Western Samoa on the world map. Western Samoa. Government of Samoa
Independent state Samoa is part of the volcanic Samoan Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It occupies the western part of the archipelago of the same name and is divided into 11 administrative districts. Of the nine islands (the largest are Savaii and Upolu), four are inhabited. Small coral islands are uninhabited.
Samoa on the world map
Local residents speak Samoan and English. The local currency is the Tala Samoa (ST), divided into 100 sen.
Apia is the capital of the state, located on the northern shore of Upolu and has tens of thousands of inhabitants. The city is located among the hills on the shore of a picturesque bay covered with palm trees. The capital's iconic architectural landmarks include the white stone clock tower (a memorial to war victims), many churches of various denominations and buildings of several educational institutions on Main Beach Road. There are also museums near the central part of Apia, the most famous of which is the Stevenson House Museum. Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson spent the last days of his life in Samoa and was buried here.
The second largest island of the archipelago is Savaii, located in the southern part of the country. Here are the most popular places beach holiday: Salamuma, Matareva and Aganoa beaches, as well as Aleipata reefs. It is also notable for its architecture. There are many colorful “Samoan” houses here: without walls, with roofs and curtains made of palm leaves, and mats instead of beds.
The best time To visit the Independent State of Samoa, the so-called dry season is considered, which lasts from May to October. This time will delight tourists not only with good weather, but also with a lot of traditional festivals. The rainy season lasts from November to April. The average high summer temperature is about 29 °C, the lowest temperature is about 23 °C with air humidity of about 75%. The average annual air temperature fluctuates around +26 °C.
Most Europeans can stay on the islands for up to 60 days without a visa.
There is a direct route from London to Apia Air flight New Zealand. Tickets cost an average of £400. The price will be less if you purchase tickets in advance.
Map of the Independent State of Samoa in Russian
Tourists really like local cuisine! It is worth trying fried fish served with breadfruit, taro leaves and tubers, as well as other national dishes. Popular desserts include original bananas in orange leaf sauce/
The Independent State of Samoa has well-developed transport links. Traveling between villages approximately 10 km away from each other costs 3-5 ST. Don't be surprised if someone sits on your arms on a crowded bus - for local residents this is normal practice. A ferry cruise from Upolu to Savaii costs approximately 9 ST. Boat crossing - 5 ST. You can rent a bicycle at the resort.
The Independent State of Samoa has many natural attractions! You should definitely visit the Afu Aau waterfall, located near the village of Vailoa, a few kilometers east of Puley. Anyone can swim in the local natural pool for a small fee. A couple of kilometers from the waterfall is Kopca Pulemelei - a mysterious basalt mound, also known as the “Star Pyramid”. Tourists often come here, as well as local residents who love hunting wild pigs. Also interesting is the picturesque village of Falealupo, not far from which there is an amazing suspension bridge across the river, 24 meters long, Cape Mulinuu, national park‘O Le Pupu Pu’e and much, much more!
We departed from Nadi (Fiji) on September 30, and arrived in Apia (Samoa) on September 29 ;) It’s really cool to live twice today and miss tomorrow;) Actually, this is what we were counting on when planning our trip. Crossing the date line, what could be more mysterious?! But the Samoan leadership decided to outsmart everyone by introducing a new time zone, GMT+14, into Samoa. ;)
Flights
Our acquaintance with Samoa began on the plane. I have never seen such a gathering of obese people in one place. All 10 people in our group were scattered around the plane like precious seeds, although they asked to be seated as a group together.
Denis and I were lucky, and the Samoan agreed to change places with me, although he began to terribly resent the fact that he had a seat by the window, but had to sit in the middle. What window, is it night outside?! Our luck didn’t end there; they seated an obese girl next to us, who, oh joy!, fit into her seat. But our fellow traveler was unlucky; our chubby’s husband was put in with her. He raised, insolently, the dividing handle and sat down on the 1.5 seats. Believe it or not, no one even thought about solving this problem. The flight attendant just shrugged. But on normal airlines, obese people are required to buy 2 tickets!!!
Back we specifically asked that we, our group, be seated together. And even such a request was not fulfilled!!! We were scattered around the plane again. But this time, we didn’t leave the reception desk until we were given seats next to each other!!! What a rush has begun! Despite the fact that the plane was half full and “filled” with tiny people of an incomprehensible race. Neither Chinese nor Filipinos, but some men were small and thin;) They looked like real migrant workers;)
Samoa Hotels
I couldn't sleep for a minute. We got to the hotel, and it was a wonderful Aggie Gray's Resort, at 5 am. Despite the fact that the check in time in any hotel in the world is 14:00, we were promised that the rooms would be ready by 9.00, so we settled in, who, where we found a place. But first, we were invited to have breakfast. A chic restaurant, tablecloths and cloth napkins for breakfast - this is an indicator. The dishes were tasty and varied, but the fried eggs did not work out, they stuck and spread, and he was worried and this made it even better. worse. Due to the time shift, because of the late dinner on the plane, and because of the early breakfast at the hotel, the gap between meals was 2 hours;)
The restaurant at Aggie Gray's Resort is ready to receive visitors even at 5 am
And after breakfast, our fellow travelers sat on sun loungers by the pool and relaxed, or, in other words, fell asleep. I want to sleep.
We went to the ocean to greet the sunrise and take pictures. Impressive! White sand, blue water, the waves crash on a reef somewhere in the distance and near the shore the water is calm like on a lake, the birds are singing, you lie under a palm tree, look at the coconuts and get high;) And such a sweet buzz that you fell asleep right there;)
A heavenly place. Morning beaches at Aggie Gray's Resort
And when we woke up, Aggie Gray's rooms were ready to welcome and surprise us. A cozy spacious room, a bright bathroom sparkling with surgical cleanliness, a large open loggia and a stunning view of the ocean!
There was no time to sleep, at 10.00 our acquaintance with the island of Upolu began. The island is actually small, 3 hours is enough to go around it. But our guides managed to stretch this trip over three days:) From the hotel in one direction and half the way, from the hotel in the other direction and the other half of the island;) Well, the third day is an acquaintance with the capital of Western Samoa - the city of Apia. Well, it’s hard to call it a city, the entire population of the island is 125 thousand.
Our second hotel, Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, a city hotel, was located in the center of the capital of Western Samoa in the courtyard of a government building. And lying by the pool in the evening, we could unhinderedly see what was going on inside. And on the porch of this building children played, grimy, grimy. Across the road, with its frightening height (2 floors with a roof), we were pleased with its presence by the Ministry of (Rate) Women, something else and social development;)
Life of the inhabitants of Western Samoa
Here you go. So that you understand what Western Samoa is. These are 10 islands. But we were only on one. Island with endless snow-white sandy beaches surrounded by blue open ocean. Coral reefs save beaches from big waves so much so that even the foam does not reach the shore. People live on the coast. Their homes are monstrously poor and open to everything and everyone.
They have no walls, no windows. Only the flooring raised above the ground and the roof resting on wooden columns. Fabric curtains protect your home from the sun, wind and rain. Richer houses have glass shutters instead of windows and walls. The closer you get to the capital, the houses become different, because they are richer (?), some even have walls;) and certainly richer people have more substantial houses.
Everywhere you look you will see a coke palm or a banana grove. In general, it seemed to me that when going through passport control at the entrance to the country, they should be given helmets. Because coconuts tend to fall, and walking under palm trees covered with this seemingly kind and harmless murder weapon was scary at first;) but you get used to everything and relax.
