American Sāmoa
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American Sāmoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island country of Samoa, east of the International Date Line and the Wallis and Futuna Islands, west of the Cook Islands, north of Tonga, and some south of Tokelau. American Samoa is the southernmost territory of the United States, situated southwest of the U.S. state of Hawaii, and one of two U.S. territories south of the Equator, along with the uninhabited Jarvis Island. American Samoa consists of the eastern part of the Samoan archipelagothe inhabited volcanic islands of Tutuila, Aunuʻu, Ofu, Olosega and Taʻū and the uninhabited Rose Atollas well as Swains Island, a remote coral atoll in the Tokelau volcanic island group. The total land area is , slightly larger than Washington, D.C.; including its territorial waters, the total area is , about the size of New Zealand. American Samoa h ...
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Territories Of The United States
Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions and dependent territory, dependent territories overseen by the federal government of the United States. The American territories differ from the U.S. states and Indian reservations in that they are not sovereignty, sovereign entities. In contrast, each state has a sovereignty separate from that of the federal government and each federally recognized Native American tribe possesses limited tribal sovereignty in the United States, tribal sovereignty as a "dependent sovereign nation". Territories are classified by #Incorporated vs. unincorporated territories, incorporation and whether they have an "organized" government established by an organic act passed by the United States Congress, Congress. American territories are under American sovereignty and may be treated as part of the U.S. ''proper'' in some ways and not others (i.e., territories belong to, but are not considered part of the U.S.). Unincorpor ...
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Tafuna, American Samoa
Tafuna () is a village in Tualauta County, Western District, American Samoa. It is the most populous village in American Samoa, with a population of 7,988 according to the 2020 U.S. census. Tafuna is the principal area for the development of housing and industry in American Samoa. It is one of the few places in American Samoa where the most freehold land is found.Leonard, Barry (2009). ''Minimum Wage in American Samoa 2007: Economic Report''. DIANE Publishing. Pages 12-13. . Public utilities, the international airport, and light industry are based on the Tafuna Plain. Tafuna's commercial strip is lined with businesses, government offices, recreational facilities, school institutions, service industries, and shops. It encompasses the constituent villages of Petesa, Faga'ima, Kokoland, and Ottoville. Etymology The name Tāfuna is derivative of the Samoan word "fa'atāfuna". Pre-Christian use of the word "fa'atāfuna" - destroy, havoc. Modern use of the word "fa'atāfuna" - pl ...
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American Samoa Fono
The American Samoa Fono is the territorial legislature of American Samoa. Like most states and territorial legislatures of the United States, it is a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives and a Senate. The legislature is located in Fagatogo along Pago Pago harbor. It is the only legislature on the state or territorial level in the United States that is both bicameral and nonpartisan. The Nebraska Legislature is similarly nonpartisan yet is a unicameral body. History American Samoa became a United States territory in 1900 and was initially administered by the Navy. The first governor, Commander B. F. Tilley, issued regulation no. 5 on May 1, 1900, called "A Declaration Concerning the Form of Government for the United States Naval Station, Tutuila", which declared that American laws were in force in the territory. From 1905, annual meetings were held with delegates sent from the local communities, as an advisory council to the naval governor, who retained the so ...
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Pulu Ae Ae
Pulu Ae Ae Jr. is an American Samoan politician who is currently serving as the 11th lieutenant governor of American Samoa since 2025. He was elected along with his running mate Pula Nikolao Pula in the 2024 American Samoan gubernatorial election. He previously served as mayor of Pago Pago and as a ''faipule'' (member) of the American Samoa House of Representatives. Early life Ae was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa, and grew up there. He attended the High School of American Samoa (now Samoana High School) where he graduated in 1965. After high school, he moved to the mainland U.S. and enlisted in the United States Army. He served 20 years in the Army, including serving in Operation Desert Storm and touring Iraq and Kuwait. Political career After returning to American Samoa following his tenure in the military, Ae entered public service and was eventually appointed the ''pulenu'u'' (mayor) of Pago Pago. After five years as mayor of Pago Pago, Ae was elected a ''faipule'' (me ...
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Lieutenant Governor Of American Samoa
The government of American Samoa consists of a locally elected governor, lieutenant governor and the American Samoa Fono, which consists of an 18-member Senate and a 21-member House of Representatives. The first popular election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ... took place in 1977. Candidates for the offices run together on a joint ticket. The first woman to run for election was Arieta Enesi Mulitauaopele in 1977. The current lieutenant governor is Pula Ae Ae, who has been in office since 2025. List of lieutenant governors of American Samoa Appointed lieutenant governors * Frank Barnett (Democrat, 1974–76) Elected lieutenant governors References {{American Samoa * ...
