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Samoa

Samoa: Political System

The official name of the German Foreign Office for Samoa is: "Parliamentary democracy with traditional Polynesian elements".

The US secret service CIA describes the state system as "constitutional monarchy under native chief".

The reader should form his own opinion and look at www.govt.ws, the official government website.

The head of state of Samoa is the king (chief) Malietoa Tanumafili II, who has been in office since January 1, 1962.

The cabinet consists of 12 members appointed by the head of state under the advice of the prime minister. After the death of the ruling head of state, the successor is to be elected for five years. One of the four chiefs, whose status is traditionally inherited, is elected.

The parliament consists of 49 members, most of whom are the so-called Matai. The Matai are the heads of families of the large family clans and are usually men. Parliament is also elected for five years.

Every Samoan over 21 can vote, but only the Matai, with the exception of two minority representatives, can be elected. The position of a Matai is inherited.

According to Digopaul.com, the official name of the country is:

The state is divided into eleven administrative districts: A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, and Vaisigano.

National anthem

Based on flag descriptions by Countryaah.com, the original text of the national anthem of Samoa.

And in English translation

As well as in English translation

Samoa: People you know

Visual artist

• Michel Tuffery

  contemporary sculptor originally from Samoa and Tahiti

• Fatu Feu'u

  contemporary painter, he lives in New Zealand

• Lili Laita

  contemporary painter, Samoa/Maori, lives in New Zealand

• Stefan von Reiche

  contemporary painter

Ruler

• Malietoa Tanumafili II (-2007

  Since January 1st, 1962, when the island state gained independence, he ruled the island state as king or chief. Together with the king of Thailand (since 1946) and Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952) belonged At the time of his death he was one of the third longest ruling kings in the world

  .

Writer

• Roberts Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

  he wrote, among other things, Treasure Island. Stevenson is buried in Samoa.

• Oscar Kightley

  writes contemporary plays such as Niu Sila, Fresh off the Boat. He was born in Samoa but lived most of his life in New Zealand.

Samoa: animals

Mammals

The only native mammals are the fruit bats, which, with a lot of luck, can be seen in O Le Pupu-Pu'e National Park.

Flying foxes are 6 to 40 cm tall, crepuscular mammals with a dog-like head and large eyes. They have a short tail, which is often completely absent. The fruit bats feed mainly on fruits, although some species are nectar suckers. Since they were hunted a lot for their meat, they have become very rare today.

Other animals, such as dogs, cows, horses, and chickens - which of course are not mammals - have been introduced by humans. Feral pigs are also mammals living in Samoa.

Reptiles

The predominant reptiles on Samoa are geckos and skinks, whereby the Samoan skink only lives on Samoa, so it is endemic. There are a total of 14 different species of lizards in Samoa. There are no snakes in Samoa.

Birds

There are approximately 32 species of land birds in Samoa. These include parrots, cockatoos and smaller songbirds. Moluccan blackbirds imported

from India are particularly common. The peregrine falcon and the Pacific pigeon also live on Samoa. The peregrine falcon is the most common bird, it is found almost all over the world. In a dive it reaches speeds of 270 - 350 km/h and is therefore the fastest living being on this planet.

The Pacific fruit pigeon is a bird that is up to 40 cm tall and is sometimes referred to in German as the tonga pigeon. But this is not entirely correct, since besides Tonga and Samoa they are also on Tuvalu, Fiji, the Loyalty Islands, American Samoa, Kiribati, Tokelau, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Cook Islands.

In Samoa they can be found in the mountain forests of the island of Savai'i. Their diet mainly includes fruits and berries, but also nuts.

insects

Mosquitoes are common, but they do not transmit diseases like malaria here. Mostly at night you can come across scorpions and millipedes, whose bite can be quite painful.

Roaches are so common that they can be encountered in even the best hotels. Ants, flies, bees and wasps also live here.

