Tutuila
Encyclopedia
Tutuila is the largest and the main island
of American Samoa
in the archipelago
of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands
chain of the Central Pacific
located roughly 4000 kilometres (2,485.5 mi) northeast of Brisbane
, Australia
and over 1200 kilometres (745.6 mi) northeast of Fiji
. It contains a large, natural harbor, Pago Pago Harbor
, where Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa is situated. Pago Pago International Airport
is also located on Tutuila island. Its land expanse is about 68% of the total land area of American Samoa and accounts for 95 % of its population. The island has six terrestrial and three marine ecosystems. The island is also known popularly as the "Rocks".
The mountainous regions of the island, its beaches, coral reefs, World War II
relics, and the sporting activities such as scuba diving
, snorkeling
and hiking
activities make it attractive to tourists.
Another legend that the Samoans mention is of the Flying Fox, two rare species of fauna found in the National Park of American Samoa in Tutuila. The belief is that the Flying Fox (bat) is the protector guardian of the forest and also its people.
They built up a settlement at Tula. Over the centuries, the Samoans kept in contacts with the neighboring islands of Western Polynesia, Tonga
and Fiji
.
In 1722, Jacob Roggeveen became the first European to visit the Manu'a islands and in 1768 the islands of Samoa were named the "Navigator Islands" by Louis Antoine de Bougainville
because of the fact that the islanders used canoes offshore to catch tuna. Whalers and Protestant missionaries began to arrive in the early 19th century, particularly in the1830s, including John Williams
of the London Missionary Society
. Apia, rather than Pago Pago developed as a trading station. Louis de Freycinet
arrived in October 1819 and named Tutuila Rose Island after his wife. In the 1872, the Pago Pago Harbor was recognized by the Americans as the ideal refueling station for the new San Francisco to Sydney
steamship service. In 1872, the US Navy negotiated a treaty on Tutuila to use the island but didn't ratify it until 1878. Due to competing interest from Great Britain and Germany which began to emerge in the 1860s, in 1879 the American
s formed a tripartite government of the islands after the Samoans declared that they open to all of them. The Berlin Conference of 1889 was held to discuss the political future of the islands but by 1899, American dissatisfaction of not having complete control led to a division of the Samoan islands, with Tutuila and Aunu'u forming American Samoa. The Samoans signed the agreement in 1900 and the Flag of the United States
was raised on Tutuila on April 17, 1900. It wasn't until 1929 though that it was formally ratified and the name of American Samoa wasn't given formally until 1911.
During World War II
, Tutuila was an important island for the US Marines in the Pacific
and they erected many concrete bunkers along the coastline. The island, given that it was such an important base went relatively unscathed during the war, except for an attack from a Japanese submarine on January 11, 1942. Since 1951, the island and American Samoa has been the responsibility of the Department of the Interior.
In 1956 Peter Tali Coleman
became the first Samoan-born governor and during his term protection for the islanders against the alienation of their lands and loss of culture was approved in 1960 and subsequently the Flag of American Samoa
became official. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy
appointed H. Rex Lee and generated massive funds to develop Tutuila, financing the building of an international airport, port facilities, roads, schools, houses, a hospital, a tuna cannery, a modern hotel and installing electricity throughout the 1960s. This massive development came at the exact time that the political future of American Samoa was uncertain given that Western Samoa became independent of New Zealand in 1962 and effectively stamped American authority over Tutuila as a dependency.
In July 1997 Western Samoa, by legal agreement, changed the country's name from Western Samoa to Samoa. This was opposed by the Americans, including the American Samoan islanders who believed that the name diminished their sense of identity and still use the terms Western Samoa and Western Samoans.
Today American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US but is under the administration of the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior. Politically, the island is divided into two of American Samoa's primary divisions, the Eastern District
and the Western District
.
Tutuila lies in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 4000 km (2,485.5 mi) northeast of Brisbane
, Australia
. The town of Fagatogo is situated 1238 km (769.3 mi) northeast of Suva, Fiji. The island lies roughly 530 km (329.3 mi) north of Niue
and roughly 580 km (360.4 mi) south of Tokelau
and roughly 100 km (62.1 mi) southeast of the Samoan island of Upolu
.
