About Samoa

Officially known as the Independent State of Samoa, Samoa is a country of beauty beyond belief.  After gaining it's independence from New Zealand in 1962, Samoa has grown in leaps and bounds.  There are two main islands, Upolu and Savai'i, with 75% of the population living on Upolu.  The 2012 population estimate sits just under 200,000.

Samoa is located approximately halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii.  The land mass is approximately 1,133 square miles and were originally produced by volcanoes.

Samoa is 17 hours ahead of EST.  You can always type in "Current time in Samoa" into Google and it'll tell you what time it is.

Average temperature in Samoa is 80F with a rainy season from November to April.

The currency is the Samoan tala where 1USD = 2.27 tala.

2/3 of the labor force work in agriculture with copra (dried coconut meat), cocoa bean, and bananas being the main crops.

Tattoos are extremely important in Samoan culture with gender specific designs.  The Pe'a for males consists of geometric patterns covering the area from the knees to the ribs.  The Malu for women covers the area below the knees to upper thighs.