Samoa

{{Infobox Country | native_name = Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa Independent State of Samoa | common_name = Samoa | image_flag = Flag of Samoa.svg | image_coat = Coat of arms of Samoa.png | symbol_type = Coat of arms | image_map = LocationSamoa.png | national_motto = Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa() | national_anthem = The Banner of Freedom | official_languages = Samoan, English | demonym = Samoan | capital = Apia | latd = 13 | latm = 50 | latNS = S | longd = 171 | longm = 45 | longEW = W | largest_city = Apia | government_type = Parliamentary republic | leader_title1 = O le Ao o le Malo(Head of State) | leader_name1 = Tufuga Efi | leader_title2 = Prime Minister | leader_name2 = Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi | area_rank = 174th | area_magnitude = | area_km2 = 2,831 | area_sq_mi = 1093 | percent_water = 0.3% | population_estimate = 179,000 | GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = |GDP_nominal = $558 million |GDP_nominal_year = 2009 |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $3,077 | sovereignty_type = Independence | sovereignty_note = from New Zealand | established_event1 = Date | established_date1 = 1 January 1962 | HDI = 0.785 | HDI_rank = 94th | HDI_year = 2007 | HDI_category = medium | currency = Tala | currency_code = WST | country_code = | timezone = | utc_offset = -11 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = -10 | drives_on = left¹ | cctld = .ws | calling_code = 685 | footnote1 = Since 7 September 2009. Tulouna a Itu’au ma Alataua, Tulouna a Aiga-i-le-Tai, Ma le Va’a-o-Fonoti, Tulouna a Tama ma a latou aiga Po’o aiga ma a latou tama".

This Fa’alupega firstly recognized the authority and identity of principal districts of Samoa through their spokesmen – Tumua ma Pule, Itu’au ma Alataua, Aiga-i-le-Tai, ma le Va'a-o-Fonoti – and the highest titles which were bestowed by these groups. It concludes with the recognition of the great maximal descent groups of Samoa and their “sons” who had been chosen to hold the highest titles.

The new Fa’alupega of German Samoa apparently required for Malietoa Tanunafili and Tupua Tamasese to be sworn on oath and to change this Samoa’s historical Fa’alupega to the new fa’alupega as follows:

"Tulouna a lana Maiesitete le Kaisa o le tupu mamalu o lo tatou malo kasialika aoao. Tulouna a lana afioga le kovana kasialika o le sui o le kaisa I Samoa nei. Susu mai Malietoa, Afio mai Tupua Ua fa’amanatuiana ai aiga e lua I o oulua tofiga Kasialika o le Fautua. Tulouna a le vasega a Faipule Kasialika o e lagolago malosi I le Malo. Afifio mai le nofo a vasega o tofiga Kasialika o e usu fita I le tautua I le malo".

From the end of World War I until 1962, New Zealand controlled Samoa as a Class C Mandate under trusteeship through the League of Nations.² including the Aleipata Islands and Nu'usafe'e Island ³ smaller parts also on Upolu (Salamumu (incl. Salamumu-Utu) and Leauvaa villages)

Geography

from Le Mafa Pass, east Upolu.]] The country is located east of the international date line and south of the equator, about halfway between Hawai‘i and New Zealand in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean. The total land area is 2,934 km² (1,133 sq mi) (slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Rhode Island), consisting of the two large islands of Upolu and Savai'i which account for 99% of the total land area, and eight small islets.

These are the three islets in the Apolima Strait (Manono Island, Apolima and Nu'ulopa), the four Aleipata Islands off the eastern end of Upolu (Nu'utele, Nu'ulua, Namua, and Fanuatapu), and Nu'usafe'e (less than 0.01 km² - 2½ acres - in area and about 1.4 km (0.9 mi) off the south coast of Upolu at the village of Vaovai). Only the Māori of New Zealand outnumber Samoans among Polynesian groups.

Religion

Samoans' religious adherence includes the following: Christian Congregational Church of Samoa 35.5%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-day Saints 12.7%, Samoan Assemblies of God 10.6%, Seventh-day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, unspecified 0.8% (2001 census).

Sport

The main sports played in Samoa are Rugby Union, Samoan cricket and netball. Rugby Union is the national football code of Samoa. In Samoan villages, volleyball is also popular.

Rugby union is very popular in Samoa and the national team, nicknamed the Manu Samoa, is consistently competitive against teams from vastly more populous nations. Samoa has competed at every Rugby World Cup since 1991, and made the quarter finals in 1991, 1995 and the second round of the 1999 world cup. At the 2003 world cup, Manu Samoa came close to beating eventual world champions, England. Samoa also played in the Pacific Nations Cup and the Pacific Tri-Nations The sport is governed by the Samoa Rugby Football Union, who are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, and thus, also contribute to the international Pacific Islanders rugby union team.

At club level there is the National Provincial Championship and Pacific Rugby Cup Prominent Samoan players include Pat Lam and Brian Lima. In addition there are many Samoans that have played for or are playing for the New Zealand All Blacks. They also took home the cup at Wellington and the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in 2007 - for which the Prime Minister of Samoa, also Chairman of the national rugby union, Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, declared a national holiday. They also were the IRB World Sevens Series Champions in 2010 capping a year of achievement for the Samoans, following wins in the USA, Australia, Hong Kong and Scotland Sevens tournaments.

Rugby league is also popular amongst Samoans, with Samoa reaching the quarter finals of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. Many Samoans and New Zealanders or Australians of Samoan descent play in the Super League and National Leagues in Britain. Examples are Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala who represented the New Zealand All Blacks, then became the first million dollar player to be contracted out to Rugby League to play for Wigan, then played Rugby Union for Newcastle Falcons before representing Samoa. Ta'ane Lavulavu of Workington Town, Maurie Fa'asavalu of St Helens and David Fatialofa of Whitehaven.

Samoans have been very visible in boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, and sumo; some Samoan sumos, most famously Musashimaru and Konishiki have reached the highest rank of Ozeki and yokozuna. Despite the relatively small population of the islands many Samoans and people of Samoan descent have reached high ranks in many professional sports leagues. Also David Tua is a very well known Samoan boxer.

American Football is played limitedly in Samoa, reflecting its wide popularity in American Samoa, where the sport is played under high school sanction. About 30 ethnic Samoans, many from American Samoa, currently play in the National Football League (NFL). A 2002 article from ESPN estimated that a Samoan male (either an American Samoan, or a Samoan living in mainland United States) is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a non-Samoan American.

See also

1889 Apia cyclone

2009 Samoa Tsunami

Archaeology in Samoa

German Samoa

Samoa, California

SS Talune

Transport in Samoa

References

Further reading

on Manono Island]]

Watson, RM, History of Samoa (Wellington, 1918)

Schnee, Dr. Heinrich (former Deputy Governor of German Samoa and last Governor of German East Africa). 1926. German Colonization, Past and Future—The Truth about the German Colonies. London: George Allen & Unwin.

Eustis, Nelson. [1979] 1980. Aggie Grey of Samoa. Adelaide, South Australia: Hobby Investments. ISBN 0-9595609-0-4.

External links

; Government

Government of Samoa

Chief of State and Cabinet Members

; General information

University of Colorado from UCB Libraries GovPubs

; Other

Samoaworld.com, Online Samoan Dictionary

Category:Oceanian countries Category:Archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean Category:States and territories established in 1962 Category:Island countries Category:Polynesia Samoa Category:Least Developed Countries Category:Liberal democracies Category:English-speaking countries and territories Category:Members of the Commonwealth of Nations