Samoa

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand and just east of the International Date Line. The country consists of 2 large islands—Savai'i to the west and Upolu to the east—and several smaller islands. It has a land area of 2,850 square kilometers (1,100 square miles) and a coastline of 403 kilometers (250 miles), making it slightly smaller than Rhode Island. The capital city, Apia is located on the north coast of Upolu.

POPULATION.

The population of Samoa was estimated at 169,200 in mid-2000, an increase of 17 percent since the census of 1991. In 2000 the birth rate stood at 30.3 per 1,000 people, while the death rate was 6.4 per 1,000. With a projected annual population growth rate of only 0.6 percent between 2000 and 2010, Samoa would have 179,000 by 2010; the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook 2001 estimated the population at 179,058 for 2001, though. The low growth rate resulted mainly from a high rate of outward-migration, which in 2000 was estimated at 17.6 per 1,000. This migration is mostly to the United States and New Zealand.

The population is predominantly of Samoan (Polynesian) ethnic origin, although about 7 percent also have European origins. Only 21 percent of the population live in an urban area, with Apia accounting for most of this. The urban growth rate is twice as high as the general growth rate, but at 1.2 percent per year still relatively low by Pacific standards.

FISHING.

The Asian Development Bank estimated that 30 to 40 percent of all households in Samoa fish for their own consumption and that 12 percent of households rely on fishing as their primary source of income. Many subsistence fishers may also sell some of their catch. Larger commercial fishing endeavors have developed, though, mainly resulting from the introduction of long-line tuna boats. Thus, fishing's contribution to GDP rose from 4 percent in 1995 to 8 percent in 1999, with further expansion expected. Most of the catch is processed in the canneries of American Samoa, giving Samoa a competitive advantage because of the proximity of these facilities and because they allow access to the American market.

FORESTRY.

In the past, there was relatively large-scale logging on the island of Savai'i, but logging has become small-scale and limited mostly to customary (village owned) land. Exports of timber are small as most production is for the local market. Large-scale establishment of forest plantations began in the 1970s, but most of these forests were destroyed by the cyclones of 1990 and 1991. Recent planting of high-value hardwood species such as mahogany will take about 25 years to mature, so there are few prospects of timber re-establishing itself as an important export before then.