萨摩亚(Samoa)
正式名称萨摩亚独立国（Independent State of Samoa）
旧称西萨摩亚（Western Samoa）
位於太平洋中南部、纽西兰东北方的一个独立国家。面积2,831平方公里。人口约179,000（2001）。首都︰阿皮亚（位於乌波卢岛）。人民主要为玻里尼西亚人，与东加人及纽西兰的毛利人种族接近。语言：萨摩亚语与英语（官方语）。宗教：基督教。货币：塔拉（WS$）。萨摩亚为萨摩亚群岛的一部分，包括乌波卢岛以及萨瓦伊两个主要岛屿，此两岛皆为火山，有七座小岛，其中只有阿波利马岛和马诺诺岛有人定居。属开发中经济，以农业为主，其他还有些轻工业、渔业、伐木业和旅游业。政府形式是君主立宪政体，一院制。国家元首是该国的元首，政府首脑为总理。
玻里尼西亚人在18世纪欧洲人来到之前已在这群岛上居住了数千年。该群岛一直为美国、英国以及德国所争夺的，直到1899年，为美国和德国所瓜分。1914年西萨摩亚为纽西兰所占领，1920年成为国际联盟托管地。第二次世界大战後，萨摩亚成为由纽西兰管理的联合国托管地区，1962年完成独立。1997年西萨摩亚易名为萨摩亚。
English version：
Samoa
formerlyWestern SamoaIndependent state, southern central Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Area: 1,093 sq mi (2,831 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 169,000. Capital: Apia (on Upolu Island). The people are mainly Polynesian, closely akin to Tongans and to New Zealand's Maoris. Languages: Samoan and English (both official). Religion: Christianity. Currency: tala. Samoa is part of the Samoan archipelago and consists of two major islands, Upolu and Savai'i, both of which are volcanic. There are also seven small islands, two of which, Apolima and Manono, are inhabited. It has a developing economy based mainly on agriculture, with some light manufacturing, fishing, lumbering, and tourism. It is a constitutional monarchy with one legislative house; the chief of state is the head of state, and the head of government is the prime minister. Polynesians inhabited the islands for thousands of years before they were visited by Europeans in the 18th century. The islands were contested by the U.S., Britain, and Germany until 1899, when they were divided between the U.S. and Germany. In 1914, Western Samoa was occupied by New Zealand, which received it as a League of Nations mandate in 1920. After World War II, it became a U.N. trust territory administered by New Zealand and achieved independence in 1962. In 1997, the word Western was dropped from the country's name.