land: 19%
permanent crops: 24%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 47%
other: 10%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: soil erosion
natural hazards: occasional typhoons; active volcanism
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

People
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Population: 214,384 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 43,540; female 42,185)
15-64 years: 56% (male 62,742; female 57,323)
65 years and over: 4% (male 4,089; female 4,505) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.37% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 31.12 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.75 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 34.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.73 years
male: 66.35 years
female: 71.24 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Western Samoan(s)
adjective: Western Samoan

Ethnic divisions: Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of
European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%

Religions: Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population
associated with the London Missionary Society; includes
Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints,
Seventh-Day Adventist)

Languages: Samoan (Polynesian), English

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1971 est.)
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Independent State of Western Samoa
conventional short form: Western Samoa

Data code: WS

Type of government: constitutional monarchy under native chief

Capital: Apia

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: National Day, 1 June (1962)

Constitution: 1 January 1962

Legal system: based on English common law and local