Districts of Samoa

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Samoa is made up of eleven itūmālō (political districts). These are the traditional eleven districts that were established well before European arrival. Each district has its own constitutional foundation (faavae) based on the traditional order of title precedence found in each district's faalupega (traditional salutations).

The capital village of each district administers and coordinates the affairs of the district and confers each districts' paramount title, amongst other responsibilities. For example, the District of A'ana has its capital at Leulumoega. The paramount title of A'ana is the TuiA'ana. The orator group which confers this title  the Faleiva (House of Nine)  is based at Leulumoega. This is also the same for the other districts. In the district of Tuamasaga, the paramount title of the district  The Malietoa title  is conferred by the FaleTuamasaga based in Afega.

Political districts

Nr. District Capital Area
(km²)
Population
(Census 2001)
Upolu (including minor islands)
1 Tuamasaga Afega 479 83,191
2 A'ana Leulumoega 193 20,167
3 Aiga-i-le-Tai1) Mulifanua 27 4,508
4 Atua2) Lufilufi 413 21,168
5 Va'a-o-Fonoti Samamea 38 1,666
Savai'i
6 Fa'asaleleaga Safotulafai 266 12,949
7 Gaga'emauga3) Saleaula 223 7,108
8 Gaga'ifomauga Aopo 365 4,770
9 Vaisigano Asau 178 6,643
10 Satupa'itea Satupa'itea 127 5,556
11 Palauli Vailoa 523 8,984
  Samoa Apia 2,831 176,848
1) including islands Manono, Apolima and Nu'ulopa
2) including the Aleipata Islands and Nu'usafe'e Island
3) smaller parts also on Upolu (Salamumu (incl. Salamumu-Utu) and Leauvaa villages)

Exclaves of political districts

Note that several districts include multiple exclaves:

Electoral districts

The itūmālō are further subdivided in 41 faipule districts. They have no administrative function, but serve as electoral constituencies. The faipule districts are also used as regional units for statistics.

The faipule electoral districts are based loosely on the traditional sub-districts of the Itūmālō. For example, the faipule districts of Anoama'a West and Anoama'a East are based on the traditional sub-district of Anoama'a in the northern half of the Atua district.

Villages

At the local level, there are 265 villages. Additionally, there are some 45 villages the capital Apia is composed of. Apia does not have a common administration, the local power rests with the constituent villages.

See also

External links