Tutuila is a fairly small and narrow island, measuring roughly 140 km (87 mi) across and little more than 3 mi (4.8 km) from north to south at its widest point. The area of this volcanic island of early Pliocene
age is 142.3 km² (54.9 sq mi) with a shore line of 101.3 km (62.9 mi). The hill range which runs from west to east is rugged and winding with the northern coast line having steep cliffs and unusual coast line. However, the southern part of the island has flatter terrain. Good beaches are located at many places along the beach. It has a wet tropical climate. The highest point in the Tutuila island is the Matafao Peak which is at an elevation of 653 metres (2,142.4 ft), which is highest peak in the island. There is trail opposite to the Mount Alava peak (483 km (300.1 mi)) which dominates the northern part of the island. This 9.7 km (6 mi) trail is approached by a metal stairway from the southern end which goes right up to the peak. Trekking along the ridge through the rain forests without any additional support system, the scenic beauty of the South Pacific Ocean provides a delightful sight.
In the early 19th century, navigators passed through the Tutuila, the westward island among the Samoan group of Islands (one of the four islands called as navigators islands), when it was also known by the names of Bougainville, Manuo or Maouna. Midway between this islet and the rock the navigators sighted the Pago Pago harbor, which was marked by “a conical hill on its western side and a flat elliptical topped hill to the eastward.” Leone village, large and prosperous, was sighted to the west of the island. To the south-east of the island is the Aunu'u islet.
The coastal road runs for a length of 50 km (31.1 mi) from Fagamalo in the northwest to Onenoao in the far northeast. Important towns and villages now developed in the island are: Fagatago
, the largest town, which is the capital of American Samoa with government offices functioning from Utulei (both are urban centers located to the northeast of Pago Pago); Pago Pago (a deep harbor that divides the island into two parts), the harbor town opposite to Fagatago; the Vatia village on the northern coast known for its famous beach and scenic setting, which is also a coral fringed bay; and Leone
, a safe anchorage station in the past where the Europe
ans and Samoa
ns first started their interaction in the early years of the island's history. The southwestern-most settlement is Taputimu, the western-most settlements are Poloa and Amanave, the northern-most settlement is Vatia and the eastern-most settlement is Tula.
) (These figures include Aunu'u
Island, off the southeast coast of Tutuila, which has a land area of 1.517 km² (0.585716974584876 sq mi) and a population of 476).
More than 90% of the land is communally owned. Tuna fishing
and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Urban development has taken roots in Pago Pago Harbor where fisheries and its allied industries of canneries have been established. The largest Tuna processing plant in the world, known as StarKist, is also located in Fagatago. In the harbor there is a workshop of the Marine Railways, which takes care of the maintenance and repair of fishing ships.
covering an area of 2000 hectares (4,942.1 acre) and the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary
of 66 hectares (163.1 acre) area.
, Dysoxylum
, Pometia and Syzygium
species. The montane forest in the elevation range of 300 metre consists of Dysoxylum, montane scrub, streams, bushes, mangroves, mangrove lagoons, reefs and submerged coral banks.
, Partulidae
). Achatina fulica (Giant African land Snail) introduced in 1975 is reported to have damaged gardens. Two different species of flying fox (bats) have also been found on the island (described under National Park).
Aquafauna
Hard corals recorded are 174 species of 48 genera and sub-genera.
Avifauna
The bird species recorded are under endemic category. These are: The Aplonis atrifuscus (Samoan Starling
) group; the Gymnomyza samoensis (Black-breasted Honeyeater
) group; Halcyon recurvirostris (Flat-billed Kingfisher
); Lalage sharpei (Samoan Triller
); Myiagra albiventris (White-vented Flycatcher
); Pachycephala flavifrons (Yellow-fronted Samoan Whistler
); and Rhipidura nebulosa (Samoan Fantail
).
Four species of native doves and pigeons are also recorded in all the islands of Samoa. The four species are: Pacific Pigeon (Ducula pacifica), the crimson – fruit crowned fruit dove (Ptilinopus porphyraceus), many colored fruit dove (Ptiliopus persousii) and shy ground dove (Galicolumba stairi).
