Alao is a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
on the narrow east coast of
Tutuila Island
Tutuila is the main island of American Samoa (and its largest), and is part of the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly northeast of Brisbane, A ...
,
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
. It is located close to the island's easternmost point, just to the north of
Aunu'u Island. Alao is home to white sand beaches, and is one of the oldest settlements in all of American Samoa. It is located in
Vaifanua County, American Samoa
Vaifanua County is a Administrative divisions of American Samoa, county in the Eastern District, American Samoa, Eastern District in American Samoa.
Vaifanua and Sua County, Sua counties are both ruled by the Le’iato family, one branch of which ...
.
The village gained international attention in 2005 when the village council moved to ban Asian-owned businesses within village boundaries. Its ranking chief, Sogimaletavai Leo, told reporters that the village wanted to protect small Samoan-owned businesses. He also explained that it has been an increased number of Asian-owned stores popping up in neighboring villages on the island's east end.
Olomoana Hill behind Alao is one of very few places in Tutuila where
trachyte
Trachyte () is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals, and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava enriched with silica and al ...
occurs.
A
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in town.
Demographics
Geography
Alao is situated near the southeastern tip of
Tutuila Island
Tutuila is the main island of American Samoa (and its largest), and is part of the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly northeast of Brisbane, A ...
, where the hamlet of
Utumea is located. There is a white sand beach that stretches the whole length of the village of Alao.
[Clayville, Melinda (2021). ''Explore American Samoa: The Complete Guide to Tutuila, Aunu'u, and Manu'a Islands''. Page 49. ISBN 9798556052970.]
References
External links
Alao
{{AmericanSamoa-geo-stub
Villages in American Samoa