Capital: Apia
Administrative divisions: 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Independence: 1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)
National holiday: National Day, 1 June (1962)

Constitution: 1 January 1962

Legal system: based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal, but only matai (head of family) are able to run for the Legislative Assembly

Executive branch:
chief of state: Chief Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January 1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963)
head of government: Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the head of state with the prime minister's advice

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Assembly (Fono): elections last held 5 April 1991 (next to be held by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) HRPP 28, SNDP 18, independents 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman
Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Neroni SLADE
chancery: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017
telephone: (212) 599-6196 or 6197
FAX: (212) 972-3970
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa
embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address: P.O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone: (685) 21-631
FAX: (685) 22-030

Flag: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

NOTE: The information regarding Western Samoa on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Western Samoa Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Western Samoa Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.