I still haven’t seen what people are doing here. We saw few people here. On Sunday, everyone dressed in white clothes returned from churches, and on Monday, schoolchildren dressed in colorful uniforms (white top and pink or bright green bottom) went to school.
The grimy children were still running through the banana thickets, and the women were lying stupidly on the floor of their homes. Here the men wear pareo skirts, somewhat reminiscent of the long aprons of our waiters.
And one more interesting thing. Here, women do not use washing machines, everything is done by hand. And if you consider that there are 5-6 children in the family, you begin to understand why they are so grimy. But if the washing is successful, then the laundry is hung according to the rainbow, in the sense of taking into account colors, tones and halftones, with all the rules of transition from color to color. Apparently this is a kind of masochism: first wash it, and then hang it up. Or maybe it’s this kind of love for your island. Unlike Fiji, the cleanliness here is amazing, even in the most remote village.
further
Geography
The Independent State of Samoa occupies the western part of the archipelago of the same name in the southern part Pacific Ocean. Consists of two large islands- Savaii and Upol, two small ones - Manono and Apolima and several other small islands. All islands are the tops of an underwater ridge of volcanic origin. The terrain is mostly mountainous, with a slope towards the shore, and there are many fast mountain rivers. Rocky, rugged shores interspersed with wide beaches. The island has active volcano Matawan (last eruption - 1911).
Samoan Islanders New Year are one of the last to be greeted on our planet: near the borders of the state there is a conventional line of changing calendar dates, days of the week, months, years...
This line is on globe runs along the meridian of longitude 180° from Greenwich, between Asia and America along the Pacific Ocean, bypassing the land. Samoans are proud of their role as guardians of the “gates of time,” albeit conditional ones. But they also have grounds for unconditionally high self-esteem. Most ethnographers in the world believe that this small archipelago is the very core around which the entire Polynesian culture grew: myths, customs, traditions, way of life, ideas about beauty.
Story
Archaeologists date traces of the first human settlements on the islands of Upolu, Apolima, Savaii and Manono to two to two and a half thousand years. However, other scientists believe that these were not the ancestors of the current Samoans, but some other Austronesian tribes. Their real ancestors came in the 5th century. from the Bismarck Islands in Western Melanesia, and these were representatives of the Lapita culture. However, there is very little reliable information about the life of the Samoan archipelago before the arrival of Europeans; archaeological excavations here were carried out only sporadically and not widely. But if we take the legends and traditions of Samoa as the source of information, and (with reservations, of course), then according to them it turns out, and here all the legends agree with each other, that it was the Samoans who were distinguished among all Polynesians by their special belligerence. As many historical examples confirm, it is on the shoulders of victorious warriors that customs and traditions often come to the lands they conquered, in this case to the nearby Pacific islands and atolls. In this regard, linguistic versions of the origin of the name Samoa are also interesting. According to one of them, “Samoa” is an abbreviation of Sa-ia-Moa (“sacred to Moa”), and Moa was the son of the god of the universe Tagaloa. According to another version, more common among the islanders themselves, Samoa is nothing more than the “sacred center of the universe.” In fact, in the Samoan language one of the meanings of the word "moa" is "center". It is also translated as... “chicken” (more precisely, one of the local species of this poultry on some islands). But what does chicken have to do with it? And besides, the Samoans answer that where there is a chicken, there is a house. It is truth too.
XVII century provides more accurate evidence regarding the role of Samoa in Polynesia. By this time, the archipelago, the geographical center of Polynesia, also became a busy crossroads of trade and commodity exchange in the region. From time to time, merchant seafarers from more distant countries began to drop by the port of Apia. The discoverer of the islands among Europeans, however, is not a merchant, but a Dutch traveler, Jacob Roggeveen (1722). The Frenchman Louis Antoine de Bougainville, who arrived here in 1768, dubbed the archipelago the Islands of the Seafarers. His more famous compatriot, Jean-François La Perouse (1741-1788), also visited here. They were all surprised by how the seemingly wild islanders lived: they were clean, practical, and their handicrafts were simply excellent - both beautiful and durable.
In 1830, English missionary preachers John Williams and James Harris landed in Samoa. The Samoans greeted the reverend fathers friendly and were baptized willingly and in large groups. This was unexpected: the missionaries met with a completely different reception on other islands of the Pacific Ocean; let us clarify that both of them were eaten by cannibals in 1839 on the island of Eromanga in the New Hebrides archipelago (Vanuatu). It is believed that the Samoans were so loyal because in myths their gods always told them: the day will come when a new faith will come to you, which must be accepted with humility. And so it happened. And Samoa began to be called the “Bible Belt of the Pacific” in the world.
Germany, Great Britain and the USA looked at Samoa not as an outpost of Christianity in Oceania, but as a stronghold for their future influence in the region. On March 16, 1899, ships from all three countries entered Apia harbor almost simultaneously. And here you can’t imagine it on purpose - the elements intervened in the plans of the colonialists: under the blows of an unexpectedly powerful typhoon, only the British frigate Calliope survived. Well, the Americans and Germans said cynically but quickly: you, gentlemen, have no losses, therefore you do not need any compensation. For some reason the British did not object. Thus, the Samoan islands were divided between Germany and the United States. Their western part, now the Independent State of Samoa, went to Germany, and the eastern part, now American Samoa, USA (unorganized and unincorporated territory). With the outbreak of the First World War (1914-1918), Germany had no time for Samoa, and in 1914 it occupied former German Samoa, then, in 1920, with the sanction of the League of Nations, it made Western Samoa its protectorate. In 1961, the UN, being the legal successor of the League of Nations, terminated this mandate. On January 1, 1962, Western Samoa became an independent state; since 1997, this is not only the status, but also the name - the Independent State of Samoa. And not a kingdom at all, despite the fact that its first person is the monarch. This is where the uniqueness of the state and social system of Samoa begins, which at first glance is quite chaotic. But this is not at all the case; on the contrary, it is very slender, because it is based on local unshakable traditions.
So, the monarch is an elective position, but at the same time he is a tribal leader, or, in exact translation, “leader of the government”, elected for five years, but can be re-elected as many times as he likes. The government is formed by the party that wins the elections, its leader becomes prime minister. There is also a parliament. But the main organizing structure of the country is a system of communities comparable to a honeycomb, each of which consists of an average of 40-50 people. The head of the most noble community (aingi, or aigi) is at the same time the chief (matai) of the village, a larger element of this structure. Communities own all the land. The largest share of community income goes to health care and education. The result is clear: 98.6% of the Samoan population is literate. For higher education, young people use community money to go to New Zealand. Many then stay there, but carefully send money transfers home. Villages also have their own courts. There are no appeals against their decisions and prohibitions. Law and order in your village comes first. Under the wing of the Samoan community from birth, the family receives an allotment of land in proportion to the number of its members. No one is left alone with their problems. If necessary, they will support you with money, albeit small, and as for human participation, it would be strange to even think that there is none among the Samoans. The old people here will never be abandoned, they will always look after the kids, both their own and those of others, and goodbye they will ask, how else can I help you? Other residents developed countries against this background they seem like enlightened ignoramuses...
It is difficult to say for sure what scenario the state will develop in the future. His current one economic situation not brilliant. Foreign assistance is still needed, there is a dependence on private transfers from abroad, plantations are constantly damaged by hurricanes, there are not enough roads. Prospects: the Japanese and Australians are willing to invest in the light industry that has begun to develop (cheap labor) and tourism (excellent natural conditions). 35% of electricity is generated by local power plants. But the main guarantee that the country will develop is that it is very calm here.
general information
Official name: Independent State of Samoa.
