Government of American Samoa, reported that the population is very young. The median age for the territory remained at around 20 years, compared to about 33 years for the United States. It also reported that unlike most large developed countries where females outnumber males, American Samoa had a gender ratio of about 104 males for every 100 females.

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State of the Economy

The primary economy of American Samoa consists of government activities (about one-third of total employment) and the two tuna canneries (one-third of total employment). The remaining one- third of employed workers is in the secondary economy, which consists mainly of retail and service enterprises. Many firms in the secondary economy provide goods and services to the canneries.

The tuna canning industry in American Samoa provided direct employment for over 4,700 workers in 2004.⁵ During calendar year 2003, the tuna canneries combined exported approximately $470 million of tuna to the United States.⁶ As the principle manufacturing activity in the territory, tuna processing directly or indirectly supports much of the remaining economy.

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Labor Force and Employment

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce,⁷ the American Samoa labor force participation rate in 2000 was 52 percent. By comparison, the overall U.S. rate was approximately 67 percent in 2000.⁸ Cultural differences, along with other economic conditions, likely explain much of the disparity between these estimates.

Table II B, below, provides estimates of the American Samoa labor force, employment, and unemployment from 1995-2000. As the table shows, estimates of the unemployment rate have fluctuated over a relatively short period of time.

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Consumer Price Index

A consumer price index (CPI) for American Samoa was developed for the first time in 1974, employing methodology similar to that used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI is a measure of the change in retail prices over time, for a fixed, market basket of goods and services likely purchased by a typical consumer. The CPI does not, however, address quality changes, nor does it include quantity changes resulting from price increases or decreases. As with any inflation index based on a fixed basket of goods, to the extent that American Samoa consumers can substitute lower-priced items for those items used to generate the CPI, the index will overestimate inflation.

The consumer price index is a common measure of inflation and is frequently used as a barometer for wages and salary adjustments in employment contracts.¹⁰ Employees experience erosion of real earnings when increases in worker compensation fail to keep pace with inflation. Likewise, real earnings increase when worker compensation outpaces inflation gains.

In 1983, the base period for the American Samoa index was changed from March 1974 to November 1982. In late 1997, the base period was again changed. Consumer price index third quarter data, for all items, is presented in Table II C. As this table shows, between 1997 and 2004, the American Samoa CPI increased almost 23 percent.

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²Much of the material in this section came from American Samoa Department of Commerce, available at http://www.asdoc.info/.
³ Formerly Western Samoa.
⁴ American Samoa Department of Commerce, American Samoa Statistical Yearbook, 2001 found at http://www.amsamoa.com/2001YB/2001ybfinal/statistical_yearbook_2001.htm
⁵ U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Survey Results for American Samoa, 2004.
⁶ U.S. Department of Commerce, FT895/03, U.S. Trade with Puerto Rico and U.S. Possessions, 2003.
⁷ U.S. Department of Commerce, Population and Housing Profile: 2000, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, American Samoa, www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/island/ASprofile.pdf.
⁸ U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://data.bls.gov/
⁹ American Samoa Economic Advisory Commission, Transforming the Economy of American Samoa, Volume Two - The Economy, 2002.
¹⁰ South Pacific Commission, The American Samoa Consumer Price Index, available at the following Internet address http://www.asdoc.info/DOC_Stats/Newscpi.htm.
¹¹ American Samoa Department of Commerce, Statistical Division, Consumer Price Index Newsletter available at the following Internet address http://www.asdoc.info.

Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables Appendices