Knowra American Samoa American Samoa American Samoa is an unincorporated U.S. territory in the South Pacific, comprising the eastern islands of the Samoan archipelago. Its residents are U.S. nationals, not automatically U.S. citizens.
Territory of the United States : A place under U.S. sovereignty that is not a state or part of a state. American Samoa is governed under U.S. sovereignty without being incorporated as a state.
Government of American Samoa : The territorial government that administers American Samoa under its constitution and U.S. law. Its executive, legislature, and courts exercise powers delegated within the U.S. territorial system.
Treaty of Berlin (1889) : An agreement among Germany, the United States, and Britain that established a condominium over Samoa. It preceded the partition that placed the eastern islands under American control.
Pago Pago : The capital of American Samoa, situated around a deep natural harbor on Tutuila. The harbor anchors the territory's administration, transport, and fishing industries.
Samoa : An independent country in the western Samoan Islands, formerly known as Western Samoa. Samoa shares language and culture with American Samoa but is a sovereign state.
Unincorporated territory : A U.S. territory for which Congress has not extended the full constitutional framework of incorporation. This designation shapes how the U.S. Constitution applies in American Samoa.
Constitution of American Samoa : The governing charter adopted in 1960 that establishes American Samoa's political institutions and rights. It provides the framework for local self-government while remaining subject to U.S. authority.
Tripartite Convention of 1899 : An agreement that ended the Samoan condominium and divided the islands between Germany and the United States. It formally assigned the eastern Samoan islands to the United States.
National Park of American Samoa : A U.S. national park protecting tropical forests, coral reefs, and Samoan cultural landscapes. It conserves ecosystems across Tutuila, Ofu, and Taʻū through agreements with local communities.
Guam : An unincorporated U.S. territory in Micronesia and the western Pacific. Guam offers a comparison between U.S. territories with different histories and legal traditions.
Show all 26