Names: conventional long form: Independent State of Samoa conventional short form: Samoa local long form: Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa local short form: Samoa former: Western Samoa

Capital City: Apia

Population: 176,908 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $2,100 (2005 est.)

Currency: tala (SAT)

Languages: Samoan (Polynesian), English

Total Area: total: 2,944 sq km land: 2,934 sq km water: 10 sq km slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Region: Oceania

Industries: food processing, building materials, auto parts

Agriculture: coconuts, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

Resources: hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Labor Force: 90,000 (2000 est.)
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Exports: $94 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
fish, coconut oil and cream, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer

Imports: $285 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Overview: The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, agriculture, and fishing. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, and copra. The fish catch declined during the El Nino of 2002-03, but returned to normal by mid-2005. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs 3,000 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia. Tourism is an expanding sector, accounting for 25% of GDP; about 100,000 tourists visited the islands in 2005. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time protecting the environment. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength for future economic advances. Foreign reserves are in a relatively healthy state, the external debt is stable, and inflation is low.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $8,240 in goods to Samoa. This ranks Samoa 194^th among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Samoa decreased from the previous year by $161,954 a change of -95.16%. State exports to Samoa have increased over the last 5 years by $8,803 a change of 51.55%. Missouri exports account for .00%. of all 2007 US exports to Samoa.