Form of government: constitutional monarchy with elements of parliamentary democracy.
Administrative division: 11 districts (Itumalo).
Capital, largest locality and port: Apia on the island of Upolu (37,700 people - 2010).
Languages: Samoan (belongs to the East Austronesian group of the Austronesian language family, writing is based on the Latin script), English.
Ethnic composition: Samoans - 92.6%, Euronesians - from marriages of Europeans with Polynesians - 7%, Europeans - 0.4%.
Religion: 98% of Samoans profess Christianity, and they are: Congregational - 35.5%, Catholics - 19.6%, Methodists - 15%, followers of the Church of Saints last days- 12.7%, followers of the Assembly of God - 6.6%, Seventh-day Adventists - 3.5%. The head of state until 2007, Malietoa Tanumafili II, was an adherent of the Bahai religion.
Currency unit: tala.
Largest islands: Savaii, Upolu. Large rivers and there are no lakes, but many small ones, as well as waterfalls.
Largest airport: Faleolo International Airport, 35 km west of Apia. Direct flights to New Zealand, Australia, USA, Tonga, American Samoa and Niue.
Numbers
Land area: 2821 km2.
Population: 193,161 people. (July 2011).
Population density: 68.5 people/km 2 .
Coastal Economic Zone: 130,000 km 2. 23,100 hectares of reefs and lagoons.
Highest point: Mount Silisili (1858 m) on the island. Savaii.
Economy
GDP: $1055 million (2010).
GDP per capita:$5200 (2010).
Industry: food, light, production of building materials and auto parts.
Agriculture: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa.
Fishing.
Exports: fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, auto parts, clothing, beer.
Import: machinery and equipment, food products.
Service sector: tourism
Climate and weather
Subequatorial, trade wind.
Average daily temperature throughout the year:+26°C, temperature fluctuations are small (average temperature in summer is +27°C, in winter - +25°C).
Average annual precipitation: from 2500-3000 mm in the north-west of both large islands to 5000-7000 mm in the central mountainous regions.
Two seasons: the dry season lasts from May to October, and the rainy season from November to April. Tropical hurricanes and typhoons are frequent.
Attractions
■ Apia: Catholic Church, Anglican Church (wonderful stained glass windows), temple complex Apia Samoa Temple (1983, Bahai); Mulinuu - the old ceremonial capital of the islands, occupies the western part modern city. Fale Fono (Parliament House) is located here; memorial tower dedicated to the victims of World War II; National Museum;
■ House-museum of Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) 4 km from Apia (Vailima), where the writer spent the last four years of his life, here is his grave. The writer's house and the entire estate are a nature reserve.
■ Upolu Island: Matareva, Salamuma and Aganoa beaches, Coral reefs Aleipata with a protected area for seabird nesting sites; Fuipisia waterfall is 55 m high.
■ Savai'i Island: churches on the island of Savaii, including the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart in Saleolog, churches in the villages of Matavai and Salelavu; the 12 m high Tia-Cey ritual mound is the largest ancient megalithic structure in Polynesia; Tafua Rainforest and Falealupo Nature Reserves; Olemoe waterfalls, Taga geysers; Mu Pagoa waterfall; lava caves Peapea (Letui) and Paia Dwarfs; Mount Silisili and the protected Aopo Cave at its foot.
Curious facts
■ Universal suffrage was introduced in the country in 1991. Before that, only matai (chiefs) participated in elections, but they still have an important privilege: only they can stand for parliament. There are more than 25,000 matai in the country, about 5% of them are women.
■ Two-thirds of the islands’ surface is wet rainforests.
■ Most popular types sports in the country - rugby, Samoan cricket, Australian football, or fugue - this is when they kick an oval ball on an oval field and tough power struggles are allowed.
■ One of the ancient rituals of Samoa is the initiation (initiation into warriors) of teenagers 12-13 years old. He's cruel. The Samoans consider the shark to be the forefather of their people, and it was she who was supposed to “bless” the boy into adulthood. He was immersed in a vat of fish blood, tied with fish carcasses, given a small knife in his hands and taken by boat to the sea for five days. The boy, firstly, had to survive, and secondly, kill the shark. If he failed to do this, he became an outcast. There were many cases when teenagers preferred to die than to return home without confirmation of their feat. Now this procedure is no longer performed, but 50 years ago every man went through it.
Independent State of Samoa(Samoan: Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa, English: Independent State of Samoa) is an island state in the South Pacific Ocean, occupying the western part of the archipelago of the same name. Previous names were German Samoa (1900-1914) and Western Samoa (1914-1997). It was admitted to the United Nations on December 15, 1976, and has been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1970.
The capital of the country, the city of Apia, is located on the island of Upolu, which is one of the two largest islands of the state of Samoa.
Etymology of the name
The exact origin of the country's name is unknown. There are several versions.
According to one of them, "Samoa" is a shortened form of the word "Sa-ia-Moa", which is translated from the Samoan language as "sacred to Moa". One of the legends associated with this version is that the god of the Universe Tagaloa had a son named Moa and a daughter named Lu. After getting married, Lou gave birth to a son, whom she also named Lou. One night, while sleeping, Tagaloa heard his grandson Lu singing the words "Moa-Lu, Moa-Lu." After a while, Lu changed their order and began to sing “Lu-Moa, Lu-Moa,” that is, putting his name before the name of his uncle Moa. Tagaloa, hearing this, became very angry, considering his grandson too arrogant. He asked Lou to scratch his back. As Lou began to do this, Tagaloa grabbed the boy and began beating him. Frightened, Lou ran away and went to live on earth. Tagaloa also warned his grandson to honor his uncle Moa. Lou remembered the order already on earth and decided to name his new home “Sa-ia-Moa”. Subsequently, this name was transformed into “Samoa”.
However, another version is most popular among local residents. Samoans indicate that "Moa" means either "center" or "chicken" (however, in the Manu'a Islands this word is not used in this context; there the word "manu" is used for chicken). Therefore, the name of the state can be translated from the Samoan language as “the sacred center of the universe” or as “the place of the moa” (the moa is a local poultry that resembles a chicken).
In addition, “Moa” is the surname given to holders of the royal title of Tuimanua.
Story
The Samoan islands, like the islands of Fiji and Tonga, were, as some scientists believe, inhabited in the 5th century AD. e. during the migration of representatives of the Lapita culture from the Bismarck Islands located in Western Melanesia.
According to other sources, settlement took place at the turn of the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. e. The Samoan Islands were one of the centers of formation of Polynesian culture. It was from Samoa that the development of the islands and atolls of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean began.
There is very little reliable information about the history of Samoa before the arrival of Europeans there. From legends and traditions, as well as from materials from a few archaeological excavations, it is known that there was a constant bloody rivalry for dominance in the region between the tribes inhabiting Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. The empire of Tu'i Pulotu (Tonga) was replaced by the empire of Tu'i Manu'a (Samoa), and this was replaced by Tu'i Tonga (c. 950 AD). Aristocratic families were linked by marriage, which maintained the cultural and historical closeness of the states.
By the mid-17th century, Samoan ports carried out the main trading functions in the region, both within Polynesia and in trade with Europeans.
The European discoverer of the islands was the Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeveen, who landed on Samoa in 1722. Subsequently, in 1768, the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville visited the archipelago, calling it the Navigator Islands. Until the 1830s, when English missionaries and traders began arriving on the islands, contact with foreigners was very limited. In August 1830, John Williams, a member of the London Missionary Society, began his missionary work in Samoa. The Samoans had a reputation as a wild and warlike people, which resulted from frequent clashes between local residents and the French, British, Germans and Americans, who used Samoa before late XIX centuries for refueling steamships with coal. By this time, the process of decomposition of the primitive communal system and the formation of a class society was underway in Samoa: the islanders were divided into nobility and ordinary members of the community, and quite large territorial associations arose led by the supreme leaders.
