Apia, Samoa
Encyclopedia
Administration
Apia is part of the TuamasagaTuamasaga
Tuamasaga is a district of Samoa, with a population of 83,191. The geographic area of Tuamasaga covers the central part of Upolu island....
political district
Districts of Samoa
Samoa is made up of eleven itūmālō . These are the traditional eleven districts that were established well before European arrival...
and of election district
Electoral Constituencies of Samoa
The Fono Aoao Faitulafono of Samoa has 49 members. Of these, 47 are elected from 41 territorial constituencies based on traditional districts. Two members are elected...
Vaimauga West and Faleata East. There is no city administration for Apia. Apia consists of some 45 individual, independent villages. Apia proper is just a small village between the mouths of the Vaisigano (east) and Mulivai (west) rivers, and is framed by Vaisigano and Mulivai villages, together constituting "Downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Apia".
The Planning Urban Management Authority (PUMA) Act 2004 (amended in 2005) was passed by parliament to better plan for the urban growth of Samoa's built-up areas, with particular reference to the future urban management of Apia. The city's historical haphazard growth from village to colonial trading post to the major financial and business centre of the country has resulted in major infrastructural problems in the city. Problems of flooding are commonplace in the wet season, given the low flood-prone valley that the city is built on. In the inner-city village of Sogi, there are major shoreline pollution and effluent issues given that the village is situated on swamplands. The disparate village administrations of Apia has resulted in a lack of a unified and codified legislative approach to sewerage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
disposal. The relatively high growth in vehicle ownership has resulted in traffic congestion in the inner city streets and the need for major projects in road-widening and traffic management. The PUMA legislation sets up the Planning Urban Management Authority to better manage the unique planning issues facing Apia's urban growth.
City features
Mulinu'u
Mulinu'u is a small village situated on a tiny peninsula on Upolu island in Samoa. It became the site of the colonial administration in Samoa in the 1870s and continues to be the site for the Parliament of Samoa...
, the old ceremonial capital, lies at the city's western end, and is the location of the Parliament House (Maota Fono) and the historic observatory, which is now the meteorology office.
The name of the Catholic Cathedral in Apia is the Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral but as of mid 2011 the old cathedral had been demolished, reportedly due to structural damage from the large earthquake in September 2009, with a new one being built.
An area of reclaimed land jutting into the harbour is the site of the multistorey government offices and the Central Bank of Samoa. A clock tower erected as a war memorial acts as a central point for the city. The new market (maketi fou) is inland a bit at Fugalei, where it is more protected from the effects of cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
s. Apia still has some of the early, wooden, colonial buildings which remain scattered around the town, most notably the old courthouse (the new courthouse now operating in Mulinu'u), with a museum on the upper floor. Recent infrastructural development and economic growth has seen several multi-story buildings being built in the city. The ACB/NBS building (2001) houses the Accident Compensation Board, the National Bank of Samoa, and some government departments. The mall below it is home to shops and eateries. The Samoatel building (2004) which is the site for Samoa's international telecommunications hub was built inland at Maluafou, again to protect it from the effects of seasonal cyclones. One of the newer additions to Apia's skyline is the DBS building (2007) which houses the Development Bank of Samoa.
Writer Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
spent the last four years of his life here, and is buried on Mt. Vaea, overlooking both the city and the home he built, Vailima
Vailima (Samoa)
Vailima is the name of a village about four kilometers south of Apia, the capital of Samoa. The population is 1,462 . Vailima is part of the electoral political district Tuamasaga....
, which is now a museum in his honour.
Economy
Polynesian AirlinesPolynesian Airlines
Polynesian Airlines is the national airline of Samoa and has its headquarters in the Samoa National Provident Fund Building in the capital, Apia. It formerly flew all over the Pacific but with the establishment of Polynesian Blue by the government and Virgin Blue , Polynesian Airlines has...
has its headquarters in the Samoa National Provident Fund Building in Apia.
Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
are the country's major exports, and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
goods, motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
s, meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
s, and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
are the major imports.
Transport
Apia Harbour is by far the largest and busiest harbour in Samoa. International shipping with containers, LPG gas, and fuels all dock here. Ferries to TokelauTokelau
Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...
and American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
depart from here.
Apia is served by a good road network, which is generally kept reasonably well maintained. Most of the main roads are sealed; the unsealed roads have lower use. Vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road since 7 September 2009. Speed limits are 25 mi/h near the centre of town and 35 mi/h in the rest of the country with a 15 mi/h limit in special circumstances.
The country has no trains or trams, but is served with an extensive bus service. People commonly walk around the town, or even for some distances outside it. There are few bicycles and motorcycles, but increasing numbers of privately owned cars which cause traffic congestion in the inner city. Taxis are a common form of transport.
The small airstrip in Fagali'i, which was used for internal flights and some international flights to Pago Pago in American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
has now been closed. The main international airport, Faleolo International Airport
Faleolo International Airport
Faleolo International Airport is an airport located west of Apia, the capital of Samoa.Until 1984, Faleolo could not accommodate jets larger than a Boeing 737...
, is a 40-minute drive west of the city.
