Āfono 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 ...

on the northeast 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 Internationa ...

. One of the island's more populous villages, it is located on the edge of Afono Bay, at the eastern edge of the

National Park of American Samoa The National Park of American Samoa is a national park in the United States territory of American Samoa, distributed across three islands: Tutuila, Ofu, and Ta‘ū. The park preserves and protects coral reefs, tropical rainforests, fruit bats ...

. It is connected by

Highway 6 Route 6, or Highway 6, may refer to routes in the following countries: International * Asian Highway 6 * European route E6 * European route E006 Albania * National Road SH6 Argentina * Buenos Aires Provincial Route 6 Australia New ...

to Vatia, which lies along the coast to the northwest, and to Aua, on the edge of

Pago Pago Harbor Pago Pago Harbor on Tutuila Island in American Samoa is one of the world's largest natural harbors. The capital, Pago Pago is located on the inner reaches of the harbor, close to its northwesternmost point. It has the highest annual rainfall of ...

to the south via a winding stretch of highway which crosses the spine of the island.

Geography

Āfono is a village on the north shore of Tutuila Island in American Samoa, located by Āfono Bay. Āfono is situated over Āfono Pass, which sits in-between

Rainmaker Mountain Rainmaker Mountain (also known as Mount Pioa) is the name of a mountain located near Pago Pago, American Samoa on Tutuila Island. Rainmaker Mountain traps rain clouds and gives Pago Pago the highest annual rainfall of any harbor. The average ann ...

and the Maugaloa Ridge. The village is home to traditional thatched huts. It is reached by following Highway 6 northbound from the village of Aua. The road from Aua includes several steep switchbacks up to Rainmaker Pass, and continues equally steeply down to the village of Āfono. The village borders the Tutuila-section of

. Afono spreads out across the backside of

. Afono Bay is home to a pebbly beach but it is almost non-existent except at low tide.

National Park

Access to the Tutuila unit of the

is primarily through a paved road which runs along the perimeter of the upper end of

. Lateral roads lead to Fagasā Pass and the park's western end and to Āfono Pass at its eastern end. The latter lateral road also leads to the villages of Āfono and Vatia. Road signs marking entrance points to the National Park unit have been placed along the Āfono/Vatia road near Matape Hill/Craggy Point, near the park boundary in the vicinity of Āfono Pass, and above the village's western side. A National Park Service visitor center has been proposed in Āfono. The stands of endemic

broadleaf forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

located between Fagasā and Āfono provide habitat for large numbers of native bird species. The best and biggest known roost on Tutuila Island for the

Sheath-tailed bat Emballonuridae is a family of microbats, many of which are referred to as sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats. They are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The earliest fossil records are from the Eocene. Descr ...

is located in the Anape'ape Cove near Āfono. Two decades ago 10,000 sheath-tailed bats were occupying the caves. Lands within the Tutuila unit presently under cultivation for substance agriculture are confined to areas above Āfono and Vatia villages.U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service (1997). �
National Park of American Samoa, General Management Plan (GP), Islands of Tutulla, Ta'u, and Ofu: Environmental Impact Statement.
�� Page 145.

Demographics

References

Villages in American Samoa {{AmericanSamoa-geo-stub

Geography

National Park

Demographics

See also

References