The famous Scottish writer and poet Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of the famous adventure novel "Treasure Island" and other historical and adventure works, lived, worked and died here.
Stevenson's ballad "Heather Honey" is widely known in Russia, which is studied at school in the translation of S. Marshak.
Stevenson was an avid traveler, although he suffered from severe tuberculosis since childhood. He settled on the Samoan Islands in 1890, in the village of Wailima (4 km from the Samoan capital Alia), his villa is now the Stevenson Museum.
Independent State of Samoa takes western part archipelago of Samoa. The state is located on two large islands (Savai and Upolu) and eight small ones, of which only two are inhabited: Manono and Apolim... Samoa is washed on all sides by the Pacific Ocean. The islands of Upolu and Savai are separated by the Apolim Strait, in which the small islands of Manono and Apolima are located, where only 1% of the country's population lives.
State symbols of Samoa
Flag- is a red cloth with an aspect ratio of 1: 2 with an upper left quarter of blue, which depicts the white stars of the Southern Cross constellation. The flag was adopted on February 24, 1949.
Coat of arms- the foreground of the coat of arms is a stylized image of the Southern Cross constellation. The shield, which has a silvery base, depicts green and white sea waves, a silvery sky, and a coconut tree with golden coconuts. The side of the shield is dark blue and white. The background of the shield depicts radial patterns linked by red concentric circles, flanked by branches of an olive tree. Above the shield is a dark blue and red and white Latin cross with red rays. At the bottom of the coat of arms is the motto: "FA" AVAE I LE ATUA SAMOA "(translated from the Samoan language:" God is the basis of Samoa ") .The coat of arms was approved in 1962.
Samoa government
Form of government- parliamentary republic.
Head of state- O le Ao O le Malo (leader), elected for 5 years. In fact, his position is presidential.
Head of the government- Prime Minister.
Legislature- unicameral parliament.
Territory- 2832 km².
Population- 188 540 people 92.6% are Samoans and only 0.4% are Europeans. More than 70% of the population lives on the Upolu island, 28% - on the Savaii island. There is massive emigration in the country, mainly to New Zealand. young people have practically no opportunities for self-realization.
Religion- 98% of Samoans are Christians.
official languages
- Samoan and English. Samoan writing is based on the Latin alphabet.
Economy... Industry: forestry, light industry, food industry. Agriculture: growing and exporting taro, coconut oil and milk, cocoa, bananas and copra. Only 35% of electricity is generated in the country.
Tourism is actively developing.
Currency- tala.
Education- literacy of the population is 98.6%. There are primary public and private church schools in the country, created by missionaries back in the 20th century, in which 3/4 of children aged 7-12 study. Compulsory education. Teaching is in Samoan, but English is being intensively studied.
There are secondary schools (optional).
Special education is available at the College of Tropical Agriculture, the College of Commerce, and several trade and trade schools. Many are pursuing higher education abroad, mainly in New Zealand.
Higher education in the country can be obtained in National University Samoa, University of the South Pacific, Samoan Polytechnic University and Oceanic Medical University.
Sport- the most popular sports in Samoa are rugby and Samoan cricket. Professional wrestling, boxing, kickboxing and sumo are also popular. The country has been competing in all Summer Olympics since 1984.
Famous people of Samoa
We have already mentioned the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson.
Malietoa Tanumafili II Susuga (1913-2007)
Leader, head of state of Samoa. In 2007, Malietoa Tanumafili II was the oldest head of state in the world. He ruled Samoa for 68 years.
David Tua (b. 1972)
Samoan professional boxer in the heavyweight division. Bronze medalist at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Mark Hunt (born 1974)
New Zealand mixed martial artist and former kickboxer of Samoan descent. It is famous for its outstanding physical strength, knockout blow and "iron chin" - the ability to withstand the hardest blows to the head.
Samoan nature
The islands that make up Samoa are of volcanic origin, but only Savaii is volcanically active. The coastal strip is all indented by lagoons and coastal reefs.
Climate- humid tropical. The country is periodically exposed to tropical cyclones. The most terrible and destructive for the country was the “hurricane of the century” in January 1966, when the wind speed reached 200 km / h.
There is a water supply system in the country, but due to the poor preservation of water pipelines, a lot of water is lost. There are many small rivers and waterfalls, except for the western part of Upolu and most of Savaya. Here, the main sources of fresh water are groundwater and rainwater, although during the dry season, reservoirs often dry up. In many areas, the amount of water supplied is insufficient.
Flora samoa it is quite diverse and has about 775 plant species. Two-thirds of the islands' surface is occupied by tropical rainforests: an abundance of tree ferns, valuable species with very hard wood. Large-leaved myrtle (myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, tea tree and eucalyptus) and orchids are widespread.
Forests are located mainly on mountain slopes, and cultivated plantations dominate on the coast. On the tops the most high mountains forests are replaced by small forests and shrubs. 150 species of Samoan plants are used for medicinal purposes.
Fauna samoa relatively poor. Before the advent of human mammals on the islands, bats lived on land, and dolphins lived in coastal waters. Dogs and pigs were brought here by Polynesian sailors, and cattle and horses by Europeans. Well, the rats, of course, entered here with ships and settled throughout the archipelago.
Birds in Samoa are much more numerous: honey plants, weed chickens, pigeons, small parrots - 43 species of birds live on the island, 8 of them are endemics, for example, the toothed-billed pigeon.
Poultry was introduced by Polynesians and Europeans.
There are especially many butterflies: 21 species. Turtles and crabs are found.
