List of islands of American Samoa
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The Samoan Islands ( sm, Motu o Sāmoa) are an archipelago covering in the central
South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the
Independent State of Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); a ...
and most of American Samoa (apart from
Swains Island Swains Island (; Tokelauan: ''Olohega'' ; Samoan: ''Olosega'' ) is a remote coral atoll in the Tokelau Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute between Tokelau and the United States, whi ...
, which is geographically part of the
Tokelau Islands Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, ...
). The land masses of the two Samoan jurisdictions are separated by of ocean at their closest points. The population of the Samoan Islands is approximately 250,000. The inhabitants have in common the
Samoan language Samoan ( or ; ) is a Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. Administratively, the islands are split between the sovereign country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language, alon ...
, a culture known as '' fa'a Samoa,'' and an indigenous form of governance called '' fa'amatai''. Samoans are one of the largest Polynesian populations in the world, and most are of exclusively Samoan ancestry. The oldest known evidence of human activity in the Samoan Islands dates to around 1050 BCE. It comes from a
Lapita The Lapita culture is the name given to a Neolithic Austronesian people and their material culture, who settled Island Melanesia via a seaborne migration at around 1600 to 500 BCE. They are believed to have originated from the northern Philipp ...
site at Mulifanua wharf on Upolu island. In 1768, the eastern islands were visited by the French explorer Bougainville, who named them the ''Navigator Islands''. That name was used by missionaries until about 1845, and in official European dispatches until about 1870.


Samoa and American Samoa

Politically, the Samoan Islands are divided into two jurisdictions: * , an independent nation that gained political independence from New Zealand in 1962. It comprises the western half of the Samoa islands, ( and 196,000 inhabitants (2016)). It was known as German Samoa from 1900 to 1914, and as Western Samoa until 1997. **Capital: Apia; currency: Samoan tala. *, an unincorporated territory of the United States comprising the eastern half of the Samoa Islands. ( and 49,710 inhabitants (2020)). **Capital: Pago Pago; currency: US dollar.


Political partition

In the late 19th century, competition for political control of the islands between the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom resulted in the December 1899 Tripartite Convention, which formally partitioned the Samoan archipelago into a German colony ( German Samoa) in the western half and a United States territory (American Samoa) in the eastern half. New Zealand began occupying the western islands in World War I, while they were still a German colony and continued as an occupying force until 1920. Then, from 1920 until Samoa's independence in 1962, New Zealand governed the islands in that group under a League of Nations Class C Mandate from 1920 to 1946, and as a United Nations Trust Territory from 1946 to 1962. The force that eventually led to the political independence of the western islands in 1962 was the pro-independence Mau movement, which gained popularity across the area. The eastern islands remain a political territory of the United States.


Islands

The Samoan Islands has total of 18 islands spread in a west to east direction.


Samoa

* Savaii: population 43,819 (2016); largest landmass; westernmost in the group; most recent volcanic eruptions. Eruptions:
Mt Matavanu Mt Matavanu is an active volcano on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. The volcano was formed during an eruption in 1905. Lava flows from the eruption covered a large area of land in the Gaga'emauga district, leading to the relocation of several vil ...
(1905–1911); Mata o le Afi (1902);
Mauga Afi Mauga Afi ("Burning Mountain" or "Mountain of Fire") is a volcanic mountain in the Gagaʻifomauga district on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. It has an elevation of 1847m. The most recent eruption of Mauga Afi was around 1768 and was observed by ...
(approximately 1725). * Manono: population 889 (2006). * Nuulopa: uninhabited; lies in the Apolima Strait between Upolu and Savaii. * Apolima: population 75 (2006). * Upolu: population 143,418 (2011); the most populous island in the group. * Nuusafee: uninhabited; tiny rocky islet off the south coast of Upolu, near the village of
Poutasi Poutasi is a village on the south east coast of Upolu island in Samoa. The population is 395. The village is part of Falealili Electoral Constituency (''Faipule District'') in the larger political district of Atua. Poutasi was extensively damaged b ...
. * Nuutele: uninhabited; volcanic tuff ring; conservation for native birds; can also be seen from the popular Lalomanu Beach. * Nuulua: uninhabited; volcanic tuff ring; land area ; conservation habitat for endemic native birds. *
Namua Namu'a is a small, uninhabited island off the east coast of Upolu island in Samoa. It is one of four small islands in the Aleipata Islands grouping. The island is a 10-minute boat ride from Upolu Island, and has beach fale accommodation for visit ...
: uninhabited * Fanuatapu: uninhabited; volcanic tuff ring. The islands of Manono, Apolima and Nuulopa lie in the Apolima Strait between Upolu and Savaii. The four small, uninhabited islands - Nuutele, Nuulua, Namua and Fanuatapu - are situated off the east coast of Upolu and comprise the Aleipata Islands.


