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Samoa:
The Heart of the South Pacific
The Samoan archipelago includes the US Territory of American
Samoa and the independent nation of Samoa (formerly Western Samoa).The
islands are located 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii and 1,800
miles northwest of New Zealand, between Fiji and Tahiti. The Samoan
chain stretches east to west for more than 300 miles between 13
and 15 degree south latitude (below the equator). It is just east
of the international dateline, in the timezone that is one hour
earlier than Hawaii.
American Samoa, the only US Territory south of the
equator, consists of five rugged, highly eroded ;volcanic islands,
and two coral atolls. The land area of the territory is 76 square
miles. The population is approximately 60,000, with most people
living on the main island of Tutuila. Tuna fishing and canning
are major industries. Many Samoans practice subsistence farming.
The Pacific Ocean occupies a third of the Earth's surface. Of
the thousands of islands scattered throughout this vast world
of water, most are not large enough or hospitable enough for humans
to live on. There are some, such as the Samoa Islands, that possess
such beauty and exotic quality that they have inspired works by
artists and writers.
The Samoa Islands are part of Polynesia, a triangular area of
the Pacific bounded by Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island.
The Samoa Islands have been populated for 3,000 years, but known
to the Western world for little more than two centuries. So important
is Samoa to Polynesian culture that some believe this was where
all Polynesian people originated.
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