Butterflies are another category of avifauna in the island. The recorded species are: the Hypolimnas thompsoni and Papilio godeffroyi (butterfly).
in Tutuila was established in 1988 for preserving its perfect terrestrial and marine environment. It covers an area of 2000 ha (4,942.1 acre) and is bound on the north coast between Fagasa and Afono villages. The Rainmaker pass is located within this park with its rain forests. The Amalau valley between the Afono and Vatia villages in the park has many species of birds and animals. The most significant faunal species consists of the two species of the flying fox (bat
s), which the local Samoans consider as the protector guardian of the forest and also its people.
The two species of flying foxes (bats) protected in the park are: Pteropus samoensis (known locally as pe’a voa) meaning “fruit bat of the forests” and Pteropus tonganus locally called pe’afaunua), which means “fruit bat of settled lands”; The roosting place of Pteropus samoensis (with prominent light colored face with brown body) is the canopy of ridge top trees, which roost alone or in small groups and are active during day time with two feeding peaks, the Pteropus tonganus (with black colored face with seal brown body) species roost in large groups (100 or more in numbers in each group) in thick forest habitat, also sometimes seen close to villages. Both species have a wing span of 1 m (3.3 ft) at adulthood, and weigh about 500 grams.
The park which is divided into three zones has a network of hiking trails. The National Park Service (NPS) maintains good information system about these trails. One such trail goes up the Mount Alva, a high peak within the park rising to a height of 491 m. A TV tower exists on this mountain and also the ruins of a cable car station of a 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long cable way which once ran between Pago Pago Harbor to Solo hill or the Rainmaker mountain (524m). This cable way, which was the only single way cable in the world at that time built in 1965, was damaged by Cyclone Val in December 1991 and was permanently put out of commission. The cable way was used to transport the TV technicians to the transmission station. The descent from the peak passes through lovely vistas of the lowlands of the park and the rain forests which abounds in several bird species. Another ridge trail runs from Pagasa Pass over a length of 6.5 km (4 mi), goes through a very steep slopes behind the rest fale (hurricane shelter), which is also negotiated through a stairway of steps and further leads down to the serene Vatia village on the coral bay.
The hurricane of December 4–13, 1991 was the worst disaster faced by entire group of Samoan Islands which was named “Hurricane Val,” which caused immense damages to property in the American Samoa and Western Samoa. The Hurricane Val in comparison to past hurricanes, was very severe and the storm force had a wind velocity of over 100 knots per hour or 166 km (103.1 mi))/hour. It was reported as the worst in 100 years in its intensity of wind force and the severity of the damage caused in the island. According to the history of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) American Samoa observatory, “Hurricane Val” struck the Tutuila Island from December 7 – 10th. The hurricane’s eye passed over the southern end of the island with winds as high as 116 mi (186.7 km) recorded at the observatory. In the Fagatele Bay of the Tutuila Island where the Hurricane Val made a direct pass over Tutuila the coral reef
was completely destroyed, a large strip of the coast was also eroded.
In response to this disaster, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) deputed an assessment team to survey the damage to the reefs. Apart from the cable way which was severely damaged and went permanently out of commission, the TV tower at Utulei, one of the three TV channels, was completely damaged by Val, resulting in its cannibalization to maintain the two remaining channels. The Fagalele Boy’s School, which was one of the oldest European style building built in the middle of the 19th century on the east coast of the island in Leone village, was also destroyed by Hurricane Val.
At Utulei, at Blunts Point there are two guns of World War II
vintage dated to 1941, which are seen in the form of two metal tubes projecting from a wall. The guns are seen at two levels, the lower gun is above a green water tank. The second gun is located 200 m (656.2 ft) above the first gun above the ridge. Both guns are accessible through a staircase made of concrete. In addition, two more guns of identical dimensions are also seen fixed at the harbor mouth at a strategic location to create a cross fire. Concrete bunkers used during WWII are also seen at Pago Pago.
