American Samoa
Oceania Β· Capital: Pago Pago
How it is run: American Samoa is a territory or observer, so some decisions about it are made elsewhere. The research links below explain who is in charge.
American Samoa is home to 46,029 people in Polynesia, where people speak English, Samoan.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
46,029 people
That is about 6 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
199 kmΒ²
Smaller than most big cities β you could cross it in an afternoon.
ποΈ How crowded
About 231 people per square kilometre β busy towns with countryside in between.
π Size in its region
14th most people in Oceania
18th largest by land in Oceania.
π£οΈ Official languages
English, Samoan
More than one language is used for official business.
π° Money
United States dollar ($)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
73 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$18,017
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
80.5% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
26.3% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+1684
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.as
π§ People here are called
American Samoan
π·οΈ Name at home
American Samoa Β· SΔmoa Amelika
Also written: Amerika SΔmoa, Amelika SΔmoa, SΔmoa Amelika.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Not a UN member
Neighbours & borders π€
American Samoa has no land borders at all. It is surrounded by water, so boats and planes are the way in and out.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Samoa Americana
French
Samoa amΓ©ricaines
Arabic
Ψ³Ψ§Ω ΩΨ§ Ψ§ΩΨ£Ω Ψ±ΩΩΩΨ©
Chinese
ηΎε±θ¨ζ©δΊ
Japanese
γ’γ‘γͺγ«ι γ΅γ’γ’
Russian
ΠΠΌΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΊΠ°Π½ΡΠΊΠΎΠ΅ Π‘Π°ΠΌΠΎΠ°
Portuguese
Samoa Americana
German
Amerikanisch-Samoa
Put it in perspective π
- Australia β the most populated country in Oceania β has about 599.9Γ as many people as American Samoa.
- All of American Samoa would fit inside one large national park in many other countries.
- If everyone in American Samoa lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 23 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: American Samoa sits in Polynesia, in the southern and western half of the globe.
π·οΈ Official name
American Samoa
ποΈ Capital
Pago Pago
π Region
Oceania Β· Polynesia
π€ Country code
AS
ποΈ UN status
Not a UN member state
π© Independence
Linked territory
More about American Samoa π
π§ Where on the map
14.3Β° S, 170.0Β° W
π Half of the world
Southern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-11 β when it is noon in London it is about 01:00 in Pago Pago.
- American Samoa shares its part of the world with Tokelau. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- American Samoa is a territory linked to another country, so some decisions are made elsewhere.
- American Samoa sits in Polynesia, in the southern and western half of the globe.
- American Samoa lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- Because of where American Samoa sits, the school day there starts many hours before or after yours does.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- American Samoa has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- American Samoa can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If American Samoa spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of American Samoa?
Pago Pago
Which money do people spend in American Samoa?
United States dollar ($)
How many countries share a land border with American Samoa?
None β no land neighbours at all.
Roughly how many people live in American Samoa?
46,029 people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.