Samoa
Samoa jumped forwards in time in 2011, skipping 30 December entirely so it could trade more easily with Australia and New Zealand.
- CapitalApiaOn the island of Upolu
- PopulationAbout 220,000Two main islands hold nearly everyone
- Area2,842 km2Smaller than Luxembourg
- CurrencySamoan talaTala is the Samoan word for dollar
Samoa is made up of two large volcanic islands, Savaii and Upolu, plus a handful of small ones. Both big islands are green, mountainous and ringed with reef, and lava fields from eruptions in the early 1900s are still visible on Savaii.
Samoan society runs on fa'a Samoa, the Samoan way. Extended families are led by a chief called a matai, and the matai speaks for the family in village councils and looks after the family land.
National symbols
- National flower Teuila, a red ginger flower
- National colours Red, white and blue
- National anthem The Banner of Freedom
- National day Independence Day, 1 June
Map of Samoa
Geography
Samoa covers 2,842 km2 in the central South Pacific, with no land borders. Savaii is the larger island and Upolu holds the capital and most of the people.
Both islands were built by volcanoes and are still volcanically active. The highest point is Mount Silisili on Savaii at 1,858 m. Coral reefs fringe most of the coast, and the To Sua ocean trench, a deep swimming hole linked to the sea by a lava tube, is on Upolu.
Climate
Samoa is tropical and warm all year, around 24C to 30C, with high humidity. The wet season runs from November to April and the drier season from May to October.
Rainfall is heavy, over 2,500 mm a year in most places and far more in the mountains. Cyclones can strike during the wet season.
Culture
Samoan and English are both official languages, and Samoan is spoken by nearly everyone at home. Samoan is one of the oldest Polynesian languages still in daily use.
Around 98 per cent of Samoans are Christian, and Sunday is genuinely quiet, with most businesses closed. Sport matters enormously: Samoa produces far more professional rugby players per person than almost anywhere else.
Economy
Samoa exports fish, coconut oil, copra, taro and beer, but the largest single source of money is remittances, cash sent home by Samoans working in New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
Tourism is growing steadily, built on beaches, waterfalls and the chance to stay in an open-sided beach fale rather than a hotel.
The flag
The flag is red with a blue rectangle in the top left corner, and inside the blue are five white stars in the shape of the Southern Cross.
Red stands for courage, blue for freedom and white for purity. The four larger stars and one smaller one match the constellation as it appears in the southern sky.