Geography of Samoa
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The state of Samoa consists of the two large islands of Upolu and Savai'i and seven small islets located about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand in the Polynesian region of the South Pacific. The main island of Upolu is home to nearly three-quarters of Samoa's population and its capital city of Apia. The climate is tropical, with a rainy season from November to April.
To the East is the smaller American Samoa, see also Geography of American Samoa.
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: Template:Coor dm
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total:
2,944 km²
land:
2,934 km²
water:
10 km²
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 403 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea:
12 nautical miles (22 km)
Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
Terrain: two main islands (Savai'i, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mauga Silisili 1,857 m
Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 21.2%
permanent crops: 24.38%
other: 54.42%
Irrigated land: NA km²
Natural hazards: occasional cyclones; active volcanism
Environment - current issues: soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: occupies an almost central position within Polynesia