American Samoa

* Tutuila: population 48,405 (per 2020 census); main island in the territory. *
Pola Island Pola Island (Samoan: ''Motu o Pola'') is an island just offshore from the village of Vatia on Tutuila Island in American Samoa. It is also known as Cockscomb.Goldin, Meryl Rose (2002). ''Field Guide to the Samoan Archipelago: Fish, Wildlife, an ...
: unpopulated; part of the National Park of American Samoa. * Aunu'u: population 473 (per 2020 census); located southeast of Tutuila. *
Swains Island Swains Island (; Tokelauan: ''Olohega'' ; Samoan: ''Olosega'' ) is a remote coral atoll in the Tokelau Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute between Tokelau and the United States, whi ...
: unpopulated (per 2020 census); politically administered by American Samoa, but culturally part of Tokelau; copra plantation. * Ofu‑Olosega: volcanic doublet encompassing Ofu (population 132, per 2020 census) and Olosega (population 147, per 2020 census); in the Manu'a Group of islands. * Ta'ū: population 236 (per 2020 census); largest island in the Manu'a Group *
Manu Manu may refer to: Geography *Manú Province, a province of Peru, in the Madre de Dios Region ** Manú National Park, Peru **Manú River, in southeastern Peru * Manu River (Tripura), which originates in India and flows into Bangladesh *Manu Temp ...
(Rose Atoll): unpopulated (per 2020 census); conservation habitat for native birdlife, marine life, green turtle and endangered hawksbill turtle.


Location

The islands are approximately from
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
, from Tonga, from New Zealand, and from Hawaii, U.S.A. The islands lie between 13° and 14° south latitude and 169° and 173° west longitude, and span an area of about from west to east. The larger islands are volcanic in origin, mountainous, and covered in tropical moist forest. Some of the smaller islands are
coral atoll Corals are marine invertebrates within the class (biology), class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important C ...
s with black sand beaches.


Highest points

The highest point in Samoa is Mt.
Silisili Mount Silisili is the highest peak in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is located in the centre of a mountain chain running the length of Savai'i island. Mount Silisili rises to a height of 1,858 m. The word ''silisili'' means ''highes ...
, on the island of Savai'i. At , it is also one of the highest peaks in Polynesia. The highest peak in American Samoa is on Ta’u,
Lata Mountain Lata Mountain is the summit of the island of Taʻū in the Manuʻa Islands. The summit of Lata Mountain the highest point in American Samoa.Brillat, Michael (1999). ''South Pacific Islands''. Hunter Publishing, Inc. Page 139. . See also *List o ...
, at .Sunia, Fofo I.F. (2009). ''A History of American Samoa''. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. .


Landmass

Upolu and Savai'i in Samoa are among the largest of the Polynesian islands, at and , respectively, Their size is exceeded only by the two main islands of Fiji and the Hawaiian islands of Hawaiʻi and
Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
. The island of Upolu has more inhabitants than the island of Savai'i does. The next largest island is Tutuila, where the city and harbor of Pago Pago (with a population of 3,519 in 1990) is located. Tutuila is much smaller than Upolu and Savai‘i, at in area, but it is the largest island in American Samoa. The highest point on Tutuila is Matafao Peak. Smaller islands in the archipelago include the three islets (
Manono Island Manono is an island of Samoa, situated in the Apolima Strait between the main islands of Savai'i and Upolu, 3.4 km west-northwest off Lefatu Cape, the westernmost point of Upolu. There are four villages on the island with a total population ...
, Apolima and Nu'ulopa) located in the Apolima Strait between Savai'i and Upolu; the four Aleipata Islands off the eastern end of Upolu ( Nu'utele, Nu'ulua,
Namua Namu'a is a small, uninhabited island off the east coast of Upolu island in Samoa. It is one of four small islands in the Aleipata Islands grouping. The island is a 10-minute boat ride from Upolu Island, and has beach fale accommodation for visit ...
, and Fanuatapu); and Nu‘usafe‘e. Aunu'u is a small island off the eastern end of Tutuila. To the east of Tutuila, the Manu'a group comprises Ofu, Olosega, and Ta’u. An uninhabited coral atoll,
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 the southernmost point in the territory of the United States. Another coral atoll,
Swains Island Swains Island (; Tokelauan: ''Olohega'' ; Samoan: ''Olosega'' ) is a remote coral atoll in the Tokelau Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute between Tokelau and the United States, whi ...
, is within the territory of American Samoa but is geographically distant from the Samoan archipelago.


Time zone

In 1892, the Samoan islands shifted to the eastern side of the
International Date Line The International Date Line (IDL) is an internationally accepted demarcation on the surface of Earth, running between the South and North Poles and serving as the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific O ...
. The ruler
Malietoa Laupepa Susuga Malietoa Laupepa (1841 – 22 August 1898) was the ruler (Malietoa) of Samoa in the late 19th century. Personal life Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savai'i, Samoa. His father was Malietoa Mōli and mother was Fa’alaitaua Fua ...
issued a proclamation that Monday, July 4 would occur twice, giving an extra day in July 1892. This change, which occurred on the American Independence Day, was likely due to increasing trade with Americans. The islands would be on the same day as the United States. By 2011, the government of independent Samoa decided to shift back to the western side in order to have the same day as Australia and New Zealand. Being one day behind these countries, Samoa's primary trading partners, left only four business days in a week. The shift was implemented by skipping Friday, December 30; workers were paid for this "missed" day. Neighboring Tokelau shifted as well on this day.


Geology

The volcanic Samoa island chain may have been formed by the activity of the
Samoa hotspot The Samoa hotspot is a volcanic hotspot located in the south Pacific Ocean. The hotspot model describes a hot upwelling plume of magma through the Earth's crust as an explanation of how volcanic islands are formed. The hotspot idea came from ...
at the eastern end of the Samoa Islands. In theory, that hotspot was created by the movement of the
Pacific tectonic plate The Pacific Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. At , it is the largest tectonic plate. The plate first came into existence 190 million years ago, at the triple junction between the Farallon, Phoenix, and Iza ...
over a 'fixed' deep and narrow mantle plume spewing up through the Earth's crust. One piece of evidence that this activity may have created the islands is that they generally lie in a straight east-to-west line, and the plate is moving from east to west. However, some characteristics of the Samoa islands are inconsistent with this theory. The classic hotspot model (based mostly on studies of the Hawaii hotspot) predicts that, if plate movement over a hotspot is what created a volcanic island chain, then the farther away from the hotspot the islands and
seamount A seamount is a large geologic landform that rises from the ocean floor that does not reach to the water's surface (sea level), and thus is not an island, islet or cliff-rock. Seamounts are typically formed from extinct volcanoes that rise abru ...
s in the chain are, the older they will prove to be. Some of the evidence is inconsistent with this explanation for the creation of the Samoa island chain, creating an enigma for scientists. For one thing, Savai'i, the most western of the Samoa island chain, and Ta'u Island, the most eastern, both erupted in the last century. For another thing, the
subaerial In natural science, subaerial (literally "under the air"), has been used since 1833,Subaerial
in the Merriam ...
rock samples initially collected from Savai'i, the westernmost of the islands, are too young by several million years to fit the classic hotspot model of age progression in an island chain. These facts led some scientists to suggest that the Samoa islands were not formed by the hotspot plume. One possible explanation for the inconsistency of the data with the hotspot formation theory is the fact that the island chain lies just north of the Tonga Trench. An alternative theory is that the islands were formed by magma seeping through cracks in stressed fracture zones. However, in 2005, an international team found new evidence that supports the hotspot model. They gathered additional samples from Savai'i — submarine samples from the deep flanks and rifts of the island. Tests found that these samples are much older than the previously collected samples: They are about five million years old, an age that fits the hotspot model.


