Territory of American Samoa integrated water quality monitoring and assessment report, 2006

Abstract

The Territory of American Samoa lies roughly 14 degrees south of the equator between longitude 169 and 173 west and about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. The principal islands are Tutuila, Aunu'u, and the Manu'a islands (a cluster of three islands, Ta'u, Ofu and Olosega, located about 65 miles east of Tutuila). Swains Island, a small island with a population of less than 25 and Rose Atoll, an uninhabited atoll about 120 miles east of Tutuila make up the remainder of the territory. The population of the territory was 57,291 people in the year 2000, of which approximately 97% live on the island of Tutuila. The islands of American Samoa are volcanic in origin and exhibit the rugged topographic relief common to the Pacific volcanic islands. The climate of the territory is tropical, with uniform high temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. Mean daily temperature during the year varies from about 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum altitude is about 3,180 ft. above mean sea level at the summit of Lata Mountain on Ta'u Island. Tutuila, with an area of 53 square miles, is the largest island in the territory. It is approximately 20 miles long and ranges in width from less than one mile, to a maximum of 5 miles at the Tafuna Leone plain. A sharp-crested ridge 1,000 to 2,000 feet high with steeply eroded slopes dominates the entire length of the island.