American Samoa is an island group in the South Pacific Ocean belonging to US foreign territory.
Settlement of the islands was first recorded in 1000 BC. Samoa was sighted by European explorers in the 18th Century and, following international disputes in the 19th Century, the Samoa island group was divided up between the German Empire and the United States in 1899. On 20 February 1929, American Samoa became part of US dependent territory. The island state is distinct from the island nation of Samoa, which is independent.
The archipelago is comprised of several volcanic islands and two small atolls. The largest of the seven islands is Tutuila which forms an archipelago with Aunuu. The island measures 84.8 sq km. The three islands Tau, Ofu and Olosega are mountainous and of volcanic origin, together they form the group of Manua Islands. Rose and Swains Island are located north and west of the other two island groups and are uninhabited.
The weather on American Samoa islands is hot and tropical. Rainfall from December to April is very heavy and there are strong southern trade winds in winter. The best time to travel to the islands is from May to September. There may be tropical cyclones between November and April. Mean daily temperatures are between 20 and 30 ° C.
Pago Pago International Airport is 12 km or 7 miles from the capital. The airport is served by flights of Hawaiian Airlines and Samoa airways.
Pago Pago is the capital of American Oceania. It is the islands main centre of economic activities and tourism. The capital of US Samoa is on Tutuila, the largest of the seven islands. The enchanting port town is located in the crater of an extinct volcano.
The main tourist attractions of the islands are the white sand beaches, volcanic coastline, beautiful bays. Popular activities include hiking tours on Aunuu.