There are many fish in the ocean waters, including valuable commercial fish (mullet, conger eels). And further from the coast there are sharks, tuna, mackerel, swordfish. Coral reefs are rich in shellfish.
Samoa landmarks
Apia town
It is the capital and only city and port of the Independent State of Samoa. The city is located on the northern coast of Upolu Island at the foot of Mount Apia. It stretches along the shores of a bay separated from the open sea by a wall of coral reefs. The center of Apia is built up with European-style houses: with loggias, verandas, shaded windows.
There are many churches in the city.
In the coastal area, the largest Apia church was built - the Catholic one. Its height is 90 m.
The Anglican Church, with its beautiful stained-glass windows, and the Christian Church of the Congregationalists, where the relics of the Reverend John Williams, one of the first missionaries on the island, lie.
The Clock Tower in the center of Apia is a memorial in honor of the soldiers who died in World War II.
The government building was built in accordance with European standards.
National Museum of Samoa
There is a large collection of Aboriginal craft and household items: fishing boats and nets, ceramic dishes, stone hatchets and knives, various decorative items, mats, clothing and other samples of the Samoan cultural heritage.
Of particular interest are the aboriginal tattoos, which are still popular among the local population.
Samoan culture
Most of the country's population lives in traditional oval huts (fale) - a roof made of pandanus leaves or a coconut palm tree on wooden posts. There are no walls, but the openings between the posts, if necessary, are covered with mats, which are stored rolled up under the roof.
The floor is paved with even large pebbles. Now there are hales with an iron roof.
The main socio-economic unit of society in Samoa is the community ( ainga), which consists of three to four generations of closest male relatives and women who came to the community by marriage (on average 40-50 people). Ainga members jointly own the land and jointly carry out all labor-intensive work.
Tattoos- a cultural phenomenon of the country. They differ: for men - tatau, they consist of complex geometric patterns, placed from the knees to the edges; for women - malu, they run from the top of the thighs to just below the knees.
Traditional female Samoan dance - siva... It is similar to the Hawaiian blasphemy: dancers, with smooth movements of their arms and legs, to the beat of the music, “tell” their “story”.
- male Samoan dance, in which the ranks of dancers perform rapid synchronized movements to the beat of drums or rolled mats. Its name is translated from the Samoan language as "slap", because it is accompanied by slaps on different parts of the body.
Samoa history
The oldest objects found in the Samoa archipelago lapita culture... This culture, according to many archaeologists, is the progenitor of several cultures in Polynesia, Micronesia and several coastal regions of Melanesia. Currently, more than 2 thousand excavation sites have been opened for more than 4,000 km from the coasts and islands of Melanesia to Fiji and Tonga, the most eastern region located in Samoa.
The Lapita culture is characterized by pottery - flat-bottomed or round-bottomed open bowls or goblets. Some of them had an ornament in the form of rectangular meanders, ribbons, connecting broken lines, triangles, and crescents. The ornament was applied using stamps that have not yet been found. There were also images of eyes, concentric circles, moldings of clay lumps, ribbons, notches on the rims. The firing temperature of the ceramic products was less than 850 ° C.
The main type of economy was sea fishing and the collection of mollusks.
At the end of the 1st millennium BC. NS. and in the 1st millennium A.D. NS. the islands of Wallis, Futuna, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Pukapuka and other Polynesian islands were settled from Samoa. There is an assumption that it was Samoa that could be Hawaiki- the legendary ancestral home of the Polynesians. The end of this culture is considered to be the time between 200-400 BC. AD, after that the ceramicless period began.
This period is characterized by the absence of compact settlements; they arose during the period of contact with the Europeans. Structures consisted of residential buildings, public buildings (large communal houses (fale tele) on platforms, open ceremonial sites (malaye) and houses of the gods (fale aitu). Residential and public buildings had rounded corners or were circular. No burial mounds have been found in Samoa and open temples.
At the turn of the 1st and 2nd millennia A.D. NS. active contacts were established between Samoa and the surrounding islands. The ruling elites of Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji have intermarried.
In the middle of the 17th century. Samoans traded in the region with the Polynesians and Europeans.
Europeans in Samoa
The Dutch traveler became the European discoverer of the islands in 1722.
In 1768, a French navigator visited the archipelago Louis Antoine de Bougainville, who called it the Islands of the Navigators.
Jean-Pierre Franquet "Portrait of Bougainville"
Began missionary work in Samoa in August 1830 John Williams... The Samoans were then considered a wild and warlike people, they had frequent clashes with Europeans, who before late XIX v. used Samoa as a refueling station for the shipping company.
Gremania, the USA, and Britain began to take an interest in the islands. In 1881, these three countries agreed to recognize the supreme leader Malietoa Laupepa as the Samoan king, but locals did not put up with colonial oppression. King Laupepa in 1885 entered into open conflict with the Germans, they overthrew him in 1887 and sent him into exile, and proclaimed Tamasese king. The Samoans were heavily taxed. At the head of the disaffected stood Chief Mataaf, which was very popular on the islands. The German consul ordered an attack from the sea on the villages of Mataafa's supporters.
As a result, an 8-year Civil War, in which the inhabitants of Samoa, Germany, Britain and the United States defended their interests. Under the Berlin Agreement of 1899, the Samoan Islands were divided into two parts: the eastern group, now known as American Samoa, became US territory; western islands received the name "German Samoa", and Britain ceased to claim the islands in exchange for the return of Fiji and some other Melanesian territories.
Samoa in the 20th century
From August 29, 1914, the New Zealand armed forces seized control of the islands, and from the end of World War I until 1962 Samoa was under New Zealand rule.
