Geography, Culture & Demography

Geography

• The actual island is called Tutuila
• The capital is Pago Pago, (pronounced Pahn-go, Pahn-go)
• receives more than 120 in. of rain each year; majority btw. Nov-Mar.
• The highest peak of Tutuila is Mount Matafao at 2,140 ft. but the most popular and well-known Mount is Mount Pioa, which is 1,847 ft. This Mount is known as the “rainmaker” because of its frequent cloud cover.
• The temperature is pretty constant, low 68 and high 90s [beyond Africa hot!]
• There is always HIGH humidity! Geesh~
• Over 70% of the land area is a forest; grows all over the volcanic mtns [just amazingly beautiful!]
• tall ferns and trees, i.e. barringtonia, & asiatica, the breadfruit tree. Also, the pandanus and coconut trees
• More than 30 species of birds, i.e. parrots, doves, wild duck & the tooth-billed pigeon [only found in American Samoa]. So the animals are well protected
• The National Park of American Samoa protect the area’s tropical rain forest of Tutuila and Tau

Culture

• Famous as sailors and boat builders
• There are many legends and tales.
• Practically all are Christians; 98%
• Their Motto is Samoa Muamua Le Atua, which means “In Samoa, God is First”
• Up to 20 dwellers in their homes at the SAME time; privacy does not exist, everything is done together
• The elders are highly respected. They make all the family decisions.
• The children learn about their culture on their own; “watch and learn." They are never given an explanation of what they did wrong but are expected to figure it out. Thus, the children acquire knowledge of their culture by observation, imitation and  participation; rules and/or perceptual concepts shape their skills and experiences
• The parents work during the week most make siapo [beaten mulberry bark with pictures painted on them]
• 5,000 workers work at the tuna cannery [StarKist]; however, they are about to lay off over 900 workers!
• Rugby Union and Samoan Cricket are the two most popular sports
• There is approx. 30 American NFL players who are Samoans. Wrestling is also a popular. 

Demography

• The islands of the western Pacific are generally divided into 3 groups – Micronesia, meaning “small island”, Polynesia, meaning “many islands” and Melanesia, meaning “dark islands.” Together, these 3 groups are known as the Pacific Islands. [Neat! I did not realize this! Did you?
• Micronesia lies almost entirely north of the equator.
• Melanesia and Polynesia lie on both side of the equator.
• American Samoa and the Hawaiian Islands are in Polynesia.
• United States possessions also include Johnston and Palmyra Atolls, Kingman Reef and Howland, Baker and Jarvis Islands. [yeah…you might need a map at this point, I did!]