party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified -
Law of the Sea

@Western Samoa:People

Population: 209,360 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (female 41,503; male 42,844)
15-64 years: 56% (female 55,683; male 61,065)
65 years and over: 4% (female 4,323; male 3,942) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.37% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 31.74 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.88 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 35.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.38 years
male: 65.99 years
female: 70.88 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.04 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Western Samoan(s)
adjective: Western Samoan

Ethnic divisions: Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European
and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%

Religions: Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated
with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman
Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Languages: Samoan (Polynesian), English

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97%

Labor force: NA
by occupation: agriculture 60%

@Western Samoa:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Independent State of Western Samoa
conventional short form: Western Samoa

Digraph: WS

Type: constitutional monarchy under native chief

Capital: Apia

Administrative divisions: 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua,
Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea,
Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Independence: 1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New
Zealand)

National holiday: National Day, 1 June (1962)

Constitution: 1 January 1962

Legal system: based on English common law and local customs; judicial
review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the
citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chief Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State
from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April
1963)
head of government: Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7