Introduction: Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following...

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Economic Overview: American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90 per cent of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the United States, with which American Samoa conducts most of its commerce. US Government funding constitutes approximately two-thirds of government revenue.

Tuna processing plants largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. In 2009-10, the tuna canning industry contracted substantially, as one of its two factories (Chicken of the Sea) closed its doors. Attempts by the government to develop a ...

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