Towns and Cities in American Samoa, USA

American Samoa

American Samoa, officially Territory of American Samoa, is an unincorporated territory of the USA consisting of the eastern part of the Samoan archipelago, located in the south-central Pacific Ocean. The territory, which is part of Polynesia, includes the six Samoan islands. It also includes the inhabited islands of Tutuila, Tau, Olosega, Ofu, and Aunuu, along with an uninhabited coral atoll named Rose Atoll. The largest and most populous island is Tutuila with 55,212 inhabitants in 2020. The great majority of the population is ethnically Samoan; there are tiny minorities of Tongan and Filipino origin and of people of mixed ethnicity. Its governor is Lemanu Peleti Mauga.

American Samoa’s climate is tropical, and precipitation is ample. Rainforests with tall ferns and trees cover the mountainous interiors of the islands. Plantations of taro, coconut, and other food crops are located on the coasts. Nevertheless, the islands are not rich in animal life.

The Samoan islands were settled by Polynesians about 1000 B.C. The Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen sighted Samoa in 1722. In 1878, the United States signed a treaty for the establishment of a naval station in Pago Pago Harbor. An 1899 agreement between colonial powers divided Samoa into spheres of influence: Germany gained control of the western islands, and the United States took the eastern islands. In 1951, control of the territory was transferred to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The U.S. government appointed a governor who had full powers to administer the territory.

The economy is based on services and manufacturing, but tourism is a major industry too.