Head of state: Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi Prime minister: Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi
President: Michael D Higgins
Population
194,320
4,722,028
Life Expectancy
72.660 years
80.320 years
Capital City
Dublin
Largest city
Apia (population: 40,407)
Dublin (population: 1,024,030)
Human Development Index
0.76
0.96
GDP per capita
$40,100 US
Literacy Rate
99.7%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
4.4
7.7
Percentage of Women in Parliament
8.2%
15.5%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Pallonji Mistry ($2.5bn US)
Unemployment Rate
14.400%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
parliamentary democracy
republic, parliamentary democracy
Independence date
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
Religions
Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)
Languages
Samoan (Polynesian), English
English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
Exports
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
External Debt
$2,352,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
3
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Area
2,831 km sq
70,273 km sq
Coastline
403 km
1,448 km
Climate
tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
