Part 62
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 20 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Virgin Islander(s); adjective--Virgin Islander
Ethnic divisions: 74% West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in the West Indies), 13% US mainland, 5% Puerto Rican, 8% other; 80% black, 15% white, 5% other; 14% of Hispanic origin
Religion: 42% Baptist, 34% Roman Catholic, 17% Episcopalian, 7% other
Language: English (official), but Spanish and Creole are widely spoken
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 45,000 (1987)
Organized labor: 90% of the government labor force
- Government Long-form name: Virgin Islands of the United States
Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
Independence: none (territory of the US)
Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 serves as the constitution
Legal system: based on US
National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)
Executive branch: US president, governor, lieutenant governor
Legislative branch: unicameral Senate
Judicial branch: US District Court handles civil matters over $50,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age and over), and federal cases; Territorial Court handles civil matters up to $50,000 small claims, juvenile, domestic, misdemeanors, and traffic cases
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989), represented by Governor Alexander FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek HODGE (since 5 January 1987)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Marilyn Stapleton; Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin Brown; Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole Davis
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Elections: Governor--last held NA 1986 (next to be held NA 1990); results--Alexander Farrelly (Democratic Party) defeated Adelbert Bryan (ICM);
Senate--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held 6 November 1990); results--the Virgin Islands elects one nonvoting representative
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of the US)
Flag: white with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows an eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
- Economy Overview: Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The manufacturing sector consists of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly plants. The agricultural sector is small with most food imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. The world's largest petroleum refinery is at St. Croix.
GDP: $1.03 billion, per capita $9,030; real growth rate NA% (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 3.5% (1987)
Budget: revenues $315 million; expenditures $322 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY88)
Exports: $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 1985); commodities--refined petroleum products; partners--US, Puerto Rico
Imports: $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1985); commodities--crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials; partners--US, Puerto Rico
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 12%
Electricity: 341,000 kW capacity; 507 million kWh produced, 4,650 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, government service, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Agriculture: truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum, Senepol cattle
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $33.5 million
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: 856 km total
Ports: St. Croix--Christiansted, Frederiksted; St. Thomas--Long Bay, Crown Bay, Red Hook; St. John--Cruz Bay
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m; international airports on St. Thomas and St. Croix
Telecommunications: 44,280 telephones; stations--4 AM, 6 FM, 3 TV; modern system using fiber optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and satellite facilities; 90,000 radio receivers; 56,000 television sets
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Wake Island (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 6.5 km2; land area: 6.5 km2
Comparative area: about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 19.3 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Climate: tropical
Terrain: atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim; average elevation less than four meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: subject to occasional typhoons
Note: strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands; emergency landing location for transpacific flights
- People Population: 195 (January 1990); no indigenous inhabitants; temporary population consists of 11 US Air Force personnel, 27 US civilians, and 151 Thai contractors
Note: population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during the Vietnam conflict
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972
Flag: the US flag is used
- Economy Overview: Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.
- Communications Ports: none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore anchorages for large ships
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,987 m
Telecommunications: underwater cables to Guam and through Midway to Honolulu; AFRTS radio and television service provided by satellite; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
Note: formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only by US military and some commercial cargo planes
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the US ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Wallis and Futuna (overseas territory of France) - Geography Total area: 274 km2; land area: 274 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 129 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October)
Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 5% arable land; 20% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 75% other
Environment: both island groups have fringing reefs
Note: located 4,600 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
- People Population: 14,910 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 32 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders; adjective--Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Polynesian
Religion: largely Roman Catholic
Language: French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
Type: overseas territory of France
Capital: Mata-Utu
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)
Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: French president, high administrator; note--there are three traditional kings with limited powers
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly (Assemblee Territoriale)
Judicial branch: none; justice generally administered under French law by the chief administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu
Leaders: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government--Chief Administrator Roger DUMEC (since 15 July 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR); Union Populaire Locale (UPL); Union Pour la Democratie Francaise (UDF)
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: Territorial Assembly--last held 15 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(20 total) RPR 7, UDF coalition 7, UPL 6;
French Senate--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) party of the representative is NA;
French National Assembly--last held NA (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(1 total) RPR 1
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, local interests are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: The economy is limited to subsistence agriculture. The majority of the labor force earns its livelihood from agriculture, raising livestock, and fishing, with the rest employed by the government sector. Exports are negligible. The Territory has to import food, fuel, and construction materials, and is dependent on budgetary support from France to meet recurring expenses. The economy also benefits from cash remittances from expatriate workers.
