The Government of Samoa - The World Countries

Samoa - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Samoa, it was the meaning of Samoa is disputed; some modern explanations are that the "sa" connotes "sacred" and "moa" indicates "center," so the name can mean "Holy Center"; alternatively, some assertions state that it can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology; the name, however, may go back to Proto-Polynesian (PPn) times (before 1000 B.C.); a plausible PPn reconstruction has the first syllable as "sa'a" meaning "tribe or people" and "moa" meaning "deep sea or ocean" to convey the meaning "people of the deep sea". The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

National symbols

Southern Cross constellation (five, five-pointed stars); national colors: red, white, blue.

The flag

The National flag of Samoa has red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white, five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation; red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity.

note: similar to the flag of Taiwan

The National Anthem

Title	"O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa" (The Banner of Freedom)
Lyric/music	Sauni Liga KURESA

note: adopted 1962; also known as "Samoa Tula'i" (Samoa Arise)

More about the government of Samoa

Constitution
Date of Independence	1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday	Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, but it is observed in June
Legal system	mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
History	Several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962
Amendments	Proposed as an act by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the third reading - provided at least 90 days have elapsed since the second reading, and assent of the chief of state; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles on customary land or constitutional amendment procedures also requires at least two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2020
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	no
Citizenship by descent only	at least one parent must be a citizen of Samoa
Dual citizenship recognized	no
Residency requirement for naturalization	5 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017)
Head of government	Prime Minister FIAME Naomi Mata’afa (since 24 May 2021)
Cabinet	Cabinet appointed by the chief of state on the advice of the prime minister
Elections/appointments	chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (2-term limit); election last held on 23 August 2022 (next to be held in 2026); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state, approved by the Legislative Assembly
Election results	TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (independent) unanimously reelected by the Legislative Assembly
Legislative branch
Description	Unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (54 seats); members from single-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote, with a minimum 10% representation of women in the Assembly required; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections	Election last held on 9 April 2021 (next election to be held in 2026)
Election results	Percent of vote by party - HRPP 55%, FAST 37%, TSP 3%, independent 5%; seats by party – 35 FAST, HRPP 18, independent 1; composition - men 47, women 7, percentage women 13%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 2 Supreme Court judges and meets once or twice a year); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several judges)
Judge selection and term of office	Chief justice appointed by the chief of state upon the advice of the prime minister; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general and an appointee of the Minister of Justice; judges normally serve until retirement at age 68
Subordinate courts	District Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village fono or village chief councils
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Pa’olelei LUTERU (since 7 July 2021); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN
Chancery	685 Third Avenue, 44th Street, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017
Telephone	[1] (212) 599-6196
FAX	[1] (212) 599-0797
Email address and website	[email protected] About \| Samoa Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Consulate(s) general	Pago Pago (American Samoa)
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	The US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa
Embassy	5th Floor, Accident Corporation Building, Matafele Apia
Mailing address	4400 Apia Place, Washington DC 20521-4400
Telephone	[685] 21-436
FAX	[685] 22-030
Email address and website	[email protected] https://ws.usembassy.gov/