In the early 1920s. the patriotic organization "Mau" ("Opinion") was founded with the slogan "Samoa for Samoans", against the mistreatment of the people of Samoa by the New Zealand administration. The organization was led by Olaf Frederick Nelson, half Samoan by birth. They used the following forms of protest: tax evasion, termination of work on plantations, failure to comply with the decisions of the colonial court, the creation of their own governing bodies, etc. Nelson was expelled from the country during 1920-1930, but continued to support the organization financially and politically.
The day of December 28, 1929 is called "Black Saturday", because new elected leader of the movement Tupua Tamasese Lealofi led the Mau to a peaceful demonstration in Apia, which was shot by the New Zealand police. Tamasese was also killed. But the movement grew.
After World War II, Western Samoa was turned from a mandate to a trust territory of New Zealand, and reforms began. In 1961, a referendum was held - the inhabitants of Western Samoa spoke in favor of granting independence. Under an agreement with New Zealand, it took over the defense of Western Samoa and its representation in relations with foreign states. On January 1, 1962, Western Samoa became the first Pacific island nation to gain independence.
In July 1997, according to the country's constitution, the state from “Western Samoa” was renamed “Samoa”. American Samoa protested against the renaming and still uses the terms Western Samoa and Western Samoan to refer to Samoa and its inhabitants.
Thus, the two Samoans belong to the same nation and have the same language, but there are cultural differences between them. East Samoans are more likely to emigrate to Hawaii and the mainland United States, adopting some of the American customs, such as American football and baseball. Western Samoans are more likely to emigrate to New Zealand, where rugby and cricket are more popular.
reference
American Samoa(formerly Eastern Samoa) is an unincorporated unorganized territory and not included in the United States in the South Pacific. Main island Tutuila is part of the Samoa archipelago. American Samoa has a population of approximately 65,519. The area is 199 km².
We flew from Nadi (Fiji) on September 30, and flew to Apia (Samoa) on September 29;) It's really cool, to live twice today and skip tomorrow;) We, in fact, were counting on this when planning the trip. Crossing the date line, what could be more mysterious ?! But the Samoan leadership decided to outsmart everyone by introducing a new time zone in Samoa, GMT + 14. ;)
Flights
The acquaintance with Samoa began on the plane. I have never seen such a gathering of obese people in one place. All 10 people in our group were scattered around the plane like precious seeds, although they asked to plant the group together.
Denis and I were lucky, and the Samoan agreed to change places with me, although he was terribly indignant that he had a seat by the window and had to sit in the middle. What window is the night outside ?! Our luck did not end there, an obese girl was seated next to us, who, oh joy!, Climbed into her seat. But our fellow traveler was not lucky, they put the husband of our donut with her. He raised, in an impudent, dividing handle and sat down on 1.5 seats. Believe it or not, no one even thought to solve this problem. The stewardess just shrugged. But on normal airlines obese people are obliged to buy 2 tickets !!!
Back we specifically asked that we, our group, be seated together. And even this request was not fulfilled !!! We were again scattered around the plane. But this time, we did not leave the reception until we were given a seat nearby !!! What a bustle has begun! Despite the fact that the plane was half full and "packed", it was tiny people of an incomprehensible race. Neither the Chinese nor the Filipinos, but only the men are small and thin;) They looked like real migrant workers;)
Samoa Accommodation
I could not sleep for a minute. We got to the hotel, which was the wonderful Aggie Gray "s Resort, at 5 am Despite the fact that the check-in time in any hotel in the world is 14:00, we were promised that the rooms would be ready by 9:00, so whoever was accommodated, where I found a place. But before, we were invited to have breakfast. A chic restaurant, tablecloths and a cloth napkin for breakfast is an indicator. The dishes were tasty and varied, but the fried eggs did not work out, they stuck and spread, and he was worried and it turned out more Due to the time shift, due to late dinner on the plane, due to early breakfast at the hotel, the gap between meals was 2 hours. You could not get up from the table;)
The restaurant of the Aggie Gray "s Resort is ready to receive visitors even at 5 am
And after breakfast our fellow travelers settled on sun loungers by the pool and relaxed, read, fell asleep. I want to sleep.
We went to the ocean to meet the sunrise and take pictures. Impressive! White sand, blue water, the waves crash on a reef somewhere in the distance and near the shore the water is calm like on a lake, the birds are singing, you lie under a palm tree, you look at the kakos and get high;) And such a sweet thrill that you fell asleep right there;)
Heavenly place... Morning beaches at Aggie Gray "s Resort
And when we woke up, the Aggie Gray "s rooms were ready to welcome and surprise us. Cozy spacious room, bright surgical-clean bathroom, large outdoor loggia and stunning ocean views!
There was no time to sleep, at 10.00 our acquaintance with the Upolu island began. The island is actually small, it will take 3 hours to go around it. But our guides managed to stretch this trip for three days :) From the hotel one way and half way, from the hotel to the other side and the other half of the island;) Well, the third day - acquaintance with the capital of Western Samoa - the city of Apia. Well, it's hard to call it a city, the entire population of the island is 125 thousand.
Our second hotel, Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, urban, was located in the center of the capital of Western Samoa in the courtyard of the government building. And lying in the evening by the pool, we could freely contemplate what was going on inside. And on the porch of this building, grimy, grimy children were playing. Across the road, with its frightening height (2 floors with a roof), we were pleased with its presence by the Ministry of (appreciate) Women, something else, and social development;)
Life of Western Samoans
Well. So that you understand what Western Samoa is. These are 10 islands. But we were only on one. An island with endless white sandy beaches surrounded by a blue open ocean. Coral reefs save beaches from big waves so much so that even the foam does not reach the shore. People live on the coast. Their dwellings are monstrously poor and open to everything and everyone.
