American Samoa is a territory in Polynesia, and it is not a sovereign state in its own right. Government sits in Pago Pago.
The land area is 199 km², which ranks it 222nd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind the Cook Islands and just ahead of the Marshall Islands. Put next to a territory most people can picture, it is around a quarter larger than Liechtenstein.
The population is about 46,765, placing it 212th of 250 by population — between Saint Kitts and Nevis above it and the Turks and Caicos Islands below. Among the 10 entries in Polynesia it ranks 6th by area and 4th by population.
The lie of the land
Plotted on a globe it falls at 14.3° south, 170.0° west, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 1,596 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Angola, Zambia and Malawi — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
No land border connects it to another territory. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, a group made up mostly of islands and island groups.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Who lives in American Samoa
Population divided by land area gives roughly 235 people per square kilometre, which makes it densely populated. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
People from American Samoa are called American Samoans.
It recognises 2 languages: English and Samoan. English, the first listed, is shared with 90 other entries worldwide.
Against Oceania as a whole it is the 14th most populous of 27 entries, and it accounts for 6.8% of everyone living in Polynesia.
The practical details for American Samoa
Money there is the United States dollar ($, USD). Another 19 entries use the same currency — the Bahamas, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the British Virgin Islands, Cambodia and the Caribbean Netherlands among them — so exchange rates move for reasons that have nothing to do with American Samoa.
Pago Pago is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
Websites there use the .as domain. To phone it from abroad you dial +1684. Its ISO codes are as and ASM, which is what most databases and flag files use.
American Samoa is not a UN member state. The dataset does not record which state administers it, so this page does not guess. Of the 250 entries here, 57 are territories or observers rather than member states.
Fun facts about American Samoa
- English is official here and in 90 other entries worldwide.
- It is a territory rather than a UN member state.
- It is 212th of 250 by population, with about 46,765 residents.
- Ranked by land area, American Samoa is 222nd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- Websites based there use the .as domain.
- Its currency, the United States dollar, is shared with 19 other entries.
American Samoa — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of American Samoa?
- The capital of American Samoa is Pago Pago.
- What currency does American Samoa use?
- American Samoa uses the United States dollar, written $ (currency code USD). It is shared with 19 other entries.
- Does American Samoa border any other country?
- No. American Samoa has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.
- Where is American Samoa located?
- American Samoa is in Polynesia, part of Oceania. Its reference coordinates are 14.3° south and 170.0° west, roughly 1,596 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- Is American Samoa a country?
- Not in the political sense. American Samoa is a dependent territory rather than a sovereign state, and it is not a UN member. It appears on this site because it has its own flag, codes and statistics, but it does not have a seat at the United Nations.
- How big is American Samoa?
- American Samoa covers 199 km², ranking 222nd of 250 by land area. That makes it around a quarter larger than Liechtenstein.
- What is the population of American Samoa?
- American Samoa has a population of about 46,765, which makes it the 212th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Saint Kitts and Nevis sits just above it and the Turks and Caicos Islands just below.
- What language is spoken in American Samoa?
- American Samoa lists 2 official languages: English and Samoan.
