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GEOGRAPHY OF SAMOA
map of Samoa
Historically, the Samoan Islands have been divided into two political entities. The western islands form the independent nation of Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa), while the eastern islands constitute the United States territory of American Samoa. Samoa was a possession of the Germans, the British, and a trustee of New Zealand before gaining its independence in 1962.
Samoa is the last place in the world the sun sets and rises because it is located just east of the International Dateline. It consists of nine volcanic islands with fertile soils on top of a submarine mountain range. Two large islands, Savai'i and Upolu, account for about 96 percent of the country's total land area, while seven smaller islands make up the remainder. The capital, Apia, and Faleolo International Airport are located on Upolu, which is home to nearly three-quarters of Samoa's population. Apia is the only city in Samoa.
Samoa has a total land area of approximately 2,831 square kilometers (1,093 square miles), of which Savai'i occupies about 1,735 square kilometers (670 square miles) and Upolu about 1,111 square kilometers (429 square miles). The country has approximately 402 kilometers (250 miles) of coastline. Its exclusive marine economic zone covers roughly 129,500 square kilometers (50,000 square miles) of ocean.
The islands are predominantly mountainous, rugged, and covered with tropical rainforest and dense vegetation. Much of the population and the majority of agricultural activity are concentrated in a fertile coastal belt approximately 3 to 5 kilometers (2 to 3 miles) wide that surrounds much of the islands. Numerous streams and rivers descend from the mountainous interiors to the coast.
Agricultural land and pasture cover approximately half of Samoa's land area, while forests account for about 40 percent. The remaining 10 percent consists largely of mangrove swamps, rocky uplands, volcanic lava fields, and other less productive terrain. Coral reefs and lagoons surround much of the coastline and provide important marine habitats as well as natural protection from ocean waves. The principal urban center is Apia, which had an estimated population of approximately 33,000 in 1992.
Location of Samoa
Location of Samoa
Samoa is located about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand in the Polynesian region of the South Pacific. It is approximately 1,290 kilometers (800 miles) west of Fiji; 480 kilometers (300 miles) south of Tonga; 4,425 kilometers (2,750 miles) northeast of Sydney; 2,815 kilometers (1,750 miles) north of New Zealand; Samoa is located about 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) southwest of Hawaii; and 9,250 kilometers (5,750 miles) southwest of Los Angeles, California.
Samoa has the same latitude as northern Australia. It is 884 to 917 kilometers (549 to 570 miles), about 1.5 to 2 hours by plane, north of Tonga. Samoa is part of of Oceania, a vast geographical and geopolitical region centered on the Pacific Ocean, comprising the continent of Australia, the microcontinent of Zealandia (New Zealand), and thousands of islands. Coined in 1831, it functions as one of the world's seven continents spanning a total area of over 8.3 million square kilometers (3.2 million square miles).
Samoa occupies an almost central position within Polynesia — a vast triangular subregion of Oceania (the "Polynesian Triangle") with Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island at each corner and containing places like Tahiti, French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, Kirabati and Tuvalu. Polynesians are closely-related peoples who share similar languages, seafaring traditions, and social structures. Samoa, has many cultural and historical ties with neighboring Tonga, the Cook Islands, and Tahiti. The other main south Pacific area is Melanesia — a subregion of Oceania stretching from the western Pacific to the Arafura Sea, between northern Australia and southern New Guinea, characterized by darker-skinned indigenous populations (such as in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands).
Samoan Islands, Samoa and American Samoa
Samoan Islands (all islands in the Samoan archipelago)
Total land area: approximately 3,199 square kilometers (1,235 square miles)
East–west extent: approximately 480 kilometers (300 miles)
North–south extent: approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles)
Major islands include Savai'i, Upolu, Tutuila, Ta‘ū, Ofu, Olosega, Aunu‘u, and several smaller islands.