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American Samoa Republican Party
Republican Party of American Samoa () is the affiliate of the U.S. Republican Party in American Samoa. It is based in the territorial capital of Pago Pago. The party was founded by Peter Tali Coleman. Coleman was in 1956 the first Samoan to be appointed Governor. He became the first popularly elected Governor in 1977 and won re-election in 1980 and 1988. Coleman's daughter, Aumua Amata Radewagen, is a current Congresswoman and also the party's National Committee Woman. She received the unanimous endorsement from the party in 2018 in order to run for Congress. She is the first woman to represent American Samoa in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is also the first Republican representative in Congress from American Samoa. In 2018, she won reelection with 83.3 percent of the vote,Lansford, Tom (2019). ''Political Handbook of the World 2018-2019''. CQ Press. Page 1730. . the highest number of votes in American Samoa history. She has represented the party in the Republican Na ...
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Pula Nikolao Pula
Pulaali'i Tuiteleleapaga Iuli Nikolao Pula (born December 31, 1955) is an American Samoan politician who is currently serving as the ninth governor of American Samoa since 2025. He ran in the 2024 American Samoan gubernatorial election and defeated incumbent Lemanu Peleti Mauga in the runoff. He is the first Republican Governor of American Samoa since 1993. Previously, he had served from 1993 to 2022 in the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), being the OIA Director from 2002 to 2022. Early life and education Pula was born in American Samoa. He is the youngest son of 12 children and his father was the first Samoan Director of Education. He grew up in the village of Utulei and attended Utulei elementary school. He later attended Marist Brothers High School where he graduated in 1974 and was the class valedictorian. He then furthered his education in the mainland U.S., studying at Menlo College in California. He also studied at Brigham Young University in Utah, served a mission in Sam ...
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List Of Governors Of American Samoa
This is a list of governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government of the United States. Since that time they have been elected for 4-year terms by the people of American Samoa. History When the Department of the Interior sent four governors in a three-year period, local Samoans began advocating for choosing their own governors. In the late 1940s, a Navy Governor, as well as an Interior Governor, had expressed their beliefs that High Orator Chief Tuiasosopo would be a suitable governor. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Peter Tali Coleman as Governor of American Samoa, the first person of Samoan descent to occupy that role. Coleman, a member of the Republican Party, was a U.S. Army officer with a law degree from Georgetown University. After his presidential appointment, local residents became increasingly aware ...
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Dependent Territory
A dependent territory, dependent area, or dependency (sometimes referred as an external territory) is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a sovereign state and remains politically outside the controlling state's integral area. As such, a dependent territory includes a range of non-integrated not fully to non-independent territory types, from associated states to United Nations list of non-self-governing territories, non-self-governing territories (e.g. a colony). A dependent territory is commonly distinguished from a administrative division, country subdivision by being considered not to be a constituent part of a sovereign state. An administrative subdivision, instead, is understood to be a division of a state proper. A dependent territory, conversely, often maintains a great degree of autonomy from its controlling state. Historically, most colonies were considered to be dependent territories. Not all autonomous entities are considere ...
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Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these principles are written down into a single document or set of legal documents, those documents may be said to embody a ''written constitution''; if they are encompassed in a single comprehensive document, it is said to embody a ''codified constitution''. The Constitution of the United Kingdom is a notable example of an ''uncodified constitution''; it is instead written in numerous fundamental acts of a legislature, court cases, and treaties. Constitutions concern different levels of organizations, from sovereign countries to companies and unincorporated associations. A treaty that establishes an international organization is also its constitution, in that it would define how that organization is constituted. Within states, a constitution ...
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Presidential System
A presidential, strong-president, or single-executive system (sometimes also congressional system) is a form of government in which a head of government (usually titled " president") heads an executive branch that derives its authority and legitimacy from a source that is separate from the legislative branch. The system was popularized by its inclusion in the Constitution of the United States. This head of government is often also the head of state. In a presidential system, the head of government is directly or indirectly elected by a group of citizens and is not responsible to the legislature, and the legislature cannot dismiss the president except in extraordinary cases. A presidential system contrasts with a parliamentary system, where the head of government (usually called a prime minister) derives their power from the confidence of an elected legislature, which can dismiss the prime minister with a simple majority. Not all presidential systems use the title of ''p ...
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Devolution
Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories have the power to make legislation relevant to the area, thus granting them a higher level of autonomy. Devolution differs from federalism in that the devolved powers of the subnational authority may be temporary and are reversible, ultimately residing with the central government. Thus, the state remains '' de jure'' unitary. Legislation creating devolved parliaments or assemblies can be repealed or amended by central government in the same way as any statute. In federal systems, by contrast, sub-unit government is guaranteed in the constitution, so the powers of the sub-units cannot be withdrawn unilaterally by the central government (i.e. not without the process of constitutional amendment). The sub-units therefore have a lower d ...
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