They have no walls, no windows. Only the deck raised above the ground and the roof resting on wooden columns. Fabric curtains protect the dwelling from the sun, wind and rain. The richer houses have glass shutters instead of windows and walls. The closer you get to the capital, the houses become different, because the richer (?), Some even have walls;) and absolutely rich people have more substantiated houses.
Everywhere you look, you will see a coke tree or banana trees. In general, it seemed to me that when passing passport control they need to be issued helmets at the entrance to the country. Because coconuts tend to fall, and walking under palm trees covered with this seemingly kind and harmless murder weapon was scary at first;) but you get used to everything and relax.
What people are doing here, I never saw. We saw few people here. On Sunday, all dressed in white robes returned from churches, and on Monday, schoolchildren, dressed in variegated uniforms (white tops and pink or bright green bottoms), went to school.
The grimy children still ran through the banana thickets, and the women lay dumbly on the floor of their homes. Here men wear pareo skirts somewhat reminiscent of the long aprons of our waiters.
And more interesting things. Here, women do not use washing machines, everything is done by hand. And if you consider that there are 5-6 children in a family, you begin to understand why they are so grimy. But if the wash is successful, then the laundry is hung on a rainbow, in the sense of taking into account color, tones and halftones, with all the rules for the transition from color to color. Looks like this is a kind of masochism, first wash, and then hang. Or maybe this is such a love for your island. Unlike Fiji, it is strikingly clean here, even in the most remote village.
farther
General information
Official name - Independent State of Samoa... An island state in the South Pacific Ocean, occupying the western part of the archipelago of the same name. The area is 2 832 km 2. Population - 188 540 people. (for 2008). The official language is English, Samoan. The capital is Apia. The monetary unit is tala.
The state consists of two large islands- Savai and Upolu, two small ones - Manono and Apolim and several other small islands.
Samoa has a humid tropical climate. Average annual temperature+ 26 ° C, its fluctuations do not exceed 2 ° C. The year can be divided into two seasons: wet, from November to April, and drier, from May to October, at this time there are southeastern trade winds on the islands. On the plains, the average annual precipitation is 2000-3000 mm, at an altitude - 5000-7000 mm. The country is often affected by tropical cyclones.
History
The inhabitants of the islands of Samoa celebrate the New Year with one of the last on our planet: near the borders of the state there is a conditional line of changing calendar dates, numbers, days of the week, months, years ...
This line on the globe runs along the meridian 180 ° from Greenwich, between Asia and America across the Pacific Ocean, bypassing land. The Samoans are proud of their role as guardians at the "gates of time", albeit conditional. But they also have reasons for unconditionally high self-esteem. Most of the world's ethnographers believe that it is this small archipelago, the very core around which the entire Polynesian culture has grown: myths, customs, traditions, way of life, ideas of beauty.
Archaeologists date the traces of the first human settlements on the islets of Upolu, Apolim, Savaya and Manono from two to two and a half thousand years. However, other scholars believe that these were not the ancestors of the present Samoans at all, but some other Austronesian tribes. Their real ancestors came in the 5th century. from the Bismarck Islands in Western Melanesia, and they were representatives of the Lapita culture. However, there is very little reliable information about the life of the Samoan archipelago before the arrival of Europeans here, the same archaeological excavations here were carried out only sporadically and not widely. But if we take the legends and traditions of Samoa as a source of information, and (with reservations, of course), then it comes out according to them, and here all the legends agree with each other that it was the inhabitants of Samoa who were distinguished among all Polynesians by their special belligerence. As many historical examples confirm, it is on the shoulders of the victorious warriors that customs and traditions often come to the lands they conquered, in this case to the nearby Pacific islands and atolls. In this regard, linguistic versions of the origin of the name Samoa are also interesting. According to one of them, "Samoa" is an abbreviation of Sa-ia-Moa ("sacred to Moa"), and Moa was the son of the god of the Tagaloa universe. According to another version, more common among the islanders themselves, Samoa is something other than the "sacred center of the universe." Indeed, in the Samoan language, one of the meanings of the word "moa" is "center." It also translates as ... "chicken" (more precisely, one of the local species of this poultry on some islands). But what does the chicken have to do with it? And besides, the Samoans answer, that where the chicken is, there is a house. It is truth too.
XVII century. provides more accurate evidence of the role of Samoa in Polynesia. By this time, the archipelago, the geographic center of Polynesia, became a bustling crossroads of trade and exchange in the region. From time to time, merchants-sailors from more distant countries began to look into the port of Apia. The discoverer of the islands among the Europeans, however, is not a merchant, but a Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeven (1722). The Frenchman Louis Antoine de Bougainville, who arrived here in 1768, christened the archipelago the Seafarers' Islands. His more famous compatriot, Jean-Francois La Perouse (1741-1788), also visited this place. They were all amazed at how the seemingly wild islanders live: they are clean, practical, and their handicrafts are simply excellent - both beautiful and durable.
In 1830, English missionary preachers John Williams and James Harris landed on Samoa. The Samoans greeted the reverend fathers amicably, and were baptized willingly and in large groups. This was unexpected: the missionaries met a completely different reception on other islands of the Pacific Ocean, let us clarify that both of them were eaten by cannibals in 1839 on the Eromanga island of the New Hebrides archipelago (). It is believed that the Samoans were so loyal because in their myths their gods always told them: the day will come when a new faith will come to you, which must be accepted with humility. And so it happened. And Samoa in the world began to be called the "Bible Belt of the Pacific".