Samoan Islands, Samoa and American Samoa
Samoa (independent nation)
Land area: 2,831 square kilometers (1,093 square miles)
Maximum length (east–west): approximately 290 kilometers (180 miles)
Maximum width (north–south): approximately 65 kilometers (40 miles)
Main islands:
Savai'i: 1,694 square kilometers (654 square miles)
Upolu: 1,125 square kilometers (434 square miles)
American Samoa
Land area: 199 square kilometers (77 square miles)
Maximum length (east–west): approximately 110 kilometers (68 miles)
Maximum width (north–south): approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles)
Main islands:
Tutuila: 142 square kilometers (55 square miles)
Ta‘ū: 44 square kilometers (17 square miles)
Ofu: 8 square kilometers (3.1 square miles)
Olosega: 5 square kilometers (1.9 square miles)
Geographical Data for Samoa
Area: total: 2,831 square kilometers (1,093 square miles); land: 2,821 square kilometers (1,089 square miles); water: 10 square kilometers (4 square miles). Based on land area Samoa is the 29th smallest country in the world. It is slightly smaller than Rhode Island and about the same size as Luxembourg or Cabo Verde. Geographic Coordinates: 13 35 S, 172 20 W. Elevation: highest point: Mount Silisili 1,857 meters (6,093 feet); lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 meters. [Source: CIA World Factbook]
Coastline: 403 kilometers (250 miles); Maritime claims: territorial sea: 22.2 kilometers (12 nautical miles; 13.8 miles); contiguous zone: 44.4 kilometers (24 nautical miles; 27.6 miles); exclusive economic zone: 370.4 kilometers (200 nautical miles; 230.2 miles). Land Boundaries: total: 0 kilometers (0 miles).
PD-WorldWind Satellite image of Samoa from 2006
Land Use: agricultural land: 12.4 percent (2018 estimate). Arable Land: 2.8 percent (2018 estimate); permanent crops: 7.8 percent (2018 estimate); permanent pasture: 1.8 percent (2018 estimate); forest: 60.4 percent (2018 estimate); other: 27.2 percent (2018 estimate). Arable land is land cultivated for crops like wheat, maize, and rice that are replanted after each harvest. Permanent crops is land cultivated for crops like fruit trees oranges that are not replanted after each harvest. Irrigated Land: 5,700 square kilometers (2012).
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. Capital: Apia: Geographic Coordinates: 13 49 S, 171 46 W. [Source: CIA World Factbook]
Islands and Atolls
Ocean islands are basically divided into three types: 1) "low" coral and sand islands; 2) "high" islands (usually exposed peaks and ridge-tops of submerged mountains and volcanoes); and 3) parts of the continental shelf. Some continental islands were mountains and hills along the coast during last Ice Age when ocean levels were lower.
Low islands or cays were formed on coral shoals from reef sediments. Atoll islands are low islands (See Below). Seabird dropping fertilize the soils of some of these islands, which allow scrubby forest to take root. Others are battered regularly by storms and are little more than shifting piles of sand. Some patches of sand are so low they disappear during low tide and lose their status as islands.
High islands generally have better soil and a better supply of water than low islands. Low islands support only a few species of plant because there little topsoil and this soil has a high salt content. Although they often have no visible water sources they often are positioned over water lenses that trap rain water and can provide fresh water through wells.
An atoll is a group of islands that encircle a central lagoon. Classic atolls develop on the top guyots, flat-topped volcanic sea mounts, that rise above the sea and then erode and sink under the weight of the coral reefs that grow on their slopes. A classic atolls begins as a reef that forms around a high island. As the island sinks under the weight of the coral reef, the coral reef grows upwards causing the island to sink even more. This process eventually forms a barrier reef which is separated from the shore by a shallow lagoon. Eventually the original mountain becomes completely submerged and islands are created from the coral and sand deposits that accumulate on the highest points of the reef. These islands often roughly follow the contour of the original mountain top. The atoll-making process takes hundreds of thousands or millions of years.
See Separate Article: ISLANDS: TYPES, HOW THEY FORM, FEATURES AND NATIONS ioa.factsanddetails.com
Topography, Lakes and Rivers of Samoa
topography of Samoa
Samoa consists of two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets. The main islands have rugged, volcanic, mountainous interiors and narrow coastal plains. The lush vegetation is the result to the tropical climate, ample rainfall and fertile soils. Savai'i is more rural and has a much smaller population than Upolo. Mauga Fito is the highest point on Upolu, with an elevation of 1,116 meters (3,660 feet). Of the smaller islands only Manono and Apolima are uninhabited.
Mangrove forests grow along the coasts. The remaining lowland forests are found on the lower slopes of the mountains inland. At higher elevations inland are rain forests. The higher elevations of Savai'i contain moss forests and mountain scrub. It is estimated that approximately 80 percent of the lowland forests have been lost during the 3,000-year history of human habitation in Samoa.
