|RConstitution:|N Republic. Unincorporated and unorganized territory of the USA.
|RNational holiday:|N Flag Day, April 17.
|RNature and climate:|N Seven islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. Some of volcanic origin, the others are low coral islands.
Cocospalms and breadfruittrees grow along the coasts and tropical rainforests in the interior.
Climate is tropical with an average temperature of 26°C throughout the year.
Percipitation 2500 mm.
|RPeople:|N 90% Samoan (polynesian), 2% Caucasian and 2% Tongan.
|REconomy:|N Fishing is the most important industry and many tuna-canneries have been established. These canneries have so much capacity that raw tuna must be imported.
Most important crops are bananas, coconuts, vegetables and taroroots. The islands depend on food import.
Tourism is an important source of income for these beautiful islands.
|RHistory:|N The islands were inhabited by Polynesians probably at the 10th century BC. The first western visitor was Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1768. He named them the "Islands of Navigators" in recognition of their seamanship.
Whalers and missionaries from the USA arrived in 1830 and in 1878 a treaty on trade was signed between the local chiefs and the US.
In 1900 the chiefs of Tutuila and Aunun recognized US sovereignty and so did the chiefs of Tau, Ofu, Olosega and Rose in 1904.
The rest of the Samoa Islands today form the independent country Western Samoa.
In 1925 Swain Island became a part of American Samoa.
