Place details
Place nameSāmoa Islands
Other namesSamoa, Navigators Islands
SourceThesaurus of Geographic Names
Overview
Inhabited by Austronesians of Lapita tradition as they moved into W Polynesia soon after 1300 BC; charted by Dutch 1722, by French Bougainville 1768; Britain, USA, & Germany struggled for area late 19th cen.; divided into Western Samoa & American Samoa.