And they looked at Samoa not as an outpost of Christianity in Oceania, but as a stronghold of their future influence in the region. On March 16, 1899, ships of all three countries entered the Apia harbor almost simultaneously. And then you can't figure it out on purpose - the elements intervened in the plans of the colonialists: under the blows of an unexpectedly powerful typhoon, only the British frigate Calliope survived. Well, the Americans and the Germans declared cynically, but promptly: you, gentlemen, have no losses, therefore, you do not need any compensation. For some reason, the British did not mind. Thus, the islands of Samoa were divided between Germany and the United States. Their western part, now the Independent State of Samoa, went to Germany, and the eastern part, now American Samoa, to the United States (unorganized and not part of the country). With the outbreak of the First World War (1914-1918), Germany had no time for Samoa, and in 1914 the former German Samoa was occupied, then, in 1920, with the sanction of the League of Nations, it made Western Samoa its protectorate. In 1961, the UN, being the legal successor of the League of Nations, terminates this mandate. On January 1, 1962, Western Samoa became an independent state, since 1997 it is not only a status, but also a name - the Independent State of Samoa. And not a kingdom at all, despite the fact that its first person is a monarch. Here begins the peculiarity of the state and social system of Samoa, at first glance, quite chaotic. But this is not at all the case; on the contrary, it is very slender, because it is based on local unshakable traditions.
Samoa landmarks
Apia - beautiful city, which is the capital of Samoa. One of the most famous landmark of Apia is old Catholic Church , which was built in the western area of the capital of Samoa. This church is a truly magnificent building, it makes people come to it, look at it, admire it. The height of the church is approximately ninety meters. Also, tourists are attracted by its facing - Gothic columns and vaults, as well as stucco, which has been restored only five or six times in the entire existence of the church! Also, tourists love the large windows of this church, the dimensions of which are so large that two adults can stand in full height if they are placed on top of each other.
Another attraction is Christian church, in which the relics of John Williams, a reverend and missionary, who was one of the first to come to the islands, rest. The Christian church is also very beautiful, but alas, photographing it is prohibited, both outside and inside. But you can buy photographs with her image in any shop selling souvenirs.
On the main island of the archipelago - Upolu, you can visit the Stevenson Museum, the Center for Traditional Polynesian Art, the Samoan Museum Village, Paradise Beach, scuba diving, take part in ocean fishing or get up close and personal with the nature of the interior of the island.
On the outskirts of Apia - Vallima(4 km. Along Beach Road) is the estate of the famous English writer R.L. Stevenson. The tombstone of the famous writer lying in the back of the estate looks like a look at the town, the snow-white edge of the reef and the distant horizon. After the writer's death, the islanders worked 24 hours non-stop, carving a path to the top of the hill so that the body of their beloved "tusitala" ("narrator", as they respectfully called Stevenson) could be buried the next day with full ceremonial honors. Stevenson's elegy is engraved on the tombstone, his favorite two lines: "The sailor's house is in the sea. And the hunter's house is in the hills."
Papasaa Sliding Rock("Papassea Moving the Rock") - five-meter waterfalls, cascading right into a common reservoir, lost by the shores in the intricacies of the jungle.
Savaii Island- one of the most large islands in Polynesia, but also one of the least populated. It's pristine and ancient island, which has undergone only a few Western influences, and the people of Savaya kept their way of life even more traditional than on Upola. There are a huge number of first-class beaches that are good for swimming and are considered the most perfect for snorkelling and other underwater sports.
Reserve " Tafua rainforest"- one of the most beautiful and accessible nature reserves rainforest located on a stretch of coastline with lava fields, caves and grottoes. The local lava fields, Matavanu, formed when the volcano erupted almost continuously for almost six years in the early 1900s. Now they represent an impressive lunar landscape, and a walk around the crater of the volcano is one of the most attractive excursions on the islands, and here it is possible to grab a couple of lava souvenirs with you as a souvenir.
Another tropical forest reserve on Savaii - Falealupo, has a unique natural object- a green canopy over the passage-gallery between the majestic banyan trees, woven from thousands of tree branches.
Samoan cuisine
V national cuisine Samoa mainly uses seafood, and very often raw, with the addition of salt and spices. The main place is occupied by "oka" - a collective image of the method of preparing raw fish, during which it is finely cut, marinated in a mixture of lemon juice, coconut milk, salt and onion, and only then is it further processed or is simply consumed almost raw ("ok - ua "). Other seafood is prepared in the same way - various shellfish, crustaceans, sea snakes, shark meat and even, perhaps, the most exotic delicacy of the islands - "si", which is a specially processed sea cucumber.
Many dishes are cooked in "mind" - earth ovens.
Coconuts, taro, sweet potatoes, vegetables, rice, millet, fruits occupy a special place in the dishes. From seafood, shellfish, crustaceans, sea snakes, sharks, sea cucumber are popular.
Meat was traditionally considered a purely festive dish, and the daily diet of the islanders included only pork and various poultry products, although recently this picture has noticeably changed towards an increase in the range of various meat dishes.
The dishes are served with soy sauce, coconut milk and onion sauce, breadfruit, greens.