Notable buildings in Fagatogo are the Governor's Mansion (1903), the Sadie's restaurant where Somerset Maugham stayed in 1916 and wrote the story of hooker Sadic Thomson, Fono Building which is the state legislative building, the Jean P. Haydon Museum built in 1917, which was once the navy headquarters and Catholic Cathedral with painting of a Holy Family scene at the beach. Also seen are the Zion Church (1900) at Leon, the old capital of Tutuila and the monument in front of the church erected in honor of John William’s the first missionary to visit Tutuila in 1832, the Radio Towers at Mt. Olotele, the Massacre Bay in Assau village where a monument has been installed in 1883 with stone cross to honor of the 11 French
sailors only who were members of the Astrolabe and Boussole ships during the La Parouse expedition who were killed by the local Samoans in a clash on December 11, 1787; 11 Chinese
and 39 Samoa
ns also died in this conflict but not mentioned in the honor list.
At the defunct cable car terminal on the Solo Hill there is monument built in honor of the six US Navy personnel who died in the plane crash which occurred as a result of hitting the cable way and crashed into the Rainmaker Hotel; two tourists staying in the hotel also died in the crash.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of 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...
in the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands
Samoan Islands
The Samoan Islands or Samoa Islands is an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and the wider region of Oceania...
chain of the Central Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
located roughly 4000 kilometres (2,485.5 mi) northeast of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, 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...
and over 1200 kilometres (745.6 mi) northeast of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. It contains a large, natural harbor, Pago Pago Harbor
Pago Pago Harbor
Pago Pago Harbor is a large natural inlet in the central south coast of the island of Tutuila in American Samoa. The capital, Pago Pago is located on the inner reaches of the harbor, close to its northwesternmost point....
, where Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa is situated. Pago Pago International Airport
Pago Pago International Airport
Pago Pago International Airport , also referred to as Tafuna Airport , Tafuna Airfield, Tafuna Airbase or Pago Pago International with airport designation PPG is a public airport located seven miles southwest of the central business district of Pago Pago, in the village and plains of Tafuna on...
is also located on Tutuila island. Its land expanse is about 68% of the total land area of American Samoa and accounts for 95 % of its population. The island has six terrestrial and three marine ecosystems. The island is also known popularly as the "Rocks".
The mountainous regions of the island, its beaches, coral reefs, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
relics, and the sporting activities such as scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, snorkeling
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...
and hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
activities make it attractive to tourists.
Legend
The popular legend in the island that is corroborated by appearance of a shark and turtle on a particular call by the villagers is interesting. The legend narrated is that a blind old lady and her grand daughter to escape from the pangs of hunger committed suicide by jumping of the cliff at Vaitogi in the north coast island into the sea below. However, it is the local myth that they are reborn as a shark (old lady) and turtle (young girl). In support of this myth the villagers utter a particular chant by which the shark and the turtle promptly make an appearance.Another legend that the Samoans mention is of the Flying Fox, two rare species of fauna found in the National Park of American Samoa in Tutuila. The belief is that the Flying Fox (bat) is the protector guardian of the forest and also its people.
History
The Polynesians first emerged in Samoa in about 10,000 BC. By 600 BC they'd established a settlement on Tutuila at Tula.They built up a settlement at Tula. Over the centuries, the Samoans kept in contacts with the neighboring islands of Western Polynesia, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
.
In 1722, Jacob Roggeveen became the first European to visit the Manu'a islands and in 1768 the islands of Samoa were named the "Navigator Islands" by Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of James Cook, he took part in the French and Indian War and the unsuccessful French attempt to defend Canada from Britain...
because of the fact that the islanders used canoes offshore to catch tuna. Whalers and Protestant missionaries began to arrive in the early 19th century, particularly in the1830s, including John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
of the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
. Apia, rather than Pago Pago developed as a trading station. Louis de Freycinet
Louis de Freycinet
Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet was a French navigator. He circumnavigated the earth, and was one of the first to produce a comprehensive map of the coastline of Australia.-Biography:...
