American Samoa, archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km southwest of Hawaii; 197 km2, 55,700 residents (2018), most of whom are Polynesians.American Samoa includes five main islands, all of volcanic origin, as well as two smaller coral atolls. On the largest island, Tutuila (109 km 2 ), lives more than 30,000 residents, and there is also the capital Pago-Pago, American Samoa’s industrial center and main port with the archipelago’s international airport.
American Samoa has a tropical, maritime climate with high rainfall. The economy is based on agriculture with the cultivation of coconuts, bananas, taro, pineapple, jams and breadfruit as well as on a significant fish canning industry. Fish preserves are also the most important export product, while imports mainly comprise building materials, oil, food, machinery and machine parts.
The islands were probably populated by Polynesians 2,500 years ago; they were discovered by the Europeans in 1722 and became American territory in 1904.
Overview
American Samoa, also known as East Samoa, is located in the southern Pacific Ocean, east of the international date line. A land area of 199 square kilometers is home to a population of 57,000, most of whom are Polynesian. Residents are Protestant or Catholic and speak Samoan, although English is also widely spoken. The currency is the U.S. dollar and the capital is Pago Pago.
American Samoa has been inhabited since 1000 BC. In 1722 the Dutch arrived, and since then the island has passed between Britain, Germany, and the United States. In 1899, according to an agreement between the British, Americans, and Germans, East Samoa became a U.S. colony. 922 years in the territory of U.S. non-establishment..In July, 1951, American Samoa was placed under the jurisdiction of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs.
Economy and cultural customs
Over 90% of the land is mountainous, and therefore it is a relatively barren island, only producing a small amount of bananas, taro, and vegetables. Food, fruit, meat, vegetables, and daily necessities cannot be produced, and thus the economy is dependent on assistance from the U.S. government and its tuna processing industry.