Simple directory > Regional > Samoa

Country : Samoa Official name: Malotuto'atasi o Samoa (Independent State of Samoa) (dropped `Western' Jul 1997) Head of State: Malietoa Tanumafili II (since 1963) Head of government: Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi (HRPP) (since Nov 1998) Ruling party: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) (re-elected Mar 2001) Area: 2,840 square km (nine islands): Savai'i (1,708); Upolu (1,118) Population: 171,800 (2004) Capital: Apia (on Upolu) Official language: Samoan Currency: Tala or Samoan dollar (S$) = 100 senes, or cents Exchange rate: S$2.73 per US$ (Nov 2004) GDP per capita: US$1,655 (2003) GDP real growth: 3.50% (2003) Labour force: 90,000 (2003) Inflation: 4.20% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$114.60 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$197.00 million (2003) Visitor numbers: 29,388 (2003) (holiday visitors)

Historical profile

1722 A Dutch navigator was the first European to explore Samoa.

1830 The London Missionary Society arrived in Samoa to convert native Samoans, establishing a British presence.

1899 Germany annexed Western Samoa (now Samoa), the US took over eastern Samoa (American Samoa) and Britain withdrew its claim to the islands in accordance with a treaty signed between Germany, Britain and the US.

1914 New Zealand occupied Western Samoa during the First World War and continued to administer it after the war under a mandate from the League of Nations.

1929 New Zealand authorities shot dead 11 members of the passive Mau resistance movement.

1939–45 US troops were stationed in Western Samoa during the Second World War.

1946 Western Samoa was administered as a UN Trust Territory administered by New Zealand.

1962 Western Samoa became the first Pacific island to declare independence.

1970 Western Samoa became a member of the Commonwealth.

1990 Voters approved universal suffrage and increased the legislature's term from three to five years.

1991 The general election was the first since independence from New Zealand, when every citizen over 21 years was able to vote.

1997 The country amended its constitution to become known as Samoa instead of Western Samoa.

1998 Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana (1982–85, 1988–98) resigned and was replaced by Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

1999 Former prime minister Tofilau died of cancer.

2000 Two former cabinet ministers were sentenced to death for the murder of a fellow politician who had threatened to expose a corruption scandal, but the sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.

2001 In the parliamentary elections, the Human Rights' Protection Party (HRPP) of Prime Minister Malielegaoi retained control of the legislative assembly with the support of independent members.

2002 New Zealand formally apologised for its poor treatment of Samoan citizens in colonial times.

2004 In February, Australia said it would give Samoa US$7 million to help train its security forces.

2005 From 1 May, travellers from American Samoa must obtain entry permits to enter Samoa.

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