 Country name:
conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa conventional short form:Samoa local long form:Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa local short form:Samoa former:Western Samoa
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name:Apiageographic coordinates:13 49 S, 171 46 W time difference:UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) +1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April
Administrative divisions:
11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
Independence:
1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship; it is observed in June
Constitution:
several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962; amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)
Legal system:
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:TUI ATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi (since 20 June 2007)head of government:Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi (since 1998); Deputy Prime Minister FONOTOE Pierre Lauofo (since 2011) cabinet:Cabinet consists of 12 members appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice elections:chief of state elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 20 July 2012 (next to be held in 2017); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state with the approval of the Legislative Assembly election results:TUI ATUA Tupua Tamasese Efi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (49 seats, 47 members elected by voters affiliated with traditional village-based electoral districts, 2 elected by independent, mostly non-Samoan or part-Samoan, voters who cannot (or choose not to) establish a village affiliation; only chiefs (matai) may stand for election to the Fono from the 47 village-based electorates; members serve five-year terms)elections:election last held on 4 March 2011 (next election to be held not later than March 2016) election results:percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HRPP 29, Tautua Samoa 13, independents 7
| | Judicial branch:
highest court(s):Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 2 Supreme Court judges and meets once or twice a year); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several judges)judge selection and term of office:chief justice appointed by the head of state upon the advice of the prime minister; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general and an appointee of the Minister of Justice; judges normally appointed until retirement at age 68 subordinate courts:District Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village fono or village chief councils
Political parties and leaders:
Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [Sailele Malielegaoi TUILA'EPA]Samoa Christian Party or TCP [Tuala Tiresa MALIETOA] Samoa Progressive Political Party or SPPP Tautua Samoa [Palusalue FA'APO II]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA (since 4 December 2003)chancery:800 Second Avenue, Suite 400J, New York, NY 10017 telephone:[1] (212) 599-6196 through 6197 FAX:[1] (212) 599-0797 consulate(s) general:Pago Pago (American Samoa)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:the US does not have an embassy in Samoa; the US Ambassador to New Zealand, currently Ambassador David HUEBNER, is accredited to Samoaembassy:Accident Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia mailing address:P. O. Box 3430, Matafele, Apia telephone:[685] 21436/21631/21452/22696 FAX:[685] 22030
Flag description:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation; red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity
National symbol(s):
Southern Cross constellation (five, five-pointed stars)
National anthem:
name:'O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa' (The Banner of Freedom)lyrics/music:Sauni Liga KURESA note:adopted 1962; the anthem is also known as 'Samoa Tula'i' (Samoa Arise) |