By the middle of the 19th century, rivalry flared up between Germany, Britain and the United States for control of the islands, which was expressed in sending warships to the islands, supporting the warring Samoan leaders, supplying them with weapons, organizing training, and even direct participation in internecine clashes. Already from the middle of the 19th century, these three states began to increase their presence in Samoa: in 1847, Britain opened its consulate in Apia; it was followed by the United States in 1853 and Germany in 1861. In 1881, the rivals agreed to recognize High Chief Malietoa Laupepa as the Samoan king, but King Laupepa in 1885 entered into open conflict with the Germans, who responded by supporting his main rival Tamasese. Taking advantage of Germany's virtual domination of Samoa and the lack of unity among the British and Americans, the Germans overthrew Laupepa in 1887, sent him into exile, and proclaimed Tamasese king. The German captain Brandeis, appointed prime minister, imposed heavy taxes on all Samoans and, relying on German warships, tried to strengthen his position on the islands through bloody repressions. These actions led to a series of protests among the indigenous people. The dissatisfied leader was led by the leader Mataafa, who was very popular. After the victory of Mataafa's warriors over Tamasese's troops, the German authorities had to recall Brandeis. Stung by this failure, the German consul ordered an attack from the sea on the villages of Mataafa's supporters.
Concerned about the aggressive actions of the Germans, the governments of Britain and the United States sent armed forces to defend their interests. This led to eight years civil war, actually inspired by the opposing external forces. All three countries sent their warships to Apia, and a large-scale war seemed inevitable, but on March 16, 1889, a severe storm caused serious damage to the fleet, which led to the end of the military conflict. As a result of the Berlin Agreement, a protectorate of three powers was established over the islands.
However, already in 1899, the Samoan islands were divided into two parts (the dividing line ran along 171° W): the eastern group, now known as “American Samoa,” became US territory (Tituila islands in 1900, Manua in 1905); western islands received the name "German Samoa", and Britain renounced its claims in exchange for the return of Fiji and some other Melanesian territories.
Wilhelm Solf, who later became Secretary of the Colonies of the German Empire, was appointed the first German governor. During the years of German rule, there were constant protests against the colonial regime in the country. The largest uprising, which was brutally suppressed by German troops, occurred in 1908.
Samoa in the 20th century
On August 29, 1914, a New Zealand detachment of 1,374 people landed on Upolu with the aim of capturing a German radio station. Having received no resistance from the Germans, the New Zealanders quickly took possession of the islands.
From the end of the First World War until 1962, Samoa was administered by New Zealand, initially under a mandate from the League of Nations and later by the UN. About a fifth of Samoa's population died as a result of the 1918–19 influenza epidemic, partly because New Zealand authorities failed to enforce a quarantine.
In the early 1920s, Western Samoans founded the patriotic organization Mau (Opinion) with the slogan "Samoa for Samoans", a non-violent people's movement against the mistreatment of the Samoan people by the New Zealand administration. Mau was led by Olaf Frederick Nelson, half Samoan and half Swedish. Among the forms of protest used were non-payment of taxes, cessation of work on plantations, disobedience to the colonial court, and the creation of their own governing bodies. Nelson was exiled from the country during the 1920s and early 1930s, but continued to support the organization financially and politically.
On 28 December 1929, the newly elected leader of the Tupua movement, Tamasese Lealofi, led the Mau in a peaceful demonstration in Apia. New Zealand police attempted to arrest one of the demonstration leaders, which led to a clash. The police began firing indiscriminately into the crowd with a Lewis machine gun. The leader of the Tamasese movement, who tried to bring calm and order among the demonstrators, was killed. Another 10 demonstrators died on the same day, and 50 received bullet wounds and injuries as a result of police actions. This day in Samoa is known as Black Saturday. Despite constant repression, the Mau grew, remaining a nonviolent movement.
After World War II, Western Samoa changed from a mandate to a trust territory of New Zealand, which began implementing political reforms, including granting the territory limited self-government. In 1961, a referendum was held in which the residents of Western Samoa voted in favor of independence. An agreement was signed with New Zealand, according to which it assumed the defense of Western Samoa, as well as its representation in relations with foreign states. On January 1, 1962, Western Samoa became the first Pacific island state who gained independence.
In July 1997, amendments were made to the country's constitution, establishing the new name of the state - "Samoa", under which it joined the UN in 1976. The administration of American Samoa protested against the renaming, arguing that it called into question the national identity of American Samoa itself. In American Samoa, the expressions “Western Samoa” and “Western Samoan” are still used to refer to Samoa and its inhabitants.
Despite the fact that the inhabitants of both Samoans belong to the same nation and have the same language, there are cultural differences between them. People from Eastern Samoa tend to migrate to Hawaii and the continental United States, and the residents themselves adopt specific American hobbies, such as American football and baseball. People from Western Samoa are usually oriented towards New Zealand, whose influence can be seen in the great popularity of rugby and cricket.
Political structure
The 1960 Constitution, which came into force after independence, established a republican (de facto), (de jure) federal elective absolute monarchy form of government based on the Westminster parliamentary system combined with local traditions and customs.
Legislature
The country's legislative body is a unicameral parliament - the National Legislative Assembly (Fono Aoao Faitulafono). It consists of one representative each from 41 territorial constituencies, six additional members, as well as two deputies elected by people included in the special electoral lists of citizens of non-Samoan origin. Only citizens of Samoa have the right to be elected to the assembly. Deputies are elected on the basis of universal suffrage. The term of office of deputies is 5 years.
At the first meeting after the elections, members of parliament elect a speaker from among themselves.
The head of state of Samoa can at any time call a recess in the work of parliament, as well as dissolve it after consultations with the prime minister of the country.
The Samoan Parliament has the power to make laws through the passage of bills. Once a bill is approved by parliament, it is sent to the head of state, who must sign or reject the bill on the recommendation of the prime minister.
Executive branch
The executive power of Samoa is concentrated in the hands of the head of state.
The title of the head of state in the Samoan language is called O le Ao o le Malo (Samoan: O le Ao o le Malö), which can be translated as “chief of the government”: ao is a title of chiefs, little means “government”.
In 1962, when Samoa gained independence, two paramount chiefs, Malietoa Tanumafili II and Tupua Tamasese Meaola, were given lifelong rights to serve as head of state. Tupua Tamasese Meaole died in 1963, Malietoa Tanumafili II died on 11 May 2007, aged 95. At that time, he was the oldest living monarch in the whole world. His successor Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi (Tupua Tamasese's eldest son Meaole) was elected by parliament to serve as head of state for a constitutional term of five years on 17 June 2007.
According to the Constitution, the head of state (with the exception of the first two O le Ao o le Malo) is elected by the Legislative Assembly from among its members for 5 years and can be re-elected an unlimited number of times. The head of state has mainly representative functions, but has the right to veto decisions of parliament. In fact, only members of the Malietoa and Tupua families are vying for this post.
The Cabinet of Ministers is responsible for the overall direction and control of the country's executive branch, and is also collectively responsible to Parliament. The Cabinet of Ministers is headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the head of state on the recommendation of Parliament. Also, the head of state, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoints at least eight and no more than twelve ministers of the country from among the deputies of the Legislative Assembly.
Judicial branch
Samoa's judicial system consists of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, Magistrates' Courts, Village Fono and Land and Titles Court.