Of the famous local dishes, it is worth noting "luau", or "palusami" (taro leaves processed like "oka", in which various fillings are wrapped and then languished in "mind"), "taisi-moa" (chicken fried in banana leaves), moa-tunupau (chicken roasted over charcoal), supoesi (papaya and coconut milk soup), supasui (samoan suei, which is beef marinated in soy sauce with ginger, garlic and onions, then boiled with noodles and a lot of soy sauce), traditional fia-fia (a mixture of various meat products and vegetables fried in uma), sua-arasa (rice soup), povi-mashima (ordinary corned beef) , "lupe-tunuvilili" (fried wild pigeon), and, of course, the traditional for the islands dish "puaa-tunuvilili" (fried pork, a kind of "puaa-tuna" - whole fried in the "mind" of a pig).
From drinks they prefer coconut juice, cocoa, "kava". "Kava" is a non-alcoholic drink saturated with flavonoids, previously prepared according to a special recipe from the root of yangona (kava) - a shrub plant from the genus of pepper (botanical name - piper methysticum): they simply chewed the roots of kava and left them in water to infuse
Samoa on the map
6 206). Part of the British Commonwealth. Occupies the western part of the Samoa archipelago in the Pacific Ocean - the islands of Savaii, Upolu, as well as Apolima, Manono and a number of small uninhabited islands. Total area 2842 km 2. Population 143 thousand people. (1970, estimate). The capital is Apia.
Political system. The current constitution was adopted in 1960. The community (aiga) is considered the basis of society, that is, a family group headed by a leader - the elected head of the community. Only tribal leaders have voting rights and can be elected to government bodies. They elect for 3 years a unicameral parliament - the Legislative Assembly, composed of 45 leaders; 2 representatives from the European population are elected on the basis of universal suffrage. The head of state since 1963 is the leader of Malietoa Tanumafili II. According to the constitution, after his death, the head of state will be elected by the Legislative Assembly for 5 years. He also exercises executive power, appoints prime ministers and ministers.
V.M.Semenov.
Nature. The islands are mountainous, of volcanic origin, composed mainly of basalts. Height up to 1858 m(Savaii island). Mountain ranges separated by wide valleys. The shores are mostly high and rocky. The climate is subequatorial and tropical, trade wind, humid. Average monthly temperatures 25-27 ° С; annual amplitudes do not exceed 2-3 ° С. Precipitation up to 2000-4000 mm in year; strong hurricanes are frequent. Due to the high permeability of volcanic rocks, there are few surface watercourses. The flora includes about 600 species, of which about 25% are endemic. An abundance of tree ferns is characteristic. As part of dense humid tropical forests growing to a height of 1000-1500 m on fertile yellow-brown soils, there are many valuable tree species (podocarpus, nutmeg, palms, rubber plants). On the coast is a coconut tree breadfruit... The fauna is poor in mammals. There are numerous birds (among them are endemics: weed chickens, toothed-billed pigeons).
Population. About 99% of the population are Samoans (together with Samoan mestizos) - one of the Polynesian peoples (see Polynesians) , the rest are immigrants from other islands of Oceania and persons of European descent. The official languages are Samoan and English. By religion, about 80% are Protestants, the rest are predominantly Catholics.
Between 1963 and 1970 the population growth averaged 2.5% per year. The economically active population (1965) is 33 thousand people, including 21 thousand people in agriculture, about 6 thousand people in the service sector, in trade and transport. As a result of unemployment, emigration is significant, mainly to New Zealand (about 16 thousand people left in 1965 alone). The most populated islands are Upolu (over 72% of the population in 1966, including the islands of Manono and Apolima) and Savaii (over 27%). The average density is 50 people. by 1 km 2. The urban population is 36% (1970). The most significant city is Apia (about 28 thousand inhabitants in 1970).
Historical reference. The territory of Z. S. was in ancient times inhabited by the Polynesians, who were at the stage of the tribal system. They were skilled farmers, fishermen, builders. By the time of the discovery of the Samoan islands by Europeans in the 18th century. (Dutchman J. Roggeven, French L. Bougainville and J. La Perouse) their population was at the stage of decomposition of tribal relations. In 1830 English missionaries founded an evangelical mission here.
Profitable geographical position the Samoan Islands (lie on the sea routes from America to New Zealand and Australia) caused the struggle for them by the capitalist powers (Germany, Great Britain, the USA); Z.S. at the end of the 19th century. took possession of Germany. In August 1914, the German colony in Samoa was captured by the troops of New Zealand. In May 1919, during the "division" of the former German colonies, the Supreme Council of the Entente transferred ZS to New Zealand. New Zealand's mandate to govern Z.S. was formally approved by the Council of the League of Nations on December 17, 1920.
The population of Z. S. constantly waged a struggle against the colonialists (the largest uprisings were in 1908-09). In the 20s. the patriotic organization "May" was founded in ZS, which led the resistance against the New Zealand colonialists under the slogan "Samoa for the Samoans." In December 1929, demonstrations were held in the country demanding independence. In connection with the liquidation of the mandate system after the end of World War II (1939-1945), the UN transferred Z. S. under the tutelage of New Zealand. The population received autonomy in internal affairs. However, the struggle for independence did not stop. The Samoan demand for independence was reinforced by a plebiscite held on May 9, 1961. On October 18, 1961, the UN decided to end guardianship over Z. From January 1, 1962, Z.S. was proclaimed independent state... In the same year, the ZS government entered into a friendship treaty with the New Zealand government, which provided for the transfer of ZS's competence in foreign relations, defense, banking, monetary circulation, and so on to New Zealand; ZS did not join the UN and did not establish diplomatic relations with foreign states (the only diplomatic representative accredited to the ZS government is the High Commissioner of New Zealand). In 1970 ZS joined the British Commonwealth.
