Hans Huffstetler, age 14, of Decatur, I11., for his question:
WHO OWNS WESTERN SAMOA?
Western Samoa is an independent country in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1,700 miles northeast of New Zealand and to the west of the United States territory of American Samoa. Western Samoa became an independent country on January 1, 1962 and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970.
Two royal families ruled different parts of Samoa during the mid 1800s and they fought among themselves over who would be king. Germany, Great Britain and the United States supported rival groups.
In 1899 the three countries agreed that Germany and the United State would divide the Islands. The United States took part, calling the eastern seven islands American Samoa. This region today remains a territory of the United States.
Germany took control over Western Samoa in 1900. But in 1914, a military force from New Zealand occupied the two main islands. After World War I, the League of Nations gave New Zealand a mandate to govern Western Samoa.
New Zealand's rule turned out to be disastrous. In 1926, Samoans began refusing to obey the law or cooperate with the unpopular New Zealand government. They continued their civil disobedience activities until 1936 when New Zealand officials met some of their demands.
After World War II, the United Nations made Western Samoa a trust territory, and asked New Zealand to begin preparing the island for independence. In 1957, members of the Legislative Assembly were elected for the first time and Samoan members controlled the assembly.
A cabinet headed by a Samoan prime minister gained executive powers in Western Samoa in 1959. Then in 1961, a year before independence, the people voted to accept a new constititution.
Western Samoa is one of the smallest countries in the world. All of the land combined occupy less area than Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States.
The 47 members of the Legislative Assembly serve three year terms. Forty five members are elected by matai, or the heads of Samoan family groups, and two are elected by the people chiefly Europeans ¬who do not belong to Samoan family groups.
The 45 assembly members elected by the matai elect the prime minister. The prime minister selects his cabinet from among these assembly members.
The prime minister and cabinet actually run the government.
About 70 percent of the people are farmers. The chief food crops are bananas, coconuts, tropical fruit called breadfruit and taro. The people also raise pigs and chickens and catch fish for food.
The annual average income in Western Samoa, including government allowances, is about $75. This is very low by world standards, but most Samoans have little need for money. They raise most of their own food, build their own houses and make most of their own clothing.
By some standards, Western Samoa is an underdeveloped country. However, the people are healthy and have ail the food and clothing they need.