Samoa

Samoa is a group of two large islands and eight small islets with an estimated population of just [Page 1068]over 190,000 and a land area of 2,842 square kilometers. It lies in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. The two main islands are Upolu (home to nearly 75% of the population and the location of the capital, Apia) and Savai’i. Samoa was under the administrative control of New Zealand from 1918, but in 1962 it became the first Pacific Island to gain independence. In 1997, it changed its name from Western Samoa to Samoa. In 2008, the country derived 10% of its GDP from tourism. This entry continues by providing a brief overview of the development of tourism in Samoa, then traces ...