Communications
Most streets are not marked with signs, and none of the houses or businesses have street numbers. There are no postal codes and there is no local mail delivery. Post office boxes are used for delivery, and a customs officer is present in the main Apia post office to check parcels. Locals refer to locations by the village where the house or business is situated.Telephone services are efficient with local, trunk and international dialing. Both BlueSky SamoaTel and Digicel
Digicel
Digicel is a mobile phone network provider covering parts of Oceania, Central America, and the Caribbean regions. The company is owned by Irishman Denis O'Brien, is incorporated in Bermuda, and based in Jamaica. It provides mobile services in 26 countries and territories throughout the Caribbean...
operate mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
services with a high rate of mobile phone ownership in the country.
International internet services are served by fibre-optic cable (in service since May 2009) with a backup satellite link. Several internet service providers offer broadband and dial-up services. The previous dependency on satellite links meant that there were brief service disruption caused by the sun passing behind a satellite, or for longer periods during strong winds when the dishes need to be "parked" to secure them. In addition to private service subscriptions, multiple internet cafes are present in Apia.
Education
Apia is home to a number of pre-schools, primary, secondary and post-secondary institutions, including Samoa's only university, the National University of SamoaNational University of Samoa
The National University of Samoa is the only national university in Samoa. Established in 1984 by an act of parliament, the university is coeducational and provides certificate, diploma, and undergraduate degree programs, as well as technical and vocational training. About 2,000 students are...
. In addition, the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
School of Agriculture maintains a campus at Alafua
Alafua
Alafua is a village in Samoa. It is approximately two miles from the country's capital, Apia. It is home to The University of the South Pacific at Alafua, the agricultural sector of the USP. It is also home to a popular tourist attraction, the Sliding Rocks, where visitors can slide on several...
, on the outskirts of Apia.
Universities
- National University of SamoaNational University of SamoaThe National University of Samoa is the only national university in Samoa. Established in 1984 by an act of parliament, the university is coeducational and provides certificate, diploma, and undergraduate degree programs, as well as technical and vocational training. About 2,000 students are...
- University of the South PacificUniversity of the South PacificThe University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
- Oceania University of Medicine
Colleges
- Avele College, Avele
- Church College of Samoa, Pesega
- Faatuatua Christian College, Vaitele Fou
- Leififi College, Leififi
- Malua Theological College
- Maluafou College, Maluafou
- Saint Joseph's College, Alafua
- Assemblies of God Harvest Bible College, Lotopa
- Saint Mary's College, Vaimoso
- Samoa College, Vaivase Tai
- Fia Malamalama-i-Siulapa College (This is for special needs students)
- Samoa Adventist CollegeSamoa Adventist CollegeSamoa Adventist College is a coeducational Christian secondary school in Lalovaea, Samoa, established in 1978.-External links:*...
, Lalovaea - Robert Louis Stevenson College, Tafaigata
- Wesley College, Faleula
- Nuuausala College
- Paul Six College
- Channel College, Moamoa
Primary schools
Most of the Villages have their own primary schools but the Churches run most of the primary schools in Downtown Apia.- Marist Brother's School, Mulivai
- Saint Mary's School, Savalalo
- Peace Chaapel School, Vaimea
- Apia Baptist School, Aai o Niue
- Seven Day Adventist Primary School, Lalovaea
Pacific Games
Apia hosted the Pacific Games in 1983 for the first time in both the city and the country's history. The Games returned to Apia for the 2007 Pacific Games2007 Pacific Games
The 2007 Pacific Games were held in Apia, Samoa, from 25 August to 8 September, 2007. The Games were also known as the XIII South Pacific Games....
, in which Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
finished third. A crowd of 20,000 attended the 2007 Games closing ceremony, which took place at Apia Park
Apia Park
Apia Park is a multi-function sports complex located in Apia, the capital of Samoa. Primarily used for rugby union events, Apia Park is the home stadium of the Samoa national rugby union team, Manu Samoa....
.
Association football
Apia hosted the OceaniaOceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
region's qualification matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. As such, Apia was the location of the first goal scored in the 2010 qualifiers, by Pierre Wajoka
Pierre Wajoka
Pierre Wajoka is a New Caledonian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gaïtcha FCN.He played one year for AS Lössi, the club representing his custom area. In 2011, he moved to Gaïtcha FCN...
of New Caledonia
New Caledonia national football team
The New Caledonia national football team is the team of New Caledonia and is controlled by the Fédération Calédonienne de Football. Although they were only admitted to FIFA in 2004, they have been participating in the OFC Nations Cup since its inception. They have been one of this relatively small...
against Tahiti
Tahiti national football team
The Tahiti national football team is the national team of French Polynesia and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football.They finished second in the OFC Nations Cup in its first three installments, 1973, 1980, and 1996. In 2009 the under 20 team qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in...
. The qualification matches commenced on the 27 August 2007 and finished on the 7 September 2007. All matches were played at the Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex, which is named after FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
president Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
.
The complex, based in Apia, is also the venue of the Samoa national football team
Samoa national football team
The Samoa national association football team represents Samoa in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation Samoa, the governing body for football in Samoa. Samoa's home ground is Toleafoa J.S Blatter Soccer Stadium in Apia. It was known as the Western Samoa national...
's home matches and has a capacity of 3,500.
Judo
The capital also hosted the 2010 Judo World Cup Olympic Qualifier in November 2010. The competition saw judoka from CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the USA take part.