Samoa

Samoa, chain of 10 islands and several islets in the South Pacific, midway between Honolulu and Sydney. Volcanic and mountainous, their total area is about 1,200 sq mi (3,108 sq km.). The people are mostly Polynesians. The soil is fertile, producing cacao, coconuts, and bananas. The climate is tropical. Savai'i (the largest), Upolu, and the other Western islands constitute independent Western Samoa. The capital is Apia, on Upolu. American Samoa consists of the eastern islands: Tutuila, the Manua group, and the Rose and Swains islands. The capital is Pago Pago, on Tutila. Discovered by the Dutch in 1722, Samoa was claimed by Germany, Great Britain, and the United States in the mid-19th century, but in 1899 the United States acquired sole rights to what is now American Samoa.

See also: American Samoa; Western Samoa.