The Vailulu’u Seamount, an active submerged volcano, lies 28 miles east of Ta‘ū in American Samoa. It was discovered in 1975 and has since been studied by an international team of scientists, contributing towards understanding of the Earth’s fundamental processes. Growing inside the summit crater of Va’ilulu’u is an active underwater volcanic cone, named after Samoa’s goddess of war, Nafanua.
Economy:
Employment on the island falls into three relatively equal-sized categories of approximately 5,000 workers each: the public sector, the single remaining tuna cannery, and the rest of the private sector.
There are only a few federal employees in American Samoa and a few active duty military personnel, except members of the U.S. Coast Guard, military recruiters, and some Full Time Support staff at the Pele Army Reserve unit that maintains the facility and provides cadre, training, and logistics support.
The overwhelming majority of public sector employees work for the American Samoa territorial government. The one tuna cannery is StarKist, which exports several hundred million dollars worth of canned tuna to the United States each year. The other tuna cannery was Samoa Packing, a Chicken of the Sea subsidiary, but it closed in 2009 due to American Samoans being granted minimum wage.
From 2002 to 2007, real GDP of American Samoa increased at an average annual rate of 0.4 percent. The annual growth rates of real GDP ranged from −2.9 percent to +2.1 percent. The volatility in the growth rates of real GDP was primarily accounted for by changes in the exports of canned tuna. The tuna canning industry was the largest private employer in American Samoa during this period.
The unemployment rate was 29.8% in 2005, but has been improved to 23.8% as of 2010. Samoa GDP is $537 million and its GDP per capita (PPP) is $8,000 as of 2007.
Transportation:
American Samoa has 150 miles of highways as estimated in 2008. The maximum speed limit is 30 miles per hour.
Ports and harbors include Aunu‘u, Auasi, Faleāsao, Ofu and Pago Pago.
American Samoa has no railways.
The territory has three airports, all of which have paved runways. The main airport is Pago Pago International Airport, on the island of Tutuila. The Manu’a group has two airports: Ofu Airport on the island of Ofu, and Fitiuta Airport on the island of Ta’u. According to a 1999 estimate, the territory has no merchant marine.
Flag of American Samoa:
The flag of American Samoa consists of a red-edged white triangle pointing towards the hoist charged with a bald eagle clutching a war club and fly-whisk, with dark blue upper and lower triangles. Adopted in April 1960 to replace the “Stars and Stripes” as the official flag of the territory, it has been the flag of the Territory of American Samoa since that year. The colors used epitomize the traditional colors of the United States and Samoa.