The Supreme Court of Samoa is the court of first instance in criminal and civil cases. It consists of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and several judges. The chairman is appointed by the head of state on the recommendation of the prime minister. Other judges of the Supreme Court can only be persons who have practiced as barristers in Samoa or another state provided for by Samoan law for at least 8 years. They are appointed by the head of state on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission.
The Supreme Court also hears appeals from decisions of the Magistrates' Court for claims amounting to $40 or more.
The Chief Justice and his fellow judges constitute the Court of Appeals, which hears appeals from Supreme Court decisions in claims of $400 or more.
The constitution also provides for the creation of a magistrate's court, or faamasino fesoasoani, which hears civil claims whose amount does not exceed $40 (in some cases up to $200), as well as criminal cases in which the amount of damages does not exceed $40 (in some cases up to $200). ..
The Magistrates' Court operates under the Magistrates' Court Act 1969. He handles civil claims whose amount does not exceed $1,000, as well as criminal cases in which the amount of damages does not exceed $1,000.
Electoral districts
The country is divided into 41 electoral districts, called faipule (Samoan: faipule). They don't perform any administrative functions. All Samoan citizens over 21 years of age are entitled to vote.
Local government
At the local level, villages and districts are governed by matai. The village is inhabited by several aing (communities). The head of the most noble ainga is the matai of the entire village. He sits on the village council (Fono) along with the heads of other communities. Ten to twelve villages make up the district. IN guest house the most influential village gathers a district council, in which the heads of all villages participate.
Foreign policy
Samoa is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations (UN) and its specialized agencies, the Asian Development Bank, the Forum Pacific Islands, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization (as an observer) and other international organizations.
Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Western Samoa were established in 1976. However, there is no Russian embassy in Samoa. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to this country (concurrently) since July 28, 2004 is Mikhail Nikolaevich Lysenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Russian Federation in New Zealand.
Geography
The country is located in the western part of the Samoan archipelago between 171°20’ and 172°50’ West. and between 14°10’ and 13°20’S. total area The land area is 2935 km² and includes two large islands - Savaii (1825 km²) and Upolu (1100 km²) - and six small ones, of which only Manono and Apolima are inhabited. Samoa has 130,000 km² of exclusive coastal economic zone and 23,100 hectares of reefs and lagoons (no more than 5 m deep). The country borders the territorial waters of Tokelau in the north; American Samoa - in the east; Tonga - in the south; Wallis and Futuna Islands in the southwest and Tuvalu in the northwest.
Relief
The relief of the islands that make up Samoa is predominantly mountainous, since the islands are a continuation of an underwater ridge of volcanic origin. The most high points- Silisili (Savai) (1,857 m) and Fito (1,115 m) (Upolu). The peaks on the two large islands are cut by deep gorges containing wide valleys. The slopes facing the sea are mostly steep and steep. The coastline is narrow, indented by lagoons and coral reefs. It is in the low-lying coastal strip between mountain ranges and the sea are concentrated Samoan villages.
The Russian navigator O. E. Kotzebue, who visited Samoa in 1824, wrote about “the generosity of local nature, dressing even the steepest cliffs in a green outfit.”
Climate
The climate of Western Samoa is humid tropical. The average annual temperature is 26.5 °C, the annual amplitude does not exceed 2 °C.
Based on the amount of precipitation, the year is divided into 2 seasons: wet (November - April), when trade wind circulation is often disrupted by cyclones coming from the northwest, and drier (May - October), at which time southeast trade winds predominate on the islands. The plains receive 2000-3000 mm of precipitation per year; their number increases with height and reaches 5000-7000 mm. More rain falls on windward (southern and eastern) slopes than on leeward (northern and western) slopes. The average relative humidity is 80%. The average relative humidity is 80% and the average annual sunshine is 2500.
The predominant wind direction is northeast, which accounts for 80% of the wet season and 50% of the dry season. Average wind speeds are about 20 km/h with gusts up to 48 km/h.
Samoa is periodically affected by tropical cyclones. In 1990 and 1991, cyclones Ofa and Val hit the islands, with wind speeds reaching 180 km/h. The most devastating hurricane for the country was the Hurricane of the Century, which hit Western Samoa in January 1966. The wind speed reached 200 km/h.
Geological structure
Seismographs at the observatory in the city of Apia quite often record tremors, but these tremors have not yet caused destruction. Although all the islands are volcanic in origin, only Savaii can be called volcanically active. The last major eruption dates back to 1700, smaller ones - 1904-1906. Part of the territory of the island of Savaii, covered with young lavas, is almost devoid of vegetation. However, in other areas, as a result of erosion and weathering of older volcanic rocks, fertile soils were formed. There are especially many such lands on the island of Upolu.
No mineral resources have been found in the country.
Water resources
Samoa is washed on all sides by the Pacific Ocean. The islands of Upolu and Savai'i are separated by the Apolima Strait, which contains the smaller islands of Manono and Apolima.
More than 3/4 of the country's population has access to tap water. Nevertheless, a large number of water is lost due to leaks due to weak infrastructure and poorly maintained water pipelines.
Samoa's volcanic origins have had a major impact on the area, which is replete with small rivers and waterfalls, except for the western part of Upolu and most of Savai'i. Traditional sources fresh water For local population in these areas are groundwater and rainwater. In Savaii, rivers are used for these purposes, despite the fact that they are located closer to the coast. During the dry season, reservoirs often dry up. In many areas, the amount of water supplied is insufficient to meet drinking and hygiene needs.
In Apia, the quantity and quality of fresh water supplied is decreasing due to the inability of water pipes to cope with the fast flows of rivers, which are the main source of fresh water in the capital. Some areas of Savaii also experience severe water shortages throughout the year. Local residents meet their needs by collecting rainwater in cisterns.
Despite heavy rainfall, almost all the water evaporates and is also absorbed by the porous soil within 3-6 months after the end of the rainy season.
Soils
Most of the soils located in the mountainous areas of the islands are formed from volcanic ash. Most of it contains olivine basalt, but is poor in potassium and phosphorus. However, frequent precipitation and favorable temperature conditions help to increase its fertility.
In Samoa there are differences between the soils of the mountains, uplands and lowlands. IN mountainous areas There is a tendency for the thickness of the soil layer to increase with height, although, as a rule, the soils of these areas of Samoa are not used for agricultural purposes.
Flora and fauna
The flora of Samoa is diverse (there are about 775 plant species, of which 30% are endemic to the archipelago). Among the plants there are lat. Atuna racemosa, lat. Bischofia javanica, lat. Canarium harveyi, lat. Glochidion ramiflorum, lat. Gnetum gnemon, lat. Hoya australis, lat. Macaranga harveyana. Two-thirds of the islands' surface is occupied by tropical rainforests, which are characterized by an abundance of tree ferns. There are valuable species with very hard wood. Large-leaved myrtles and orchids are common. Forests are located mainly on mountain slopes, while cultivated plantations predominate on the coast. At the peaks the most high mountains forests are replaced by small forests and shrubs. 150 species of Samoan plants are used for medicinal purposes.
The fauna of Samoa, like other Polynesian islands, is relatively poor. Before humans appeared on the islands, bats lived on land and dolphins lived in coastal waters. Ancient Polynesian sailors brought dogs and pigs here, and Europeans brought cattle and horses. Rats also entered the islands with the ships and settled throughout the archipelago.