arrived in October 1819 and named Tutuila Rose Island after his wife. In the 1872, the Pago Pago Harbor was recognized by the Americans as the ideal refueling station for the new San Francisco to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
steamship service. In 1872, the US Navy negotiated a treaty on Tutuila to use the island but didn't ratify it until 1878. Due to competing interest from Great Britain and Germany which began to emerge in the 1860s, in 1879 the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
s formed a tripartite government of the islands after the Samoans declared that they open to all of them. The Berlin Conference of 1889 was held to discuss the political future of the islands but by 1899, American dissatisfaction of not having complete control led to a division of the Samoan islands, with Tutuila and Aunu'u forming American Samoa. The Samoans signed the agreement in 1900 and the Flag of the United States
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
was raised on Tutuila on April 17, 1900. It wasn't until 1929 though that it was formally ratified and the name of American Samoa wasn't given formally until 1911.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Tutuila was an important island for the US Marines in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and they erected many concrete bunkers along the coastline. The island, given that it was such an important base went relatively unscathed during the war, except for an attack from a Japanese submarine on January 11, 1942. Since 1951, the island and American Samoa has been the responsibility of the Department of the Interior.
In 1956 Peter Tali Coleman
Peter Tali Coleman
Peter Tali Coleman was the first person of Samoan descent to be appointed governor of American Samoa and later became the territory's first popularly elected governor. A member of the Republican Party, he is the only U.S...
became the first Samoan-born governor and during his term protection for the islanders against the alienation of their lands and loss of culture was approved in 1960 and subsequently the Flag of American Samoa
Flag of American Samoa
The flag of the territory of American Samoa was adopted on April 24, 1960. The eagle present on the flag represents the nation's relationship with the United States. The eagle holds traditional symbols of power among Samoan chiefs in its claws....
became official. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
appointed H. Rex Lee and generated massive funds to develop Tutuila, financing the building of an international airport, port facilities, roads, schools, houses, a hospital, a tuna cannery, a modern hotel and installing electricity throughout the 1960s. This massive development came at the exact time that the political future of American Samoa was uncertain given that Western Samoa became independent of New Zealand in 1962 and effectively stamped American authority over Tutuila as a dependency.
In July 1997 Western Samoa, by legal agreement, changed the country's name from Western Samoa to Samoa. This was opposed by the Americans, including the American Samoan islanders who believed that the name diminished their sense of identity and still use the terms Western Samoa and Western Samoans.
Today American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US but is under the administration of the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior. Politically, the island is divided into two of American Samoa's primary divisions, the Eastern District
Eastern District, American Samoa
The Eastern District is one of the primary divisions of American Samoa. It consists of the eastern portion of Tutuila, American Samoa's largest island, plus the island of Aunu'u. The district has a land area of 67.027 km² and a 2000 census population of 23,441. It contains 34 villages plus a...
and the Western District
Western District, American Samoa
The Western District is one of the primary divisions of American Samoa. It consists of the western portion of Tutuila Island. It has a land area of 74.781 km² and contains 29 villages plus a part of Nu'uuli village. Among these is the largest village of American Samoa, Tafuna, at its eastern end...
.
Geography
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, 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...
. The town of Fagatogo is situated 1238 km (769.3 mi) northeast of Suva, Fiji. The island lies roughly 530 km (329.3 mi) north of Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
and roughly 580 km (360.4 mi) south of Tokelau
Tokelau
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 roughly 100 km (62.1 mi) southeast of the Samoan island of Upolu
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
.
Tutuila is a fairly small and narrow island, measuring roughly 140 km (87 mi) across and little more than 3 mi (4.8 km) from north to south at its widest point. The area of this volcanic island of early Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
age is 142.3 km² (54.9 sq mi) with a shore line of 101.3 km (62.9 mi). The hill range which runs from west to east is rugged and winding with the northern coast line having steep cliffs and unusual coast line. However, the southern part of the island has flatter terrain. Good beaches are located at many places along the beach. It has a wet tropical climate. The highest point in the Tutuila island is the Matafao Peak which is at an elevation of 653 metres (2,142.4 ft), which is highest peak in the island. There is trail opposite to the Mount Alava peak (483 km (300.1 mi)) which dominates the northern part of the island. This 9.7 km (6 mi) trail is approached by a metal stairway from the southern end which goes right up to the peak. Trekking along the ridge through the rain forests without any additional support system, the scenic beauty of the South Pacific Ocean provides a delightful sight.
In the early 19th century, navigators passed through the Tutuila, the westward island among the Samoan group of Islands (one of the four islands called as navigators islands), when it was also known by the names of Bougainville, Manuo or Maouna. Midway between this islet and the rock the navigators sighted the Pago Pago harbor, which was marked by “a conical hill on its western side and a flat elliptical topped hill to the eastward.” Leone village, large and prosperous, was sighted to the west of the island. To the south-east of the island is the Aunu'u islet.
