osion

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

People

Population: 229,979 (July 1999 est.)
note: other estimates range as low as 162,000

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 45,647; female 44,141)
15-64 years: 57% (male 68,054; female 62,612)
65 years and over: 4% (male 4,477; female 5,048) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.3% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 28.81 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.4 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 30.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.82 years
male: 67.43 years
female: 72.33 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.61 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Samoan(s)
adjective: Samoan

Ethnic groups: 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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1971 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa
conventional short form: Samoa
former: Western Samoa

Data code: WS

Government 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 New Zealand-administered UN
trusteeship)

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 n