American Samoa, also known as Amerika Sāmoa or Sāmoa Amelika, is beautiful in the South Pacific Ocean 🌊.
It’s not a different country but an unincorporated territory of the United States. American Samoa has five main islands and two coral atolls. It’s an exciting place with lots to discover about its culture and geography.
Fascinating American Samoa Facts
American Samoa’s Special Relationship with the United States
American Samoa is considered an unincorporated, unorganized territory of the United States. In simpler terms, American Samoa receives diplomatic and military support from the U.S.
However, only some of the rights and protections granted by the U.S. Constitution apply to American Samoa.
While it benefits from being under the U.S.’s wing, it operates under a slightly different framework than states and other territories with full constitutional rights 🤝.
The Fast Food Capital
Tutuila, an island in American Samoa, stands out as having the most fast food restaurants 🍔 in the entire South Pacific region. It has many places where people can quickly grab a meal.
Not only that, but Tutuila also holds the record for buying the most fast food in the South Pacific. This suggests that people in Tutuila strongly prefer fast food 🍟 and often choose it as their go-to meal option.
The Unique Fare System
In 2013, Samoa Air, an airline in American Samoa, introduced a unique way of charging passengers for their flights. Instead of making a fixed ticket price, they started a system where passengers’ weight and luggage would determine the cost of their airfare.
This means that passengers traveling would have to stand on a scale with their bags, and the total weight determines how much they have to pay for their ticket 💰.
It’s an entirely different approach to pricing that considers the importance of passengers and their belongings.
American Samoa’s Vote in 1966
In 1966, the United Nations asked American Samoa if they wanted to become their own country and join the Independent States of Samoa.
But as a result, most of the people in American Samoa decided to stay connected to the United States as a territory 🗳️.
This means they would still be under the control of the United States, but they would have some self-governance.
The United States’ Efforts to Enhance American Samoa’s Well-being
During the 1960s, the United States invested considerable money in constructing essential things like schools 💼, roads, homes, a hospital, and even two factories that processed tuna fish, known as canneries, in American Samoa.
The ultimate goal was to improve life for the people there 💰. These projects were part of a more significant effort to improve the overall living conditions in American Samoa and provide essential facilities for the local community.
American Samoa is called “Football Island”
American Samoa is called “Football Island” because it creates more American football players than any other place on Earth ⚽.
A young man from American Samoa has a much higher chance (56 times more) of playing in the NFL than a young man from the United States.
Currently, 30 players from American Samoa are in the NFL, and over 200 American Samoans play college football in the Divisional NCAA 🏈.
Tuna Canning Industry
Tuna canning factories in American Samoa provide jobs to around 80% of those working there. On average, a worker in these factories earns about $4,300 per year 💼.
The remaining 20% of the population works for the United States government or in agriculture.
Volcanic and Coral Beauty of American Samoa
Additionally, there are two atolls made of coral called Rose and Swains atolls.
The islands were formed by volcanic activity, which means that hot molten rock rose 🌺 from the Earth’s core and created these land masses.
On the other hand, atolls are formed by coral reefs that grow on top of submerged volcanoes.
American Samoa’s Unique Landscape
American Samoa is a place made up of land and water. The whole area is around 117,500 square miles, similar to the size of Oregon or New Zealand 🌎.
But here’s the exciting part: only a tiny part, about 76.1 square miles, is dry land.
This means that only 0.1% of the island area is where people can walk and live 🏝️. The rest is made up of water, like oceans and seas 🌊.
The National Park of American Samoa
The government built the National Park of American Samoa in 1988, but it took until 1993 for the National Park Service to officially take charge.
This happened when the leaders of the villages signed a lease for 50 years, allowing the Park Service to take care of the rainforests, beaches, and coral reefs on the islands of Tutuila 🏞️, Ta’u, Ofu, and Olosega.
So now, the Park Service is responsible for looking after these beautiful natural areas for a long time.
The Story of Samoa’s Islands
The islands of Samoa were created a very long time ago when volcanoes erupted 🌋 and shaped the land.
The part of the Earth’s crust where the Samoa volcano is located moves slowly, about 3 inches each year, towards China.
This means that after around 1 million years, American Samoa will have moved about 50 miles closer to Asia 🌏.
American Samoa’s Rich Marine Life
American Samoa has the highest amount of different sea creatures compared to any other place in the United States.
It has a wide variety of marine life 🐢, including over 250 kinds of coral and 930 types of fish. This is twice the number of fish species found in Hawaii.
American Samoa is like a paradise for underwater animals, making it a unique and vital area for biodiversity.
The Role of Sea Turtles
“I’m sa” in Samoan refers to sea turtles, considered unique and essential. According to Samoan stories, sea turtles have a special power to rescue fishermen who have gotten lost in the sea 🌊.
They help bring these fishermen safely back to land, protecting them from danger. Sea turtles are considered sacred creatures and highly respected in Samoan culture.
The World’s Largest Coral
A colossal coral known as boulder coral resides near Ta’u Island in American Samoa’s coastal waters 🌊. It ranks among the world’s most giant corals, standing over 15 feet tall.
This remarkable coral has thrived for hundreds of years, making it a testament to its enduring existence. Its age is truly impressive, showcasing the extraordinary longevity of this ancient marine organism.
Bats in American Samoa
Bats are the only type of mammals naturally living in American Samoa. Three different kinds of bats are found there, and all of them are in danger of becoming extinct or facing severe harm. This is because their homes are being destroyed, and people hunt them.
In the past, many bats were sent to other places like Guam because they are considered a unique and tasty food in many islands of the Pacific Ocean 🦇.
The Samoan Flying Fox
The Samoan flying fox, also known as Pteropus samoensis, is an animal found in American Samoa, Samoa, and Fiji. It is one of only three kinds of mammals living in American Samoa.
These flying foxes are active during both the day and night. They have large wings that can stretch up to three feet, similar to the wingspan of an owl 🦇.
American Samoa’s Protopolynesians
American Samoa is a place with an ancient Polynesian culture. It’s believed that Protopolynesians came from the west, passed through Indonesia, Fiji, and Vanuatu, and settled there around 1000 B.C. These first settlers are called the Lapita 🏝️.
The Naming of Samoa
In 1768, a French explorer named Louis-Antoine de Bougainville visited a group of islands called Samoa. He was impressed by the local people’s ability to sailboats and trade with other nearby islands 🌍.
Because of this, he decided to give the islands a unique name: the “Navigator Islands.” This was because the people of Samoa were good at finding their way 🗺️ around the ocean and using boats to travel and trade with others.
The arrival of Europeans in American Samoa
During the early 1800s, people from Europe started coming to American Samoa to live there. Many of these newcomers were either criminals who had run away from Australia or sailors who had left their whaling ships without permission ⚓.
Moon and American Samoa
In the 1960s and 1970s, American Samoa’s oceans were safe for U.S. astronauts to land their spacecraft after returning from the moon 🌕.
A little American Samoa flag was taken to the moon during one of these missions.
Afterward, the flag, along with three pieces of moon rocks, was given to American Samoa by the President of the U.S. during that period, Richard Nixon.
It was a special honor for American Samoa to receive these unique gifts from the historic moon landings.
Weather Stations in American Samoa
In American Samoa, weather stations can detect rain about 300 days out of the 365 days a year. These stations are like special machines that can tell when rain falls from the sky ☔.
They help us keep track of how often it rains in American Samoa. So, most of the time, these stations can let us know when it’s raining, which helps us plan and understand the weather in that area.
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