The coastal road runs for a length of 50 km (31.1 mi) from Fagamalo in the northwest to Onenoao in the far northeast. Important towns and villages now developed in the island are: Fagatago
Fagatogo, American Samoa
Fagatogo is village situated on Tutuila Island, Pago Pago Harbour. Population is 3000. Fagatogo is listed in the Constitution of American Samoa as the official seat of government.)-External links:...
, the largest town, which is the capital of American Samoa with government offices functioning from Utulei (both are urban centers located to the northeast of Pago Pago); Pago Pago (a deep harbor that divides the island into two parts), the harbor town opposite to Fagatago; the Vatia village on the northern coast known for its famous beach and scenic setting, which is also a coral fringed bay; and Leone
Leone, American Samoa
- Tsunami :Leone was devastated by a tsunami on September 29, 2009. The tsunami was generated by a magnitude 8.0 suboceanic earthquake.- References :...
, a safe anchorage station in the past where the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans and 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...
ns first started their interaction in the early years of the island's history. The southwestern-most settlement is Taputimu, the western-most settlements are Poloa and Amanave, the northern-most settlement is Vatia and the eastern-most settlement is Tula.
Demographics
The island has population of 55,876 (2000 censusUnited States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
) (These figures include Aunu'u
Aunu'u
Aunu'u is a small volcanic island off the southeastern shore of Tutuila in American Samoa. It has a land area of and a 2000 census population of 476 persons. Politically it is a part of the Eastern District, one of the primary divisions of American Samoa....
Island, off the southeast coast of Tutuila, which has a land area of 1.517 km² (0.585716974584876 sq mi) and a population of 476).
Economic activity
Tutuila has a traditional Polynesian economy, mainly provided by subsistence agriculture and fishing, although tourism is a promising developing sector. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its commerce, although American Samoa does not treat the US as an external trade partner. Funding from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes.More than 90% of the land is communally owned. Tuna fishing
Tuna Fishing
Tuna Fishing was painted by Salvador Dalí in 1966-1967 and is seen by many as one of Dalí's last masterpieces. Filled chaotically with the violent struggle of the men in the picture and the big fish...
and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Urban development has taken roots in Pago Pago Harbor where fisheries and its allied industries of canneries have been established. The largest Tuna processing plant in the world, known as StarKist, is also located in Fagatago. In the harbor there is a workshop of the Marine Railways, which takes care of the maintenance and repair of fishing ships.
Ecosystem
The island has six terrestrial and three marine ecosystem. There are two protected areas in the island namely, the National ParkNational Park of American Samoa
The National Park of American Samoa is a national park on the American territory of American Samoa, distributed across three separate islands: Tutuila, Ofu-Olosega, and Ta‘ū. The park includes coral reefs and rain forest and is popular for hiking, snorkeling, and scuba diving, although the primary...
covering an area of 2000 hectares (4,942.1 acre) and the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a national marine sanctuary in American Samoa. It is the smallest, yet one of the most important, marine sanctuaries as it is home to more fish and marine mammals than any other marine sanctuary...
of 66 hectares (163.1 acre) area.
Flora
Flora in the island is dominated by low land and montane rain forests. The low land rain forest at elevation less than 300 km (186.4 mi) is dominated by DiospyrosDiospyros
Diospyros is a genus of about 450–500 species of deciduous and evergreen trees. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. They are commonly known as ebony or persimmon trees...
, Dysoxylum
Dysoxylum
Dysoxylum is a flowering plant genus in the mahogany family . There are about 70 species, mainly trees, occurring from Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia and through to other parts of the western Pacific Ocean...
, Pometia and Syzygium
Syzygium
Syzygium is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1100 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific...
species. The montane forest in the elevation range of 300 metre consists of Dysoxylum, montane scrub, streams, bushes, mangroves, mangrove lagoons, reefs and submerged coral banks.