Birds are much more diverse (honey plants, weed chickens, pigeons, small parrots, etc.). In total, 43 species of birds permanently live on the island, of which 8 are endemic, for example, the scalloped pigeon. The Polynesians brought chickens here, and the Europeans brought other poultry. Reptiles include lizards (7 species) and snakes (1 species). There are many insects, especially butterflies (21 species). There are turtles and crabs along the coast.
Ocean waters abound in fish, including valuable commercial species. Far from the shores there are sharks, tuna, mackerel, swordfish, and in shallow waters there are mullet and conger eels. Numerous mollusks live on coral reefs.
Administrative structure
The territory of Samoa is divided into 11 itumalo (districts), which were formed even before Europeans arrived on the islands. Each district has its own constitutional structure (faavae), based on the traditional order of precedence of titles in each district's faalupege (traditional greeting).
The village, which is the administrative center of the district, conducts the affairs of the district, coordinating its decisions with the centers of other districts. For example, the center of Aana County is Leulumoega. The paramount chief of Aana bears the title TuiAana. The council of chiefs that grants this title, Faleiva (House of Nine), sits in Leulumoega. Similar cases are being conducted in other districts. Thus, for example, in the Tuamasaga district the title of paramount chief is called Malietoa and is conferred by the Fale Tuamasaga Council of Chiefs sitting in Afega.
Population
According to the 1986 census, 157 thousand people lived in the country. By 2004, the population increased to 177.7 thousand. As of July 2007, Samoa had an estimated population of 214,265, of which 92.6% were Samoans, 7% were descendants of European-Polynesian marriages, and 0.4% were Europeans. More than 70% of the country's population lives on Upolu, although this island is one and a half times smaller than Savai'i, where 28% of Samoans live. The islands of Manono and Apolima account for about 1% of the population. The remaining small islands are uninhabited. The vast majority of residents are concentrated on the coasts; the interior of both large islands is very sparsely populated. The most densely populated areas are the northwestern coast of Upolu and the area of the capital, Apia.
28.3% of the population belongs to the age group under 15 years, 65.5% to the group from 15 to 65 years and 6.3% to over 65 years. The birth rate is estimated at 15.69 people per 1000 inhabitants, mortality - 6.47 per 1000, emigration - 11.59 per 1000. Infant mortality is 28.72 per 1000 births. In recent years, there has been a continuing downward trend in the population of Samoa (this is explained by the fact that young people are leaving abroad, mainly to New Zealand, in search of work).
Mass emigration from Samoa is explained by the backwardness of the local economy. Young people are leaving the country in search of work or for higher earnings, and also because of dissatisfaction with traditional orders, which, in their opinion, do not correspond to the realities of the modern world. The main flow of migration is directed to New Zealand. Some emigrants, having saved money or completed their studies, return to their homeland, while others send their families to live with them and leave Samoa forever.
Religion
98% of Samoans profess Christianity. The share of Congregationalists is 35.5%, Catholics - 19.6%, Methodists - 15%, LDS followers - 12.7%, Assemblies of God followers - 6.6%, Seventh-day Adventists - 3.5%.
The head of state until 2007, Malietoa Tanumafili II, was an adherent of the Baha'i religion. Samoa is home to one of the seven Houses of Worship of the Baha'i religion, founded in 1984. It is located in Tiapapata, 8 km from Apia.
Languages
The official languages are Samoan and English. Samoan is a Polynesian language belonging to the Oceanian zone of the Austronesian language family.
Samoan writing is based on the Latin script. Samoan writing was created by missionaries back in 1834. Textbooks, religious literature, as well as laws and government regulations are published mainly in Samoan. The country publishes a government newsletter in Samoan, and two private weeklies with articles in English and Samoan. Both of these languages are used in their broadcasts by local radio and television.
Economy
Taro, an agricultural root vegetable, has traditionally been Samoa's main export, accounting for more than 50% of exports in 1993. However, due to the destruction of fields due to a fungal disease, taro has accounted for less than 1% of exports since 1994
Advantages: The growth of light industry attracts foreign firms, mainly Japanese. Rapid growth due to improved infrastructure for tourism and the start of offshore services in the service sector. Agriculture in tropical conditions allows exports mainly of taro, coconut oil and milk, cocoa and copra.
Weaknesses: Cyclones make development difficult. Unstable international markets copra and cocoa. Poor transport system. Dependence on foreign aid and remittances from citizens living abroad.
Samoa's economy has traditionally depended on humanitarian aid, private remittances from foreign countries and agricultural exports. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the country's workforce and produces 90% of the country's exports, including cream of coconut, coconut oil, noni (noni fruit juice), bananas, copra, and others.
The country's gross domestic product (GDP) (at purchasing power parity) in 2006 was US$1.218 billion. According to 2004 data, the manufacturing sector is the main component of GDP (58.4%), followed by the service sector (30.2%), and agriculture (11.4%). Samoa's working population is estimated at 90,000.
Industry and energy
In 1967, a large American company built a timber processing complex on the island of Savaii and began harvesting valuable wood species. However, her predatory actions angered the Samoan government. In 1977, it terminated the agreement with this company, acquired all of the company's property and took control of the logging operations. Most of the timber produced is exported.
In addition to the timber industry, the country's industry consists of several small enterprises. This is a soap making and breweries, garment factory, furniture factory, coconut oil, cookies, ice cream and Coca-Cola. The authorities encourage the development of folk arts and crafts. A special government organization is engaged in the export of products of folk craftsmen.
35% of the required electricity is generated by hydroelectric power plants; the remaining electricity needs are met by imported fossil fuels.
Tourism
Tourism is a growing sector that currently accounts for 25% of GDP. The number of tourists increased from 70,000 in 1996 to 100,000 in 2005. The Samoan government announced a reduction in the government's role in regulating the financial sector and promoting investment. Observers note that labor market flexibility is the basis for economic growth opportunities. The development of the tourism sector was greatly facilitated by investments in the construction of hotel infrastructure, political instability in neighboring countries and the government’s agreement with Virgin Airlines to launch regular passenger flights.
Among the main sites visited by tourists:
- Apia - Among the attractions of the capital of Samoa is a memorial tower dedicated to the victims of World War II, a flea market and many churches;
- The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum is the writer’s house, located four kilometers from Apia;
- South coast Upolu - beaches of Samoa: Matareva, Salamuma and Aganoa, coral reefs of Aleipata;
- Rock Papasea - a five-meter descent from the waterfall into a small Forest Lake;
- Savaii - Tafua and Falealupo nature reserves, Olemoe waterfalls, Taga geysers.
Samoa is an agricultural country, and 77% of its population lives in rural areas. Favorable climatic conditions allow you to grow a large number of tropical and subtropical fruits. During the period of German colonization, the country produced mainly copra. German traders and settlers actively expanded plantations and introduced new crops, in particular cocoa and rubber, importing workers from China and Melanesia to care for them. When natural rubber prices plummeted at the end of World War II, the New Zealand government began encouraging banana cultivation to satisfy its own market.
Today Samoa's main products are copra, cocoa and bananas. Exports of agricultural products in 2001 were estimated at US$5.1 million. The cocoa produced is of high quality and is used in New Zealand chocolate production. Despite good conditions for growing coffee, stable production has not been established. Rubber has been produced in the country for many years, but its export has little impact on the country's economy.
Samoa also has great fish resources. However, fishing is predominantly of a consumer nature and is carried out, as a rule, from traditional double-hulled boats - catamarans. Due to the lack of sea fishing vessels, modern freezing equipment and fish canning factories, the country not only cannot export fish, but is even forced to import fish products from abroad. Therefore, the government considers one of its urgent tasks to be the creation of its own fishing industry.
