Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.
COUNTRY FACTS
Area:
total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Climate:
tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation Terrain:
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island) Population:
57,902 (July 2004 est.) Languages:
Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English
Capital:
Pago Pago
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