Fauna
There are 19 species of land snails in the island out of which 11 are endemic and four are in the threatened category. Mt. Matafao, which has many species of snails, has been researched from this angle since 1917; some of the endemic snails reported here are the Diastole matafaoi (endemic and may be extinct) and Samoana abbreviata (short Samoan Tree SnailSnail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
, Partulidae
Partulidae
Partulidae is a family of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the infraorder Stylommatophora, endemic to Pacific islands.- Genera :Partulidae is divided into three genera:* Eua has four species, confined to Tonga and Samoa....
). Achatina fulica (Giant African land Snail) introduced in 1975 is reported to have damaged gardens. Two different species of flying fox (bats) have also been found on the island (described under National Park).
Aquafauna
Hard corals recorded are 174 species of 48 genera and sub-genera.
Avifauna
The bird species recorded are under endemic category. These are: The Aplonis atrifuscus (Samoan Starling
Samoan Starling
The Samoan Starling is a large starling of the family Sturnidae. It is found in American Samoa and Samoa. The species has a dark brown, glossy appearance, with a long bill. Its natural habitat is tropical moist forest on volcanic islands, where it is common and more conspicuous than the...
) group; the Gymnomyza samoensis (Black-breasted Honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
) group; Halcyon recurvirostris (Flat-billed Kingfisher
Flat-billed Kingfisher
The Flat-billed Kingfisher is a species of bird in the Alcedinidae family.It is endemic to Samoa.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 24 July 2007....
); Lalage sharpei (Samoan Triller
Samoan Triller
The Samoan Triller is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family.It is endemic to Samoa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and plantations .It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
); Myiagra albiventris (White-vented Flycatcher
Samoan Flycatcher
The Samoan Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Samoa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, and rural gardens....
); Pachycephala flavifrons (Yellow-fronted Samoan Whistler
Samoan Whistler
The Samoan Whistler , also known as the Yellow-fronted Whistler, is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is endemic to Samoa, where found in forest, plantations and gardens...
); and Rhipidura nebulosa (Samoan Fantail
Samoan Fantail
The Samoan Fantail is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family.It is endemic to Samoa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
).
Four species of native doves and pigeons are also recorded in all the islands of Samoa. The four species are: Pacific Pigeon (Ducula pacifica), the crimson – fruit crowned fruit dove (Ptilinopus porphyraceus), many colored fruit dove (Ptiliopus persousii) and shy ground dove (Galicolumba stairi).
Butterflies are another category of avifauna in the island. The recorded species are: the Hypolimnas thompsoni and Papilio godeffroyi (butterfly).
National Park of American Samoa
The National Park of American SamoaNational Park of American Samoa
The National Park of American Samoa is a national park on the American territory of American Samoa, distributed across three separate islands: Tutuila, Ofu-Olosega, and Ta‘ū. The park includes coral reefs and rain forest and is popular for hiking, snorkeling, and scuba diving, although the primary...
in Tutuila was established in 1988 for preserving its perfect terrestrial and marine environment. It covers an area of 2000 ha (4,942.1 acre) and is bound on the north coast between Fagasa and Afono villages. The Rainmaker pass is located within this park with its rain forests. The Amalau valley between the Afono and Vatia villages in the park has many species of birds and animals. The most significant faunal species consists of the two species of the flying fox (bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s), which the local Samoans consider as the protector guardian of the forest and also its people.
The two species of flying foxes (bats) protected in the park are: Pteropus samoensis (known locally as pe’a voa) meaning “fruit bat of the forests” and Pteropus tonganus locally called pe’afaunua), which means “fruit bat of settled lands”; The roosting place of Pteropus samoensis (with prominent light colored face with brown body) is the canopy of ridge top trees, which roost alone or in small groups and are active during day time with two feeding peaks, the Pteropus tonganus (with black colored face with seal brown body) species roost in large groups (100 or more in numbers in each group) in thick forest habitat, also sometimes seen close to villages. Both species have a wing span of 1 m (3.3 ft) at adulthood, and weigh about 500 grams.
