Western Samoa

Western Samoa, officially the Independent State of Western Samoa, independent state in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, comprising 2 large islands, Savai'i and Upolu, and 7 smaller islands, only 2 of which are inhabited. Its area is 1,133 sq mi (2,934 sq km).

Land and climate

Most of the islands are mountainous, volcanic, forested, and fertile. The climate is rainy and tropical.

People and economy

The people are Polynesian, and the majority live in Upolu, where Apia, the capital and chief port, stands. Samoans speak probably the oldest Polynesian language in use. The economy is agricultural, the main exports being copra, bananas, and cacao. Tourism is important. The current development program, backed by foreign aid, aims to expand agriculture and encourage modest industrialization (e.g., soap, lumber).

History

The islands were probably discovered by the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen (1722). Germany, Great Britain, and the United States jointly administered the islands (1889–99), and agreed in 1899 that Samoa should be divided between the United States and Germany. In 1914 New Zealand seized German Samoa, later administering it by League of Nations mandate and, later, as a UN Trust Territory. It became independent as Western Samoa in 1962. It joined the UN in 1976. In 1997 parliament agreed to change the country's name to Samoa, despite opposition of American Samoa.