Quick Facts About American Sāmoa
- The American Sāmoa archipelago consists of five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains totally a land area of 48,434 acres (199 sq km), including two coral atolls Rose and Swains Island.
- The current estimated population (July 2016 est.) is 54,194. It is estimated that 90% (43,691 acres) of the islands are forested. Native forests extend from the shoreline to the top of the highest mountains.
- The highest elevation point is Mt. Lata at 3,166 ft.
- According to the 2008 Agricultural Census for American Sāmoa, there are a total of 5840 farms (1968 commercial farms and 3872 non-commercial farms), with approximately 39.1% of approx. all land area in farms. The total number of farms, however, has decreased from 2003 to 2008.
- The main agricultural products produced in American Sāmoa are bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, cassava, giant taro, sugarcane, copra, pineapples, papayas, dairy products and livestock.
American Sāmoa has a tropical marine climate moderated by southeast trade winds that blow continually with an annual rainfall averaging about 3m. Although rainfall varies from year to year and location, the rainy season is from November to April followed by a dry season from May to October. Heavy and long periods of rain are common throughout the year, yet typhoons or tropical cyclones are most common from December to March. Due to the sloping landscapes, severe landslides and flooding can occur after heavy rains.
The main island of Tutuila contains 70% of the total land area for American Sāmoa. Areas for development and agriculture are limited. Out of the 34,082 acres of land on Tutuila, only 18,626 acres have less than 45% slope, which makes it difficult for agricultural food production. According to the 2009 vegetation map, approximately 5,960 acres of Tutuila’s land was identified as agriculture and 2,084 acres as developed. For all the islands combined, 21.7% of the land is used for agriculture, with 13.3% arable land and 8.4% ‘permanent crops’ (2011 est. CIA Factbook 2016).
Climate Change in American Sāmoa
Increased Rainfall
Rainfall is projected to increase by up to 10% by mid-century compared with the present, with additional slight increases by the end of the century. Both extreme heavy rainfall events (causing increased runoff, erosion, and flooding) and droughts (causing water shortages) have become more common.
Resource: Fourth National Climate Assessment
Sea Level Rise
American Sāmoa faces an additional threat called "subsidence", meaning the island is sinking. The sinking has accelerated since the 2009 earthquake by 1-1.25 feet which is a sea level rise rate of five times the global average.
Resource: Samoa News
Coral Reef Bleaching
Coral reefs are very valuable because they reduce the strength of waves therefore protecting tropical shorelines from being eroded away. Under projected warming of approximately 0.5°F per decade, coral reefs will experience annual bleaching beginning in about 2040 in American Sāmoa.
Resource: Fourth National Climate Assessment
Additional environmental issues of major concern
Deforestation for agriculture
Portions of the forest habitats have been cleared and replaced by agriculture and development to sustain American Sāmoa’s increasing population. The high demand for lands suitable for growing crops and level lands for building roads, homes, and businesses have significantly increased pressure on the forest.
Limited freshwater resources
Storms and Cyclones
As storms and cyclones become more frequent and dangerous, there are irreversible effects on food resources and land.