V.M.Semenov.
Economy. The basis of the economy is agriculture, mainly agriculture. Arable land, concentrated in the valleys and on a narrow coastal strip, (1966) make up 31.7% of the total area, meadows and pastures 2.1%, forests 64.8%. On the plantations (owned by American and New Zealand entrepreneurs) and on the farms of the indigenous people, crops are cultivated, the products of which are mainly exported: coconut palms (collection of copra 13 thous. T in 1970, nuts 102 million), bananas (area 2 thous. ha, collection of 3 thousand. T), cocoa trees (collection of cocoa beans 3 thous. T in 1970/71). For local consumption, they cultivate sweet potatoes and yam, corn, rice, taro, as well as oranges, pineapples, etc. Livestock (1969/70, thousand heads): 24 cattle, 45 pigs.
There are small enterprises for the primary processing of valuable timber (exported), for grinding coffee, producing coconut oil, soap, furniture and confectionery factories. Forestry and fishing are important. The main mode of transport is automobile; length of roads about 800 km. The main port is Apia (all foreign trade traffic, anchorage of ships crossing the Pacific Ocean). International airport in Apia. The foreign trade balance is passive. The deficit is covered by tourism and loans (mainly from New Zealand). Exports: copra (30% of exports by value), cocoa beans (about 50%), bananas (8%); imported: food (mainly fish, meat, flour, sugar), as well as gasoline and products light industry(shoes, fabrics, etc.). Main trading partner - New Zealand... Monetary unit - Samoan dollar = $ 1.12.
V. M. Andreeva, V. M. Semenov.
Education. Children aged 7 years are admitted to the primary 6-year school; education is conducted in English and Samoan. Secondary school 6-year: subdivided into junior (3 years) and senior (3 years); training is carried out mainly on English language... Missionary organizations play a significant role in the school system. Vocational training is carried out on the basis of an elementary school. In the 1968 academic year, over 26,200 students were enrolled in primary schools, and over 9,400 students in secondary schools and vocational schools. On the basis of a junior high school, agricultural works. Apia College (4 years of study; in the 1968 academic year 200 students); Primary school teachers are trained by a pedagogical college (2 years of study; in the 1968 academic year, 250 students). There are no higher educational institutions. Part of those who graduated from senior high school receives higher education abroad (mainly in the United States). Apia has a Public Library (founded in 1959; 8.5 thousand volumes).
Printing, radio broadcasting. The press is represented by small-format newspapers: "Savali", founded in 1904, government-owned, with a circulation of 6,000 copies, published twice a month; private weeklies "Samoa Bulletin", founded in 1960, "The Samoa Times", founded in 1964, 5.5 thousand copies. All newspapers in English and Samoan. The ZS Broadcasting Service is a government commercial. Founded in 1948.
Lit .: Cassis V., Western Samoa, M., 1968; Nevsky V.V., Nilsson O.A., Oceania, L., 1965; Western Samoa, ed. by J. W. Fox, Christchurch; Davidson J. W., Samoa Mo Samoa, Melbourne, 1967.
Western Samoa.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M .: Soviet encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .
Synonyms:See what "Western Samoa" is in other dictionaries:
State in Oceania, see Samoa, state in Geographical Names of the World: Toponymic Dictionary. M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001. WESTERN SAMOA ... Geographical encyclopedia
Western Samoa- WESTERN SAMOA, a state in Oceania, in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Occupies the western part of the archipelago. Samoa, the islands of Savaii and Upolu (almost 100% of the territory). The total area is 2.8 thousand km2. The population is 163 thousand people, mostly Samoans. ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Western Samoa) a state in the southwestern part of the Tikhoi approx., In the western part of the arch. Samoa. 2.8 thousand km & sup2. population 163 thousand people (1993), mainly Samoans. Urban population 23% (1993). The official languages are Samoan and English. ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Noun., Number of synonyms: 1 country (281) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary
Independent State of Samoa Malo Sa oloto Tuto atasi o Samoa (Samoan) Independent State of Samoa (English) ... Wikipedia
Apia - unique capital of Western Samoa, located on the island of Upolu on its northern side. It is the only major city and also a Pacific port. The first settlement of Europeans founded the city in 1837 and since then the city attracts with its simplicity and at the same time modernity of buildings. The population of the city is about 37 thousand inhabitants.
Apia's climate attracts tourists with its hot and long summers. This tropical corner maintains a temperature of +20 - 30 degrees, depending on the season. The water temperature in the ocean is approximately +25 - 28 degrees. But in the rainy season, there are strong hurricanes and heavy rains.
Despite the fact that Apia is the capital of Western Samoa, the city appears surprisingly calm and seemingly untouched by civilization. Small buildings of extraordinary shape can boggle the imagination of a tourist who has entered the city. The buildings of the city themselves are amazing sights. For example:
- The Parliament Building, which is located in the very center, resembles a huge Polynesian hut in shape.
- The building of the Court is more like not a court, but an unusually beautiful two-story castle with a mass of columns, balconies and a terrace.
- The Ministry of Education, very beautifully decorated with Polynesian patterns, looks more like a sports complex.
There are many hotels, banks and offices of all kinds of foreign companies in the city. The central area of the city is built up with miniature buildings, most of the structures are of the European type, but all of them are adapted to the tropical climate of the archipelago. Equipped with balconies, terraces and shaded windows to protect from the scorching tropical sun. On the outskirts of the city are poor quarters with huts or fale as these houses are called in Samoa. They are built as in the old days, on wooden piles or pillars, have the shape of an oval and are covered with palm leaves... Because of tropical climate these huts have no walls, and wicker mats serve as walls during the rainy season.