There are numerous swift-flowing, seasonal rivers on both main islands. Due to the porous nature of the volcanic soil, most of the water that does not evaporate and quickly seeps into the ground. Crater lakes are fed by rainfall. On Upolu, there is a very deep lake, Lake Lanoto'o (Goldfish Lake), in the center of a volcanic crater. The lake is pea-green in color and full of goldfish that gather along the shores. The bottom of the lake, it is said, has never been found.There is also a freshwater pool at Piula that extends from a cave nearly all the way to the shore. [Source: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Physical Geography, The Gale Group, Inc., 2003]
Both Savai'i and Upolu have narrow coastal plains. Upolu's central volcanic range slopes down on both sides to hills and coastal plains. The island's south coast is particularly known for its scenic beaches, which have picturesque coves, rock pools, and palm trees. Savai'i's central volcanoes are surrounded by lava plateaus that descend to hills and coastal plains. The numerous caves on the Samoan islands are located within lava tubes, places where molten lava flowed under existing fields of solidified lava.
Volcanoes and Mountains of Samoa
Rugged mountain dominate both of Samoa's major islands. The highest peak is Mauga Silisili, which reaches 1,857 meters (6,093 feet) on Savai'i. Significant peaks include Mauga Silisili, which at 1,857 meters (6,093 feet) is the highest point in Samoa; Mauga Loa, at 1,176 meters (3,857 feet); and Mauga Fito (Va'aifetu), at 1,116 meters (3,660 feet). [Source: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Physical Geography, The Gale Group, Inc., 2003]
Samoa is located on the Pacific tectonic plate near the boundary of the Australian Plate in the "Ring of Fire," a seismically active band surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Volcanoes on Savai'i include Mauga Afi and Mauga Silisili, the latter of which is the highest point in Samoa, with an elevation of 1,857 meters (6,094 feet). It last erupted in 1911. There are also a number of underwater volcanoes in the region.
The area of active volcanism has progressed westward direction. There was a lot of volcanic activity there from 1905 to 1911 and the volcanoes are regarded historically active. Savai'i, the youngest geologically, last experienced eruptions from Matavanu from 1905 through 1910 and from Mauga Mu in 1902. Other volcanoes on Savai'i include Mauga Afi and Mauga Silisili. The volcanoes on Upolu are Mauga Ali'i and Mauga o Savai'i.
Samoa lies directly northeast of the Tonga-Kermadec Trench. The movement of the tectonic plates gives rise to many underwater volcanoes as they drift apart and magma flows through the gaps. Some geologists believe the islands were formed by rifting in the trench, while others believe they formed when magma broke through a weak spot in the Pacific Plate. The movement of the plates near the trench also causes earthquakes and tsunamis.[Source: Geo-Data: The World Geographical Encyclopedia, Gale Group Inc., 2003]
Seas, Reefs and Coastal Features of Samoa
All the islands are surrounded by coral reefs. Savai'i and Upolu are separated by the 18-kilometer (11-mile) Apolima Strait. The islands of Apolima Manon lie within the Apolima Strait. Apolima is a volcanic crater whose wall is pierced by a passage that connects its harbor with the sea. Manono rises to a height of 70 meters 230 feet, and is composed chiefly of coral sand.
There are only a few breaks caused by constant wave action or lava flow in the coral reefs that nearly encircle the Samoan islands. The total reef area spans 1,269 square kilometers (490 square miles). Savai'i Island's southern coast is known for its blowholes, where ocean waves create geyser-like spouts as they crash through underground lava tubes.
Fagaloa Bay is located on the north coast of Upolu, and Safata Bay is located on the south coast. Ports and harbors are located in Apia and Mulifanua on Upolu and in Asau and Salelologa on Savai'i. The southern shore of Upolu has a series of beaches. Toward the eastern end of the island are Aganoa Black Sand Beach and Salamuma Beach. Both beaches draw snorkelers to their coves and shallow waters. Spectacular turquoise reefs are located at the extreme eastern end of Upolu.
Red mangroves are common in the quiet, swampy bays of Samoa. Vaiusu Bay in Apia is one of the largest mangrove areas in Eastern Polynesia and the biggest fish breeding and feeding ground in Samoa. Mangroves provide protected nursery areas for juvenile reef fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. They also provide nesting grounds for coastal birds and contribute to higher water quality. [Source: Geo-Data: The World Geographical Encyclopedia, Gale Group Inc., 2003).
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons
Text Sources: CIA World Factbook; “Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Volume 2: Oceania,” edited by Terence E. Hays, 1991, Wikipedia, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, BBC, CNN, and various books, websites and other publications.
Last updated July 2026