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Territory of American Samoa
Additional Resources
U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs Fact Sheet
American Samoa National Park
American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States, and administered by the U.S. Department of Interior. It consists principally of five volcanic islands and two coral atolls, for a total area of 76 square miles. It is located approximately 2,300 miles southwest of Hawaii. The largest and most populated island is Tutuila, on which are located the territory's historic capital (Pago Pago), and the seat of the legislature, judiciary, and the office of the Governor.
The Territory of American Samoa lies roughly 14 degrees south of the equator between longitude 169 and 173 west and about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. The principal islands are Tutuila, Aunu'u, and the Manu'a islands (a cluster of three islands, Ta'u, Ofu and Olosega, located about 65 miles east of Tutuila). Swains Island, a small island with a population of less than 25 and Rose Atoll, an uninhabited atoll about 120 miles east of Tutuila make up the remainder of the territory. The population of the territory was 57,291 people in the year 2000, of which approximately 97% live on the island of Tutuila.
The per capita income of American Samoa is only $4,357, by far the lowest in the U.S., putting it in an economic tier similar to Botswana. 61% of residents live below the U.S. Poverty Line. American Samoa faces significant environmental and public health challenges:
- Almost 40% of residents do not have adequate indoor plumbing (piped water, a toilet or both)
- 17% have tested positive for leptospirosis, a serious waterborne disease associated with improperly managed pig waste.
- Heavy metals and other toxics in the inner portion of Pago Pago Harbor make fish unsafe to eat.
U.S. EPA works in partnership with the 20 staff of American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency.