Capital of Samoa?

What is the capital of SAMOA? The correct answer is listed further below!
A — Matautu
B — Apia
C — Ti’avea
D — Tuasivi























ANSWER
B . . . . . Apia

Apolima Strait

Bisecting the Independent State of SAMOA in the South Pacific Ocean is the Apolima Strait, a navigable body of water that is approximately 16.9 kilometers (10.5 miles) wide and 32.2 kilometers (20 miles) long. Apolima Strait passes through and around several small islands between Samoa's two major islands: Savai'i and Upolu. These small islands include Apolima, Lepuia'i, Manono, and Nu'ulopa. In addition to the close-proximity Tafua Rainforest Reserve on Savai'i island, these islands are heavily forested — except Lepuia'i island, which basically resembles a big boulder!

Several ferry services are available to connect the islands. The area's most extensive ferry line connects the town of Sālelologa with the Mulifanua Wharf Ferry Terminal, down the road from the Faleolo International Airport. Another ferry route connects Cape Fatuosofia's oceanfront Le Vasa Resort to a small village on Apolima island. Manono island has several transportation possibilities: ferries connecting the towns of Apai and Faleu and sometimes Salua as well as a road circling along the coastline. A couple of Apolima Strait's reefs are named Cathedral and Manono.

Samoa Exports

According to MIT's Observatory of Economic Complexity (atlas.media.mit.edu), the following items are major exports of SAMOA: beer, cassava, coconut oil, coconuts, copra, fruit juice, furniture, handicrafts, insulated wire, low-voltage protection equipment, precious metal scraps, refined petroleum, scrap iron, seafood (especially fish fillets and non-fillet frozen fish), tree nuts, and tropical fruit. According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include Australia (top importer), American Samoa, New Zealand, the United States, Fiji, Malaysia, Colombia, Afghanistan, Japan, China, the United Arab Emirates, and the Bahamas.

Samoa Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for SAMOA in the South Pacific Ocean lists 4 critically endangered species and 16 endangered species. Drymophloeus samoensis palm plants, Hawksbill Turtles, Samoan Moorhen birds, and Tooth-Billed Pigeons are critically endangered in Samoa. These species are endangered: Acropora rudis coral (widespread coral bleaching), two types of Black teatfish, Clinostigma samoense palm tree, Golden Sandfish, Günther's Emo Skink, Mao (Ma'oma'o) bird, Phoenix Petrel, Polynesian Sheath-Tailed Bat, Prickly Redfish, Samoa Skink, Sandfish, Steindachner's Emo Skink, Thaumatodon hystricelloides snail, Undulate Wrasse fish, and White-Throated Storm Petrel. In addition to some aforementioned species, organisms named after Samoa include the Samoa Flying Fox bat, Samoa Fantail bird, Samoan Flycatcher bird, Samoan Fruit Dove, Samoan Palolo Worm, Samoan Starling bird, Samoan Triller bird, Samoan Whistler bird, Samoan White-Eye bird, and Short Samoan Tree Snail.

Independence Day in Samoa

Residents of SAMOA are celebrating their Independence Day tomorrow. Since 1962, Samoa's celebration of independence was and is held annually on June 1st to commemorate the independence of Samoa from New Zealand. Independence was actually achieved on January 1st, not June 1st. Nevertheless, tomorrow is the day for Samoan festivities and celebrations. I hope the citizens of Samoa have a Happy Independence Day tomorrow!

Map of Samoa

A new map of SAMOA has been posted! Visit my Samoa post to access this new map as well as find lots of info in this updated post!

Filming Location of Survivor: One World

The twenty-fourth season of the Survivor TV show (the U.S. version) is set on the eastern main island of Upolu in SAMOA, an island country in the South Pacific Ocean that is north of Tonga, northeast of Fiji, and west of American Samoa. Upolu boasts the designation of being the most-used setting in the U.S. version of Survivor. It is featured in the following past seasons: Samoa (19th), Heroes vs. Villains (20th), and South Pacific (23rd). Learn more about Samoa by visiting the Samoa post!

Samoa

Situated in the South Pacific Ocean and west of the International Date Line, SAMOA is an island country in the western region of the Samoan Islands. American Samoa, which is mentioned briefly at the bottom, occupies the eastern part. Formerly known as Western Samoa (Samoa i Sisifo), Samoa is officially known as the Independent State of Samoa. Samoa is east of Wallis and Futuna, south of Tokelau, and north of Tonga. The unitary parliamentary republic achieved independence from New Zealand on Monday, January 1st, 1962.

● ● ● ● ●  People and Places  ● ● ● ● ●  Samoa's population is approximately 190,000 as of 2016. About 96% of all Samoans are Christians — especially Roman Catholic — followed by worshippers of the Bahá'í Faith, Buddhism, and Chinese Universism. Samoa's official languages are Samoan (a Polynesian language) and English, while the literacy rate is over 97%. Most citizens are ethnic Samoans, while most others are Euronesians (Polynesian and European mix) or have European ancestry. The Samoan people are said to be easygoing and happy and may celebrate minor and major occasions with bountiful feasts featuring local recipes. Samoa's capital is Apia (Āpia), which has over 37,000 residents. Other communities include Asau, Sala'ilua, and Satupaitea on Savai'i island and Falelatie, Matautu, Solosolo, and Ti'avea on Upolu island. Samoan people's currency is the Samoan Tala (WS$), and its ISO 4217 currency code is WST.

● ● ● ● ●  Land and Water Features  ● ● ● ● ●  Samoa is comprised of several small islands and two larger main islands: Savai'i to the west and Upolu to the east. Both main islands have a tall peak near the center. Designated as the largest shield volcano in the South Pacific islands, Mount Silisili stands at 1,858 meters (6096 feet) in elevation on Savai'i, while Mount Fito stands 1,113 meters (3652 feet) on Upolu. Savai'i features other volcanoes — including Mata o le Afi ("eye of the fire"), Mauga (Mount) Afi, and Mauga Matavanu — which have not erupted in at least one century. Regardless, volcanic eruptions are always possibilities, and therefore residents and the government ideally would maintain emergency plans to prepare. Rising sea levels, their associated flooding, tsunamis, and earthquakes are other possible concerns in Samoa. Apolima Strait diagonally separates Savai'i and Upolu from the southwest and northeast direction, and it contains several islands including Apolima, Manono, and Nu'ulopa.

Meanwhile, American Samoa is an unincorporated territory belonging to the United States. The main island is Tutuila, and American Samoa's capital is Pago Pago. American Samoa shares the same official languages with Samoa. Samoans use the United States Dollar.