Futiga ( sm, Fūtiga , pronounced "Futinga") 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 ...

in the southwest 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, Au ...

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 inland, seven miles southwest of

Pago Pago Pago Pago ( ; Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the territorial capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County on Tutuila, which is American Samoa's main island. ...

, between the villages of

'Ili'ili Iliili is a village in the southwest of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is located seven miles inland, southwest of Pago Pago, between the villages of Futiga and Vaitogi. It is in Tuālāuta County. Iliili is home to American Samoa's only golf ...

and Puapua. It is in Tualatai County. Futiga is home of the

Fagatele Bay Site The Fagatele Bay Site is an archaeological site on the shore of Fagatele Bay on the south side of Tutuila, the main island of the United States territory of American Samoa. The site shows evidence of habitation from prehistoric to historic times, ...

, an archeological site which was added to the

U.S. National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1997. Futiga is the southernmost town in the United States (because it includes Steps Point) —

Rose Atoll Rose Atoll, sometimes called Rose Island or Motu O Manu ("Bird Island") by people of the nearby Manu'a Islands, is an oceanic atoll within the U.S. territory of American Samoa. An uninhabited wildlife refuge, it is the southernmost point belo ...

is further south, but Rose Atoll is uninhabited.

Geography

Fagatele Bay Trail is a 1-mile roundtrip hiking trail to the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary from the village of Futiga. Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a protected nature area home to animals such as turtles and sharks. When traveling west on Route 1 to Futiga, turn left just before US Mart. Follow the road past the landfill until you reach a locked gate. The trailhead is located here.

Fogama'a Crater Fogama'a Crater ( sm, Fogāma'a) is a valley basin on Tutuila Island, American Samoa, immediately north of Larsen Bay. It is within the village of Futiga, just below Logotala Hill.Goldin, Meryl Rose (2002). ''Field Guide to the Samoan Archipela ...

is a 485-acre site on the shoreline in the village of Futiga. The crater lies immediately inland from

Larsen Bay Larsen Bay (Alutiiq: ) is a city in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 87, down from 115 in 2000. Geography Larsen Bay is located at (57.536651, -153.991440). According to the United States Cen ...

, which makes up two smaller coves, Fogāma'a and Fagalua. The crater illustrates the most recent episode of volcanism in American Samoa. Futiga is home to the only landfill site in American Samoa. In 2018, it was reported that the landfill only had two years left before it reached its limit.

American Samoa Power Authority The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) is a government-run public utility company providing electricity, water, wasterwater, and waste disposal services within American Samoa. History Governor Peter T. Coleman issued an emergency executive or ...

was unable to find another site in the territory and instead began recompacting the site in Futiga. By digging up the landfill and recompacting it, the landfill may be usable for up to fifteen years longer.

Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Access to

Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary The National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (formerly the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuaryhttp://americansamoa.noaa.gov ''National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.'' NOAA.gov. Retrieved 1 January 2018.) is one of many federally-desig ...

is from the village of Futiga. Fagatele Bay is within

National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa The National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (formerly the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuaryhttp://americansamoa.noaa.gov ''National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.'' NOAA.gov. Retrieved 1 January 2018.) is one of many federally-desig ...

and is one of two designated

National Marine Sanctuaries A U.S. National Marine Sanctuary is a zone within United States waters where the marine environment enjoys special protection. The program began in 1972 in response to public concern about the plight of marine ecosystems. A U.S. National Marine ...

in American Samoa. It is home to various species of animals, including

hawksbill The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is large ...

and

green sea turtles The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...

. The nearest village is

Taputimu Taputimu is a village in southwestern Tutuila Island in American Samoa. It is the nearest village to the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, although the main access is from the neighboring village of Futiga Futiga ( sm, Fūtiga , pronounce ...

, but the only access to the sanctuary is from Futiga. Fagatele Bay is a submerged volcanic crater surrounded by steep cliffs. It contains the last remaining stretch of coastal rainforest on Tutuila Island. A trail leads along Matautuloa Ridge to the lighthouse on the headland at Steps Point.Swaney, Deanna (1994). ''Samoa: Western & American Samoa: a Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit''. Lonely Planet Publications. Page 180. .

Demographics

References

{{American Samoa Villages in American Samoa Tutuila