Samoa

Samoa

Samoa / or officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa or German Samoa, is a country that includes the western section of the Samoa Islands in the southern Pacific. It gained independence from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of the country are Opole and Savoy, which is one of the largest Polynesian islands

The climate is tropical, seasonal, with average annual temperatures of 26.5 ° C (79.7 ° F). The rainy season runs from November to April. Savay Island is the largest between the Samoan Islands and the Sixth Polynesian Island, after the North and South Islands of New Zealand, Stuart Island, and the Hawaiian and Maui Islands. The Savoy population is 42,000 people

Samoa is a result of volcanic activity which is caused by the hotspot in Samoa which is a possible result of the mantle. While all of the islands are of volcanic origin, the island of Savoy is only the most extreme island in western Samoa still active as the last eruptions were on Mount Matavano (1905-1911), Mount Mata or Lee Avi (1902) and Mount Mauga Avi (1725). The highest point in Samoa is the Celceli Mount, which is 1,858 meters (6,096 feet). The fossil fields of Salialo are located on the north coast of central Savai and are the result of the Matavano revolutions that left 50 km² (20 sq mi) of solidified lava

Samoa is located approximately east of the International History Line and approximately south of the equator halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand in the Polynesian region of the Pacific. The country has a total area of ​​2934 km2 (1133 sq mi) (slightly smaller than the US state of Rhode Island) and consists of two large islands, Opollo and Savoy, which account for 99% of the total area and eight small islands

Three of these islands are in the Strait of Apolema (Manono, Apolema and Nuoluba) and four Alaipata Islands off the eastern end of Opollo (Nuteli, Nouma, Nuwloa, Vanuatu) and Noosavi Island, with an area less than 0.01 km2 (2 and a half acres) and about 1.4 km (0.9 mi) from the south coast To Apollo in the village of Fauvai. The main island of Opolo is home to 75% of the population of Samoa and its capital is Abia

The Samoan economy has traditionally relied on development aid, private family financial transfers from abroad, and agricultural exports. Agriculture uses two-thirds of the workforce and provides 90% of exports, including coconut cream, coconut oil, noni (nono fruit juice with samoan), and dried coconut pulp (cobra)

Apart from the large wire factory of Yazaki, the industrial sector is mainly based on agricultural products. The tourism sector is growing steadily and now accounts for 25% of GDP. The number of tourist arrivals increased over the years, as more than 100,000 tourists visited the islands in 2005, compared to 70,000 in 1996

The Samoan government called for the liberalization of the financial sector, investment promotion and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a fundamental force for future economic progress. The tourism sector has grown significantly due to massive investments in hotel infrastructure and political instability in the neighboring and Pacific countries and the launch of Polynesian Blue in 2005, a joint venture between the government and Virgin Airlines

Samoa is a productive, fertile and productive archipelago. In the pre-German colonial period, most of the production of carrots was dried coconut pulp (cobra). German merchants and settlers have actively contributed to the introduction of new industries and crops, especially cocoa and rubber, relying on labor imported from China and Melanesia. As the value of natural rubber collapsed with the end of World War I, the New Zealand government encouraged the production of large-market bananas in New Zealand

Because of the differences in height above sea level, the country is suitable for growing many tropical and subtropical crops, but the land is not generally available for foreign investment. The country has a total area of ​​2,934 km2 (725,000 acres) of which about 24.4% are permanent crops and 21.2% are arable. Western Samoa Real Estate Trust Company owns about 4.4% of the land

The main products are dried coconut pulp, cocoa beans (for the chocolate industry) and bananas. The annual production of bananas and dried coconut pulp is about 13,000 to 15,000 metric tons (about 14,500 to 16,500 short tons). If the rhinoceros beetle is eliminated in Samoa, then the country can produce over 40,000 metric tons (44,000 short tons) of dried coconut pulp

Samoan cocoa beans are very high quality and are used in New Zealand in premium chocolate, most of which are Criollo-Forestero hybrids. Coffee grows well, but production is uneven. Western Samoa Real Estate Trust is the largest coffee producer. Rubber was produced in Samoa for many years, but the value of its exports has little impact on the economy

The Samoan population is 182,265, of whom 92.6% are Samoans, 7% are Eurasians (mixed Polynesian European proportions) and 0.4% are Europeans, according to the CIA World Factbook. About three quarters of the population live on the main island of Opolo. The Samoans are second only to Polynesia after the Maori people in New Zealand