Underwater world

The shallower coasts are surrounded by coral reefs, which is where most of the marine life occurs. Parrot fish, trumpet fish, trigger fish, moray eels and groupers live here. While diving, you can also observe sea turtles, wahoos, masi-masis and sea cucumbers. Wahoos are very large and fast mackerel, they reach speeds of over 70 km/h. They are also known by the names Pacific Kingfish and Ocean Barracuda. They are common in all warm seas.

Masi-Masi is the Samoan name for the dolphin fish, also known as golden mackerel. They are up to 1.85 m long and 30 kg in weight.

Beware of the sharks that live in the area, including the dreaded great white sharks.

Samoa: plants

Trees

Frequently occurring trees are mangroves, breadfruit trees and the banyan tree. The latter is a botanical specialty and is one of the largest living organisms in the world. It is also known as the strangler fig or Bengal fig. He is a hemiepiphyte, which means that the rhizome (root stock) of this plant rises up on tree trunks, but roots in the ground. By being anchored in the ground, the plant is supplied with nutrients and the aerial roots become thicker and lignified.

Over time they develop into strains with e.g. T. enormous diameter. When the roots touch, they fuse, creating a dense network around the host tree. In this way, its main vessels are pinched off and it dies. Banyan trees are fast-growing and can reach a size of over 30 m. What is more impressive, however, is its scope. The largest banyan tree has a diameter of 300 m and is in Calcutta. The tree is sacred to many peoples because it is regarded as the seat of spirits.

The panda nut tree is known in German as "screw palm", which describes the arrangement of its leaves. On the lower part of the trunk, the trees develop strong aerial roots.

Crops

The most important crops are coconut palms and breadfruits. But bananas, sweet potatoes, yams, kassavas and taro are also of great importance. The latter is also known under the name taro. It is an integral part of the local diet. This bulbous plant belongs to the arum family and forms perennial, up to 2 m high bushes with upright growth. Its heart-shaped leaves are dark green with a fine white coating and have a diameter of up to 60 cm. The tuberous, thickened roots are mainly used, and are prepared like potatoes. Young taro leaves are also used as vegetables.

Kassavas are known by several names. The most common one is probably cassava. The plant belongs to the milkweed family, grows up to 3 m high, has a bushy habit and greenish-yellow flowers. The starchy, up to 8 cm thick and up to 90 cm long tubers are used. All parts of the plant contain a toxin, which is destroyed by washing out and exposure to heat. This makes the cassava palatable.

Besides the banana, the mango tree is the most important fruit plant.

Vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers and corn are also cultivated, as well as cocoa, coffee, vanilla and papayas.

The kawa plant is related to the spice pepper, robust, slightly succulent (water-storing), perennial shrub that can reach a height of over 2 m. The trunk is branched and has up to 16 heart-shaped leaves. Kawa has a strongly developed rootstock from which the ceremonial drink ava is prepared. The roots are used fresh or dried and finely ground beforehand.

Medicinal plants

Both the roots and the shoots of the kawa plant contain kawa lactones, which have a relaxing, antispasmodic and pain-relieving effect. Therefore, the plant is also used as a remedy.

More plants, poisonous plants

In addition to the bamboo and the fire acacia, Samoa also has the hibiscus, bougainvillea, frangipani and various types of orchids. The hibiscus is one of the most famous ornamental shrubs in the tropics. It comes with a multitude of differently colored and shaped flowers and leaves.

Frangipani is a plant that is also widespread in Central America. They come in the form of large bushes or small trees. It belongs to the dog poison family and stands out for its pink-white and intensely fragrant flowers. Their dark green leaves, which are up to 30 cm long, taper to a point, are also striking. In Asia, the frangipani is considered a temple or sacrificial plant and is a symbol of immortality.

Furthermore, eight species of Ficus have been counted on Samoa.

The breadfruit tree imported from India is widespread. This is bulky and has large leaves up to half a meter long and fruit clusters weighing up to 5 kg. The elongated, round breadfruit of the tree has a green, prickly skin and grows 2 m high. In Europe it is cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The hibiscus is also not native, but probably comes from China.

The banyan tree is originally from India.

Caution is advised with the frangipani, as it contains a toxic milky juice.

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