Part 904

Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman; Samoan Progressive Conservative Party, LEOTA Ituau Ale; Samoa All People's Party (SAPP), Matatumua MAIMOAGA

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni SLADE chancery: 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: (212) 599-6196, 6197 FAX : (212) 599-0797

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN (Ambassador to New Zealand and Western Samoa, resides in Wellington, New Zealand) embassy: 5th floor, Beach Road, Apia mailing address: P.O. Box 3430, Apia telephone : 21631 FAX: 22030

Flag description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

Economy

Economy - overview: The economy of Western Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, private family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports. Increasingly, tourism is becoming a significant source of revenue, earning approximately $34 million in 1995. While registering an overall economic improvement in 1995, however, the country continues to struggle with a series of natural disasters from the early 1990s which wiped out the nation's infrastructure as well as its then-major export crop, taro root. Agriculture continues to be a key source of wealth for Apia, employing more than one-half of the labor force, and furnishing 90% of exports. The bulk of these export earnings comes from the sale of coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. Family remittances also play a key role in economic viability for the island nation - in 1995, remittances totaled $34.9 million, four times export earnings. The economy did well in 1996, supported by a steady flow of foreign aid and remittances.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $415 million (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 6.7% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,900 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 50% industry: NA% services: NA%

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1% (1995)

Labor force: total: 45,635 (1986 est.) by occupation : agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $118 million expenditures : $128 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97)

Industries: timber, tourism, food processing, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 29,000 kW (1990)

Electricity - production: 60 million kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 287 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams

Exports: total value: $8.7 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities : coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa partners: New Zealand 44%, Australia 22%, American Samoa, Germany

Imports: total value: $91 million (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12% partners : New Zealand 37%, Australia 21%, US/American Samoa 13%

Debt - external: $178.3 million (1995 est.)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA; $8.7 million bilateral aid from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $5 million bilateral aid from NZ (FY95/96)

Currency: 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene

Exchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.4570 (January 1997), 2.4618 (1996), 2.4722 (1995), 2.5349 (1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year