Place details
Place nameSāmoa
Other namesMalo Saoloto Tutoatasi o Sāmoa, Samoa, Independent State of, WSM, WS, ISO882, WS00, Malo Saoloto Tutoatasi o Samoa i Sisifo, Samoa i Sisifo, Western Samoa, Independent State of Western Samoa, Westsamoa, Samoa Occidental, État indépendant du Samoa-Occidental, Samoa Ocidental, Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Sāmoa, W. Samoa
Latitude-13.583
Longitude-172.333
SourceThesaurus of Geographic Names
Overview
Comprises western Samoa Islands; area was settled by Polynesians (probably from Tonga) of lapita tradition by 1000 BC; large societies developed by 300 BC; controlled by Germany, Britain, & USA late 19th cen.; controlled by New Zealand after WW I; official languages are Samoan (a Polynesian dialect) & English.