GDP: $6.7 million, per capita $484; real growth rate NA% (est. 1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $NA; commodities--copra; partners--NA
Imports: $3.4 million (c.i.f., 1977); commodities--largely foodstuffs and some equipment associated with development programs; partners--France, Australia, New Zealand
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1,200 kW capacity; 1 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber
Agriculture: dominated by coconut production, with subsistence crops of yams, taro, bananas
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $118 million
Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1--104.71 (January 1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note--linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: NA
- Communications Highways: 100 km on Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), 16 km sealed; 20 km earth surface on Ile Futuna (Futuna Island)
Inland waterways: none
Ports: Mata-Utu, Leava
Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 225 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of France ---------------------------------------------------- Country: West Bank Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's 1 September 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the concerned
## parties. Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will resolve the
respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has yet to be determined. In the view of the US, the term West Bank describes all of the area west of the Jordan River under Jordanian administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. However, with respect to negotiations envisaged in the framework agreement, it is US policy that a distinction must be made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank because of the city's special status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem could be different in character from that of the rest of the West Bank.
- Geography Total area: 5,860 km2; land area: 5,640 km2; includes West Bank, East Jerusalem, Latrun Salient, Jerusalem No Man's Land, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus
Comparative area: slightly larger than Delaware
Land boundaries: 404 km total; Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km;
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Disputes: Israeli occupied with status to be determined
Climate: temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain: mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 27% arable land, 0% permanent crops, 32% meadows and pastures, 1% forest and woodland, 40% other
Environment: highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers
Note: landlocked; there are 173 Jewish settlements in the West Bank and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem
- People Population: 1,058,122 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990); in addition, there are 70,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and 110,000 in East Jerusalem (1989 est.)
Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 68 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: NA
Ethnic divisions: 88% Palestinian Arab and other, 12% Jewish
Religion: 80% Muslim (predominantly Sunni), 12% Jewish, 8% Christian and other
Language: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, English widely understood
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: NA; excluding Israeli Jewish settlers--29.8% small industry, commerce, and business, 24.2% construction, 22.4% agriculture, 23.6% service and other (1984)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: none
Note: The West Bank is currently governed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. It is US policy that the final status of the West Bank will be determined by negotiations among the concerned parties. These negotiations will determine how the area is to be governed.
- Economy Overview: Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli military occupation and the effects of the Palestinian uprising. Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable financial resources have been discouraged by a lack of financial resources and Israeli policy. Capital investment has largely gone into residential housing, not into productive assets that could compete with Israeli industry. A major share of GNP is derived from remittances of workers employed in Israel and neighboring Gulf states. Israeli reprisals against Palestinian unrest in the West Bank since 1987 have pushed unemployment up and lowered living standards.
GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 15% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $47.4 million; expenditures $45.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY86)
Exports: $150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--NA; partners--Jordan, Israel
Imports: $410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--NA; partners--Jordan, Israel
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: power supplied by Israel
Industries: generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
Agriculture: olives, citrus and other fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products
Aid: none
Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural--shekels) and Jordanian dinar (plural--dinars); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot and 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1--1.9450 (January 1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5992 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985); Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1--0.6557 (January 1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3715 (1988), 0.3387 (1987), 0.3499 (1986), 0.3940 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: small indigenous road network, Israelis developing east-west axial highways
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: open-wire telephone system currently being upgraded; stations--no AM, no FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Western Sahara - Geography Total area: 266,000 km2; land area: 266,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries: 2,046 km total; Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Coastline: 1,110 km
Maritime claims: contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Disputes: claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and guerrilla fighting continues in the area
Climate: hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore currents produce fog and heavy dew
Terrain: mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 81% other
Environment: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility; sparse water and arable land
- People Population: 191,707 (July 1990), growth rate 2.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 23 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 177 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 39 years male, 41 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Saharan(s), Moroccan(s); adjective--Saharan, Moroccan
Ethnic divisions: Arab and Berber
Religion: Muslim
Language: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Literacy: 20% among Moroccans, 5% among Saharans (est.)