The park which is divided into three zones has a network of hiking trails. The National Park Service (NPS) maintains good information system about these trails. One such trail goes up the Mount Alva, a high peak within the park rising to a height of 491 m. A TV tower exists on this mountain and also the ruins of a cable car station of a 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long cable way which once ran between Pago Pago Harbor to Solo hill or the Rainmaker mountain (524m). This cable way, which was the only single way cable in the world at that time built in 1965, was damaged by Cyclone Val in December 1991 and was permanently put out of commission. The cable way was used to transport the TV technicians to the transmission station. The descent from the peak passes through lovely vistas of the lowlands of the park and the rain forests which abounds in several bird species. Another ridge trail runs from Pagasa Pass over a length of 6.5 km (4 mi), goes through a very steep slopes behind the rest fale (hurricane shelter), which is also negotiated through a stairway of steps and further leads down to the serene Vatia village on the coral bay.
Natural disasters
Hurricanes or tropical cyclones have been frequently striking the Samoan Island for centuries. To monitor and give advance warning of the cyclones, several Observation stations have been established under the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in American Samoa. After the first recorded hurricane (at least in modern times) hit the Samoan islands on February 10, 1966, which was declared a major disaster, “hurricane homes” called as “fale afa” have been built in the islands for people to take shelter during cyclonic storms. After the hurricane in 1966 the islands have witnessed many disasters due to heavy rains, hurricanes and drought; due to drought in 1974, due to floods, mudslides and landslides in 1979; and due to hurricanes in 1981, 1987, 1990, 1991 and 2004; and a tsunami in 2009.The hurricane of December 4–13, 1991 was the worst disaster faced by entire group of Samoan Islands which was named “Hurricane Val,” which caused immense damages to property in the American Samoa and Western Samoa. The Hurricane Val in comparison to past hurricanes, was very severe and the storm force had a wind velocity of over 100 knots per hour or 166 km (103.1 mi))/hour. It was reported as the worst in 100 years in its intensity of wind force and the severity of the damage caused in the island. According to the history of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) American Samoa observatory, “Hurricane Val” struck the Tutuila Island from December 7 – 10th. The hurricane’s eye passed over the southern end of the island with winds as high as 116 mi (186.7 km) recorded at the observatory. In the Fagatele Bay of the Tutuila Island where the Hurricane Val made a direct pass over Tutuila the coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
was completely destroyed, a large strip of the coast was also eroded.
In response to this disaster, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA) deputed an assessment team to survey the damage to the reefs. Apart from the cable way which was severely damaged and went permanently out of commission, the TV tower at Utulei, one of the three TV channels, was completely damaged by Val, resulting in its cannibalization to maintain the two remaining channels. The Fagalele Boy’s School, which was one of the oldest European style building built in the middle of the 19th century on the east coast of the island in Leone village, was also destroyed by Hurricane Val.
Places of historical interest
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
vintage dated to 1941, which are seen in the form of two metal tubes projecting from a wall. The guns are seen at two levels, the lower gun is above a green water tank. The second gun is located 200 m (656.2 ft) above the first gun above the ridge. Both guns are accessible through a staircase made of concrete. In addition, two more guns of identical dimensions are also seen fixed at the harbor mouth at a strategic location to create a cross fire. Concrete bunkers used during WWII are also seen at Pago Pago.
Notable buildings in Fagatogo are the Governor's Mansion (1903), the Sadie's restaurant where Somerset Maugham stayed in 1916 and wrote the story of hooker Sadic Thomson, Fono Building which is the state legislative building, the Jean P. Haydon Museum built in 1917, which was once the navy headquarters and Catholic Cathedral with painting of a Holy Family scene at the beach. Also seen are the Zion Church (1900) at Leon, the old capital of Tutuila and the monument in front of the church erected in honor of John William’s the first missionary to visit Tutuila in 1832, the Radio Towers at Mt. Olotele, the Massacre Bay in Assau village where a monument has been installed in 1883 with stone cross to honor of the 11 French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
sailors only who were members of the Astrolabe and Boussole ships during the La Parouse expedition who were killed by the local Samoans in a clash on December 11, 1787; 11 Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
and 39 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...
ns also died in this conflict but not mentioned in the honor list.
At the defunct cable car terminal on the Solo Hill there is monument built in honor of the six US Navy personnel who died in the plane crash which occurred as a result of hitting the cable way and crashed into the Rainmaker Hotel; two tourists staying in the hotel also died in the crash.