Samoa Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Samoa?

Overview

Samoa is a group of volcanic islands in the heart of the South Pacific. Independent or "Western " Samoa lies halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand and just to the west of American Samoa. Samoa consists primarily of two major islands, Upolu and Savaii, which together make up an area of approximately 2,680 sq. km (115 sq. miles). The capital, Apia, sits on the northern coast of Upolu. Savaii is a few kilometers to the west of Upolu and slightly larger. The only other inhabited islands Manono and Apolima, are two small land masses in the Apolima Strait, which separates Upolu and Savaii. Many tiny uninhabited islands and a few lonely atolls comprise the remainder of the country.

Lush forests of predominantly broadleaf evergreens, vines, ferns, and mosses cover the upland areas of the islands. The mountains of Upolu and Savaii are host to temperate forest vegetation, such as tree ferns, wild coleus and epiphytic plants (mosses and other nonparasitic creepers) and grasses. Banyan trees dominate the landscape at higher elevations. The tropical rainforests are both a source of food as well as a rich resource for natural medicine. Traditional healers use 75 plant species to treat up to 200 different types of diseases. Scrubland, marshes, pandanus forests and mangrove swamps cover the remainder of the island.

Geography - note

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

Samoa Use of Natural Resources

Geographic Location	Oceania
Total Area	1,093 Square Miles 2,831 Square Kilometers
Land Area	1,089 Square Miles 2,821 Square Kilometers
Water Area	4 Square Miles 10 Square Kilometers
Coastline	250 Miles 403 Kilometers
Geographic Coordinates	13 35 S, 172 20 W
Terrain	two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior
Highest Point	1,857 Meters
Highest Point Location	Mauga Silisili (Savaii) 1,857 m
Lowest Point Location	Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural Resources	hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
Time Zone	UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time	+1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April

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