Independent State of Samoa Malo Saʻoloto Tutoʻatasi o Sāmoa | |
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_-_WSM_-_UNOCHA.svg) | |
| Capital and largest city | Apia 13°50′S 171°45′W / 13.833°S 171.750°W |
| Official languages | |
| Ethnic groups (2001) |
|
| Religion | Christianity (official)[2] |
| Demonym(s) | Samoan |
| Government | Unitary dominant-party parliamentary democracy under an elective monarchy |
| Va'aletoa Sualauvi IIa | |
| Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi | |
| Toleafoa Faafisi | |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly |
| Independence from New Zealand | |
| 14 June 1889 | |
| 16 February 1900 | |
| 1 March 1900 | |
| 30 August 1914 | |
• League mandate | 17 December 1920 |
• UN trusteeship | 13 December 1946 |
• Western Samoa Act 1961 | 1 January 1962 |
| 15 December 1976 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,842 km2 (1,097 sq mi) (167th) |
• Water (%) | 0.3 |
| Population | |
• November 2016 census | 195,843[3] |
• Density | 68/km2 (176.1/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $1.188 billion[4] |
• Per capita | $5,962[4] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $881 million[4] |
• Per capita | $4,420[4] |
| HDI (2018) |  0.707[5]high · 111th |
| Currency | Tālā (WS$b) (WST) |
| Time zone | UTC+13c d (WST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+14 (WST) |
| from last Sunday of September to first Sunday of April (from 3 AM to 4 AM and vice versa) | |
| Date format | DD/MM/YYYY |
| Driving side | lefte |
| Calling code | +685 |
| ISO 3166 code | WS |
| Internet TLD | .ws |
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Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and, until 4 July 1997, known as Western Samoa, is a country consisting of two main islands, Savai'i and Upolu, and four smaller islands. The capital city is Apia. The Lapita people discovered and settled the Samoan Islands around 3,500 years ago. They developed a Samoan language and Samoan cultural identity.