2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami

The
2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami The 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami took place on 29 September 2009 in the southern Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone. The submarine earthquake occurred in an extensional environment and had a moment magnitude of 8.1 ...
killed more than 170 people in the Samoa Islands and Tonga. The M8.1 submarine earthquake took place in the region at 06:48:11 local time on September 29, 2009 (17:48:11 UTC, September 29), followed by smaller aftershocks. It was the largest earthquake of 2009.


Vailulu'u Seamount

The Vailulu'u Seamount, an active submerged volcano, lies east of Ta'u in American Samoa. It was discovered in 1975 and has since been studied by an international team of scientists, contributing towards understanding of the Earth's fundamental processes. Growing inside the summit crater of Va'ilulu'u is an active underwater volcanic cone, named after Samoa's goddess of war, Nafanua.


Climate

The Samoan climate is tropical, with a rainy season from November to April. The island group is frequently hit by tropical cyclones between December and March, due to its position in the South Pacific Ocean.


Gallery

File:Volcano eruption Mt Matavanu - Savai'i - 1905 - photo by Thomas Andrew.jpg,
Mt Matavanu Mt Matavanu is an active volcano on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. The volcano was formed during an eruption in 1905. Lava flows from the eruption covered a large area of land in the Gaga'emauga district, leading to the relocation of several vil ...
volcanic eruption on Savai'i island, 1905 File:Afono Village NPS.jpg,
Afono Āfono is a village on the northeast coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. 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. It is connected by High ...
village, Tutuila island, American Samoa. File:Aunu'u Island National National Landmark.jpg, Aunu'u island, offshore of the island of Tutuila, American Samoa File:1farleftpalms.jpg, A beach on Ofu-Olosega, a volcanic doublet in the Manu'a Group of islands. File:Fuipisia waterfall - Samoa.jpg, Fuipisia waterfall in
Lotofaga Lotofaga is a village on the south coast of Upolu island in Samoa. Lotofaga is also the name of the larger Lotofaga Electoral Constituency (''Faipule District'') which includes Lotofaga village and two other villages, Vavau and Matatufu. The v ...
, Upolu island.


See also

*
Archaeology of Samoa Archaeology of Samoa began with the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island by Jack Golson in 1957.Architecture of Samoa *'' Coming of Age in Samoa'' *
First Samoan Civil War First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
*
Geography of Samoa The Samoan archipelago is a chain of 16 islands and numerous seamounts covering in the central South Pacific, south of the equator, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. The ...
* Samoan culture *
Samoan language Samoan ( or ; ) is a Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. Administratively, the islands are split between the sovereign country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language, alon ...
* Samoans * Second Samoan Civil War *
Siege of Apia The siege of Apia, or the battle of Apia, occurred during the Second Samoan Civil War in March 1899 at Apia. Samoan forces loyal to Malietoa Tanumafili I were besieged by a larger force of Samoan rebels loyal to Mata'afa Iosefo. Supporting Mali ...
* Tokelauan language (belongs to the group of Samoic languages, and is derived from Samoan) * Tuvaluan language (belongs to the group of Samoic languages, and is closely related to Samoan) *
Samoan unification The political union of Samoa (an independent state previously known as Western Samoa) and American Samoa (a US territory also known as Eastern Samoa), both of which are part of the Samoan Islands, has been proposed ever since their current status ...


References


External links


Samoa.travel: Samoa Tourism Authority website
* * {{Coord, 14, 16, S, 171, 12, W, type:country_source:dewiki, display=title Archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean Archipelagoes of Oceania Divided regions Geography of Polynesia Eastern Indo-Pacific Marine ecoregions