Labor force: 12,000; 50% animal husbandry and subsistence farming
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro); territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government in exile was seated as an OAU member in 1984; guerrilla
## activities continue to the present
Capital: none
Administrative divisions: none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Leaders: none
Diplomatic representation: none
- Economy Overview: Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of just a few hundred dollars. Fishing and phosphate mining are the principal industries and sources of income. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government.
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $8 million (f.o.b., 1982 est.); commodities--phosphates 62%; partners--Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Imports: $30 million (c.i.f., 1982 est.); commodities--fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs; partners--Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 60,000 kW capacity; 79 million kWh produced, 425 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: phosphate, fishing, handicrafts
Agriculture: practically none; some barley is grown in nondrought years; fruit and vegetables are grown in the few oases; food imports are essential; camels, sheep, and goats are kept by the nomadic natives; cash economy exists largely for the garrison forces
Aid: NA
Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural--dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1--8.093 (January 1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
Fiscal year: NA
- Communications Highways: 6,100 km total; 1,350 km surfaced, 4,750 km improved and unimproved earth roads and tracks
Ports: El Aaiun, Ad Dakhla
Airports: 16 total, 14 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: sparse and limited system; tied into Morocco's system by radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations linked to Rabat, Morocco; 2,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 2 TV
- Defense Forces Branches: NA
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Western Samoa - Geography Total area: 2,860 km2; land area: 2,850 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 403 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
Terrain: narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish
Land use: 19% arable land; 24% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 47% forest and woodland; 10% other
Environment: subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Note: located 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
- People Population: 186,031 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--Western Samoan(s); adjective--Western Samoan
Ethnic divisions: Samoan; about 7% Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood), 0.4% Europeans
Religion: 99.7% Christian (about half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Language: Samoan (Polynesian), English
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 37,000; 22,000 employed in agriculture (1983 est.)
Organized labor: Public Service Association (PSA)
- Government Long-form name: Independent State of Western Samoa
Type: constitutional monarchy under native chief
Capital: Apia
Administrative divisions: 11 districts; Aana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Faasaleleaga, Gagaemauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupaitea, Tuamasaga, Vaa-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
Independence: 1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)
Constitution: 1 January 1962
Legal system: based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 1 June
Executive branch: monarch, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State--Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963);
Head of Government--Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)
Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), Tofilau Eti, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), Tupua Tamasese Efi, chairman
Suffrage: there are two electoral rolls--the matai (head of family) roll and the individuals roll; about 12,000 persons are on the matai roll, hold matai titles, and elect 45 members of the Legislative Assembly; about 1,600 persons are on the individuals roll, lack traditional matai ties, and elect two members of the Legislative Assembly by universal adult suffrage at the age of NA
Elections: Legislative Assembly--last held 26 February 1988 (next to be held by February 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(47 total) HRPP 25, SNDP 22
Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT; Chancery (temporary) at the Western Samoan Mission to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196; US--the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa
Flag: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation
- Economy Overview: Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, contributes 50% to GDP, and is the source of 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports about five times export earnings. Tourism has become the most important growth industry, and construction of the first international hotel is under way.
GDP: $112 million, per capita $615; real growth rate 0.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%; shortage of skilled labor
Budget: revenues $54 million; expenditures $54 million, including capital expenditures of $28 million (1988)