Transport and communications
The country has 2,100 km of roads, mostly rural. Valid ferry service between the islands of Upolu and Savai'i, as well as from Pago Pago (American Samoa). international Airport in Faleolo (34 km from Apia) can receive aircraft up to heavy Boeing 747. Provision of cell phones - 130 pcs. per thousand population (2003-2004).
Currency
The currency of Samoa is the tala, which is divided into 100 sene (“tala” and “sene” are equivalent to the words “dollar” and “cent”). The tala was introduced in 1967 and replaced the Samoan pound at the rate of 2 tala = 1 pound (equal to the New Zealand dollar). The tala rate remained equal to the New Zealand dollar rate until 1975. The symbol WS$ is usually used to denote currency; the symbols SAT, ST and T are also used.
Foreign economic relations
The main exports have traditionally been fish, clothing, coconut oil, coconut cream, beer and copra. The main imports are bicycles, equipment, construction materials and consumer goods. Main partners - export: Australia (63%), USA, import: New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, USA and Japan.
Member of the international organization of African Countries, Caribbean and Pacific Region (ACP).
Culture
Lifestyle
The traditional Samoan way of life (called faa Samoa) remains an important component of Samoan life and politics. Having been exposed to European influence for centuries, the Samoans nevertheless maintained their historical traditions, preserved their social and political structure, and their language.
Samoan culture is based on the principle of walealoai - a specific system of relationships between people. This relationship is based on respect (faaaloalo). When Christianity was brought to Samoa by missionaries, most of the population accepted it. Currently, 98% of the population identifies as Christian. The remaining 2% either identify themselves as non-religious or belong to other faiths.
Most Samoans live in traditional oval huts (fales). The roof is made from pandanus or coconut palm leaves and rests on wooden pillars. There are no walls, but at night and in bad weather, the openings between the pillars are covered with mats, which are rolled up and stored under the roof (along its perimeter). The floor is laid out with smooth large pebbles. Nowadays there are fales with an iron roof.
The main socio-economic unit of Samoan society is the community (ainga), which consists of three to four generations of immediate male relatives, women who came into the community by marriage, and persons included in it as a result of adoption. Members of the aingi (on average 40-50 people) jointly own the land and jointly perform all labor-intensive work.
Art
Like many other Polynesian islands, Samoans have two types of tattoos for different genders. Tattoos for men are called tatau and consist of complex geometric designs placed from the knees to the ribs. A man with such a tattoo is called a sogaimichi. Samoan girls (teine) are given a mala that extends from just below the knees to the top of the thighs.
music and dancing
The traditional Samoan women's dance is the siwa. This dance is similar to the Hawaiian hula - the dancers “tell” their “story” with smooth movements of their arms and legs to the beat of the music. Male Samoan dances are more aggressive and energetic. Sasa is a male Samoan dance in which rows of dancers perform quick synchronized movements to the beat of drums or rolled mats. Its name is translated from Samoan as "slap" because it is accompanied by slapping different parts bodies.
Museums
The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum (Vailima, 4 km from Apia) is the house in which Stevenson spent the last years of his life (1890-1894). The writer's grave is located nearby. The writer's house and the entire estate have been declared a nature reserve. Placed here official residence head of state.
IN National Museum(Apia) three halls house a variety of exhibits telling about the history of the country. Some of the exhibits are kept in museums and private collections in New Zealand, the USA, Australia and Germany. For example, tapas - traditional printed fabrics made from sun-dried vegetable paste and therefore very fragile - are on display at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. All foreign museums and galleries pledged to return exhibits after creating appropriate conditions for their storage. All museum exhibits can be divided into two categories: archaeological artifacts and handicraft items. The age of the most ancient objects is more than 1000 years BC: these are mainly stone axes and chisels.
Education
Expenditures on education (2002–2004) amounted to 4.3% of GDP. Samoa is characterized by a high literacy rate of the population - 98.6% (2005). The proportion of the illiterate population aged 15 to 24 years is 0.5%. This is explained by the fact that the country has a wide network of primary public and private church schools, in which 3/4 of children aged 7-12 years study. Compulsory education includes ten-year schools, which admit children at the age of five. Teaching is conducted in Samoan, but English is intensively studied. Schools were created at the beginning of the 20th century by missionaries.
Some children (66% - 2004) study in secondary schools, and can also receive special education at the College of Tropical Agriculture, the College of Commerce, as well as several vocational and trade schools. Hundreds of Samoans have received higher education overseas, mainly in New Zealand.
Higher education in the country is represented by the National University of Samoa, the University of the South Pacific, Samoa polytechnic university and Ocean Medical University.
Samoa is a founding member of the University of the South Pacific, with its main campus located in Suva (Fiji) and the Samoan campus in Alafua. The National University was founded in 1984. Approximately 10% (2005) of the population of the corresponding age receive higher education.
Healthcare
Health institutes are represented by the national hospital in Apia, four district hospitals and medical centers. Most of the medical staff are graduates from the Fiji School of Medicine. Vaccination coverage is 95% and 85% of Samoans have access to clean drinking water.
Periodicals are published in Samoan and English languages: Samoa Observer and Samoa Times newspapers (daily), Savali (4 times a week) and Talamua Magazine (monthly). Radio (Magik FM, K-Lite FM, Talofa FM, Samoa Broadcasting Corporation) and television (Samoa Broadcasting Corporation, O Lau TV, TV3, Vaiala Beach Television) are broadcast.
The number of radio receivers among the population is more than 175 thousand (1997), television sets - 8.5 thousand (1999). On the archipelago, 2 providers provide their services to 10 thousand Internet users (2007).
Sport
The most popular sports in Samoa are rugby and Samoan cricket. The Samoan national rugby team, dubbed Manu Samoa by fans, regularly competes against opponents from other countries. Samoa has competed in every Rugby World Cup since 1991. The team reached the quarter-finals in 1991 and 1995, the second round in 1999, and the quarter-finals of the Rugby League World Cup in 2000.
They also won the Rugby League Cup in Wellington and the Rugby Sevens tournament in Hong Kong in 2007 - in honor of which Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who is also the chairman of the national rugby union, declared a national holiday. Samoa also competes in the Pacific Nations Cup. The sport is governed by the Samoan Rugby Union, which is part of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, and also facilitates the Pacific Islands national team. At the club level there is a local national championship and the Pacific Cup. The most famous Samoan players are Pat Lam and Brian Lima. Many Samoans also play for the New Zealand national team, British Super League and British National League clubs.
Samoans have also found success in American professional wrestling, boxing, kickboxing and sumo, where Musashimaru Koyo achieved the rank of yokozuna.
The Samoan Football Federation has been a member of FIFA since 1986, but the country's national team has not achieved significant results even in tournaments on the scale of Oceania.
The country performs at all summer Olympic Games since 1984. There are no Olympic medals. A native of Apia, David Tua, playing for the New Zealand team, won an Olympic bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It is noteworthy that in the same year, Marcus Stephen competed for the Samoan Olympic weightlifting team, who became the President of Nauru in December 2007.
Oceania. Travel notes, day 7
As you know, there are two Samoas - just Samoa, which, just in case, inserted into its official name the words "Independent State", and American Samoa (guess whose dependent territory this is). It used to be simpler because the countries were called Western and Eastern Samoa.
They are interesting because they are located on the date line. That is, when it’s Monday on the eastern island, it’s already Tuesday on the western islands! It's funny.
