Line #14 UsefulNotes/Samoa


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/samoa-map_9054.gif]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:The land that's produced almost as many great wrestlers as PartsUnknown.]]
3	->''"But let's forget that bullshit about the American Dream. The important thing is the Great Samoan Dream."''
4	-->--'''Dr. Gonzo''', ''Literature/FearAndLoathingInLasVegas''
5
6	The '''Independent State of Samoa''' ('''Samoan:''' ''Malo Saʻoloto Tutoʻatasi o Sāmoa'') is a Pacific country that consists of two comparatively large islands, Savaiʻi and Upolu, surrounded by a couple smaller islands. It is part of Polynesia, a cultural region that includes UsefulNotes/{{Hawaii}}, UsefulNotes/{{Tonga}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Tuvalu}}, among other islands. The nearest major island is Tutuila, part of the UsefulNotes/AmericanSamoa, a territory of the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates.
7
8	The islands were first settled in the 3rd millennium BCE. Samoa was once a kingdom ruled by two principal royal families, who cultivated relationships with nearby Polynesian states. The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen spotted Samoa in 1722, making him the first European to do so. Thereafter, the Europeans called it "Navigator Islands" because of how good the seafaring skills of the Samoans were, setting aside that the Samoans weren't particularly kind to them. As with the rest of Oceania, the islands used to be feared for the headhunting culture that the native Samoans practiced. This disappeared when they were evangelized to Christianity in the 19th century.
9
10	The islands experienced a civil war from 1887 to 1894, pitting the royal families backed by Germans and Americans against each other. The conclusion of the war led to the Tripartite Convention, which partitioned the islands into two separate colonies: the United States got Tutuila (American Samoa), while the Germans got Savaiʻi and Upolu (German Samoa, also known as Western Samoa).
11
12	After UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, the Germans lost all of their overseas colonies, with UsefulNotes/NewZealand taking over the administration of German Samoa. During said administration, a fifth of the population died of an influenza epidemic that was probably carried over by a ship. It also suffered an event known as the Black Saturday: on 29 December 1929, the Samoans' peaceful protest against the Zealander government was dispersed with machine guns, killing off Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III, the Paramount Chief of Samoa at the time.
13
14	On New Year's Day 1962, Western Samoa declared independence, making it the first Pacific country to do so. In 1997, it changed its name to simply Samoa, though it is (understandably) still called "Western Samoa" by American Samoans.
15
16	In 2009, Samoa became the most recent country to switch the side of the road they drive on. However, bucking the trend of the 20th century, they switched to driving on the left. This made it easier to import cars to the country from the biggest auto manufacturers in the region, namely {{UsefulNotes/Japan}} and {{UsefulNotes/Australia}}. The change also made it easier for members of the large ethnic Samoan communities in both Australia and New Zealand to ship their used cars to Samoa.
17
18	Samoa lies near the eastern edge of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+13), while American Samoa lies near the ''western'' edge (UTC-11). This means that a simple 30-minute flight from Samoa to American Samoa will set back your clock by a full day (and the opposite vice versa). If you want to experience back-to-back New Year's Days, this is the place to do it.
19
20	As a last note, the place seems to be a breeding ground for [[WildSamoan professional wrestlers]], though it must be said they also come from other islands of the region.
21	----
22	[[AC:The Samoan flag]]
23	https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/samoa_flag_5928.png
24	->The red field stands for courage. The canton is colored blue, representing freedom, containing Crux Australis, a common sight in the southern sky, colored white to represent purity.
25	----
26	[[AC:The Samoan national anthem]]
27
28	->Samoa, tula'i ma sisi ia lau fu'a, lou pale lea;
29	->Samoa, tula'i ma sisi ia lau fu'a, lou palelea;
30	->Vaai i na fetñ o loo ua agiagia ai;
31	->Le faailoga lea o Iesu namaliu ai mo Samoa Oi!
32	->Samoa e, uu mau lau pule ia faavavau.
33	->'Aua e te fefe, o le Atua lo ta fa'a vae
34	->O lota Sa'o lotoga,
35	->Samoa, tula'i, ia agiagia lau
36	->Fu'a lou pale lea.
37
38	--
39
40	->Samoa, arise and raise your banner that is your crown!
41	->Oh! see and behold the stars on the waving banner!
42	->They are a sign that Samoa is able to lead.
43	->Oh! Samoa, hold fast
44	->Your freedom for ever!
45	->Do not be afraid; as you are founded on God;
46	->Our treasured precious liberty.
47	->Samoa, arise and wave
48	->Your banner that is your crown!
49	----
50	[[AC:Government]]
51	* Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic
52	** O le Ao o le Malo[[note]]The title for the President, meaning "Chief of Government"[[/note]]: Tuimalealiifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II
53	** Prime Minister: Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
54	** Assembly Speaker: Papali’i Li’o Taeu Masipau
55	----
56	[[AC:Miscellaneous]]
57	* '''Capital and largest city:''' Apia
58	* '''Population:''' 202,506
59	* '''Area:''' 2,842 sq km (1,097 sq mi) (167th)
60	* '''Currency''': Samoan tālā ($) (WST)
61	* '''ISO-3166-1 Code:''' WS
62	* '''Country calling code:''' 685
63	* '''Highest point:''' Mauga Silisili (1857 m/6,093 ft) (134th)

Context UsefulNotes / Samoa