The most popular place for tourists is the estate of the English writer RL Stevenson, who became famous for his work "Treasure Island". The Samoans respect him not so much as a writer, but more as an honest and courageous man who defended their people from the colonialists. Today, all of Stevenson's estate is a conservation area.
While visiting this amazing city, enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Western Samoa.
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Independent State of Samoa - Island state in the South Pacific Ocean, occupying the western part of the archipelago of the same name. Consists of two large islands - Savai and Upolu, two small - Manono and Apolim and five uninhabited islets.
The islands of the archipelago are the summits of an underwater ridge of volcanic origin. The relief of the islands is mountainous. On about. Savaii available active volcano Matavan.
Most high peaks- Mount Silisili (1858 m) on the island.
Samoa is the capital of Apia
Savaii and Fito (1100 m) on the island. I'll give it up. The surface of these islands decreases from the central most elevated regions to the periphery and in places passes into coastal lowlands. There are many fast mountain rivers on the islands.
The shores are mostly rocky, indented.
Samoa airport
Apia Faleolo International Airport
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1-star hotels in Samoa
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Samoa weather
The climate is tropical, hot and humid.
Average daily temperature approx. 26 ° С, temperature fluctuations are small ( average temperature in summer - 27 ° С, in winter - 25 ° С).
The average annual quantity precipitation ranges from 2500–3000 mm in the northwest of both large islands to 5000–7000 mm in the central mountainous regions.
The dry season lasts from May to October, and the rainy season lasts from November to April. Tropical hurricanes are frequent.
Samoan
State language: Samoan, English
Samoan belongs to the East Austronesian group Austronesian language family... Samoan writing is based on Latin script.
Samoan currency
International name: WST
Tala is sibdivided into 100 Senes.
In circulation there are coins in denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 sen and 1 tal, banknotes in denominations: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 tal.
You can exchange currency at any branch of ANZ Bank Samoa Ltd, National Bank of Samoa, Samoa Commercial Bank or Westpac, as well as specialized exchange offices and hotels.
Most hotels accept payment credit cards the world's leading payment systems, in other places it is somewhat difficult to use them - everywhere outside the capital, cash is preferred.
There are very few ATMs. Travel checks can be cashed at most major hotels, banks and travel agencies.
Customs restrictions
Transit of currency is free. Jewelry is declared.
It is not allowed to import products made of coral, shell sea turtle, feathers and skins of tropical birds and animals, objects found at the bottom of the sea, artistically and culturally valuable, not canned meat products - without special permission.
It is forbidden to import and export: drugs and narcotic drugs, weapons and pesticides.
Mains voltage
Tips
Tipping is not accepted and is not particularly encouraged, bargaining will also not meet with understanding. According to the Polynesian tradition, tips are a gift and must be given, so almost all establishments do not have them at all.
Purchases
Stores are usually open from Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 16:30, and on Saturdays from 08:00 to 12:30, but many private shops operate on their own schedule.
The flat government tax (VAGST, 12.5%) is imposed on the price of hotel rooms, many types of food or drinks and is usually included in the price of goods or services.
Opening hours of institutions
Banks are open from Monday to Friday, from 09.00 to 15.00, some banks are open on Saturdays, from 09.00 to 12.00, and even a little longer (although they usually do not work with private clients at this time).
Security
Women traveling alone should expect increased attention from local men.
Usually this is expressed in various oral comments and rarely turns into threatening forms.
Code of the country: +685
Geographic first level domain name:.ws
There are no carriers of malaria on the islands, but there are irregular outbreaks of tropical fever, which are carried by mosquitoes.
Emergency phones
Unified rescue service (fire service, police and ambulance) - 999.
Ambulance - 996.
Fire department - 994.
Police - 995.
Motootua Hospital (Apia, Upolu) - (+685) 21-212.
District Hospital (Tuasivi, Savayi) - (+685) 53-511.
apia
capital of Western Samoa
Alternative descriptions
State capital in Oceania
The city is the head of all Western Samoa
"Steering" city of Western Samoa
Samoan main city
Governor City of Western Samoa
Samoan Crowned City
In India - Delhi, and that in Zap.
The ruling city of Western Samoa
Samoan throne city
Chieftain City of Western Samoa
Samoan main city
Center of Western Samoa
Samoan capital city
Samoan Capital City
Samoan capital city
All cities city in Western Samoa
Capital of Western Samoa
A city on the island of Upolu, the capital of the state of Western Samoa
Samoa's main port, 4 letter words
Answer options for crossword puzzles and crosswords
APIA
- capital and main port of the state of Western Samoa, on the island of Upolu
- in Zap. Samoa this city is the main
- main metropolis Zap.
- the main city of Zap. Samoa
ADEN
- (arab. Adan) city, main port and commercial center of Yemen
LOME
- main port of Togo
- main sea port Togo
HILO
- city in the Hawaiian Islands (state of Hawaii, USA), economic center and main port of the island of Hawaii
Lyon
- a city in France, a port at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers, administrative center of the Rhone department and the main city of the historic region of Lyonne
ROUEN
- port city in northern France, 100 km from the mouth of the Seine, the administrative center of the Seine-Maritime department and the main city of the historical region of Normandy
CHIOS
- an island in the Aegean Sea, near the shores of M.
Asia; the territory of Greece; main town and port - Chios