Remember, I wrote about what the citizens of Russia need? So, after my post, the Russian Foreign Ministry intervened and asked them why they stopped issuing visas to Russian citizens. And American Samoa replied that there was a mistake, everything is ok, we will give a visa to Mr. Varlamov, like other Russians! They also immediately wrote to me: “Sir, a thousand apologies, a coconut fell on my head, that’s why they messed everything up. Now there will be a visa!” I was delighted, thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and submitted the documents again. But there was no visa. Usually they give it in one day, but then two days passed, then two more, then a week... And then the answer came:
"Bad news. Just got back from the Immigration office again and permit request DENIED. The reason stated: "U.S. state department is not allowing anyone with a Russian passport into the territory at this time." When the travel restrictions are lifted, we hope to receive Russian visitors again, like in previous times."
This is written by the hotel manager who issued my visa. In general, as you understand, the US State Department does not allow Russian citizens to visit its territories... Here it must be said that even though American Samoa is considered an “unincorporated unorganized territory,” the Department of Insular Affairs, which is a division of the US Department of the Interior, is still responsible for it . And the territory is governed not by a president or a king, but by a governor (however, since 1977, Samoans have elected him themselves).
Just like that. Again, all hope is in our Foreign Ministry! They completely confused the shores in their Samoa!
In the meantime, let's look at what the western islands are like today.
01. As usual, the landscapes are of little interest. 
02. Blue sea, rare settlements... 
03. Small villages are scattered throughout the jungle. In total, a little more than 190 thousand people live on the islands, which is about the same as in Lyubertsy. 
04. From achievements - built new terminal airport (opened in November 2016) with a loan from China. 
05. True, planes fly here infrequently. There is one flight to Fiji and several more times a week to Australia and New Zealand. Direct flights to China should open soon, an agreement between the countries has already been signed. 
06. The roads are beautiful and smooth. 
07. What makes Samoa different from other countries in the region? Graves! Yes, it’s customary here to bury relatives right under the window! Very nice. Well, just as some people throw them under car windows, here they dig graves under the windows. 
08. Sometimes a canopy is built over the grave. 
09. Very rarely is this a separate structure in the yard, but usually everything is closely adjacent to the house. 
10. Sometimes it's a real tomb. 
11. But usually like this: 
12. Or so. 
13. If suddenly houses are located in lowlands, in flooded areas, then graves are made on a hill. 
14. One of the villages has recently been improved! They installed beautiful posts with lanterns and new trash nets. The locals are delighted! 
15. There are many different churches in Samoa - mostly Catholic and Protestant, but there is even a House of Worship for Baha'i adherents (one of seven on the entire planet) and a Mormon temple. They are building some new temple. 
16. Mormon temple in the suburbs of the capital. They write that there is a twin building in Nuku'alofa (Tonga), and there should be another similar temple in Tahiti. 
17. This is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the capital. 
18. Unfortunately, this is a new building. The old building, built in 1867, was so badly damaged during the 2009 earthquake that it had to be demolished. 
19. As you can see, Samoa is a pious country: on the fences they write that the state is “founded on God.” 
20. Unlike temples, the houses of local residents are not luxurious or large. 
21. As in many countries in the region, the people live in poverty. But, unlike Fiji or Tonga, the main economic sector here is industry. There are several not very large factories here (for example, in Samoa they make coconut oil and less exotic Coca-Cola), although most of the population still lives in villages. 
22.
23. Another feature of the locals is that they are constantly resting! In no other country have I seen so many people vacationing. Usually sit under a tree in the shade 
24. From morning to evening, until the sun disappears behind the horizon, the locals simply sleep. Here is an ordinary yard. Grandma was recently buried under the porch... and now you can sleep! 
25. This is not a bus stop, but a couch. 
26. Life goes on as usual. 
27.
28. The love of leisure influenced local architecture. On each site there will definitely be two buildings: a house with a grave and a resting shed! The canopy is made with a high roof so that you can lie in the shade all day long. These large pavilions are now being built, but they actually grew out of the traditional Samoan dwelling, the fale. 
29. Every house has a canopy. These open spaces are used in different ways. Sometimes as a chapel, sometimes for a family gathering, sometimes just for a picnic. Well, to lie around, of course! 
30. In the city everyone is lying too. 
31.
32. The flag should have South Cross, but it didn’t work out very well) 
33. And this is the capital of the country, Apia. Big city by local standards, just under 37 thousand people. 
34. Moreover, it is the only city in Samoa. Well, what a city. In fact, it doesn't even have a mayor. Apia is divided into 45 villages, which together belong to administrative district Tuamasaga. That is, it is like a city of central subordination. 
35. Since it is essentially a large village that has grown into a city, Apia has problems with infrastructure. For example, during the rainy season it regularly floods, because, of course, there is no storm sewer here. The funny thing is that even here the islanders managed to create traffic jams, because they began to buy cars for themselves in the absence of any traffic control system. 
36. This is the very center. On the right is the old government building, on the left is a supermarket, which is now run by the Chinese. 
37. Cathedral, parking and, of course, a pavilion. Here it serves as a chapel. 
38. Fishermen and market. Unlike other countries in Oceania, not much fish is exported from Samoa. They are caught mainly for the domestic market. 
39. There is a Clock Tower on the square, marking the very center of the city. 
40. Now the government buildings have been moved to a new location, in the village of Mulinuu. A wide highway was built here. 
41.
42. Port 
43. On weekends there is no one on the streets at all. 
44. The city is literally dying out. Nothing works. 
45. And here is the same place on Monday. 
46. City Beach 
47. Embankment 
48. The police station was recently built. 
49.
50. Parliament building. By the way, Samoa is a parliamentary... uh... half-republic, half-monarchy. Only the country is ruled not quite by a king and not quite by a president, but by a man with the title “O le Ao O le Malo,” or the supreme leader. This translates into Russian as “Going after what was, and before what will be” (note to Vitali Klitschko!). The leader, by the way, has been an elected position since 2007, but he can only be elected from among members of parliament and an infinite number of times. And only matai, the leaders of Samoan family clans, can become deputies. So some features of the monarchy (and even traditional society) still remain. 
By the way, about traditions! In Samoa, in addition to men and women, there is a “third gender” - fa'afafine. It includes from 1 to 5% of the country's population, and the traditional Samoan family itself decides which of the children to assign to them. Literally, "fa'afafine" means "like a woman." Boys are raised as girls from childhood. This is what happens when more men are born in a country than women! Russia can breathe freely. 
In fact, it is not entirely correct to classify fa'afafine as gay, although most of them actually have male partners. But their relationships with men are not considered homosexuality, because the sexes are not the same. Moreover, the relationship between two men is taboo for many Samoan families. And if a man fucks fa’afafine, it’s okay, everything’s fine. Many fa'afafine say that in childhood they really considered themselves girls, and only as they grew older did they realize that this was not entirely true.
Similar child-rearing traditions exist in other parts of Oceania, such as Tonga, the Cook Islands and Hawaii. In Samoa, fa'afafine mainly entertain tourists, and some travel to the West to earn money by participating in drag queen shows. Boxing with the participation of fa'afafine is also quite popular in Oceania. 
Some Samoans do not like fa'afafine because they behave too provocatively, declaring their own "feminine" sexuality. Usually a Samoan woman is a modest housewife, but here there is such a contrast. Although some fa'afafine support the traditional way of life and even raise children together with other women (who, in turn, call him "mother"). 
51. I wonder what the Israeli flag is doing here? 
52. Old architecture 
53.
54.
55. Local buses 
56. It is now the rainy season in Samoa, it will end in April. By the way, the country regularly suffers from natural disasters, especially typhoons. Therefore, many foreign companies are hesitant to invest in the islands' economy. 
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59.