Latest Samoa Stories

Removal of the Tamaligi tree (Falcataria moluccana), an invasive and destructive non-native tree on Tutuila Island, American Samoa greatly improves the health of its diverse native forests, according to a recently published study appearing in the journal Biological Invasions. A team of scientists from the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station–Hilo and the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) investigated how Tamaligi trees affected the composition, biomass, and soil...

In an attempt to realign its time zone with important trade partners and thus streamline business relations, the tiny island nation of Samoa has resorted to an unusual measure: They dropped Friday this week. When midnight rolled around on Thursday, December 29, inhabitants of the tiny South Pacific island simply skipped Friday and went straight to Saturday, December 31. Reports from the Associated Press say Samoans rallied around a centrally located clock tower in downtown Apia, the...

Community-based education and awareness programs minimized the death toll from the recent Samoan tsunami, though there are still ways to improve the warning and evacuation process, according to a team of researchers that traveled to Samoa last month.The team, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, collected data Oct. 4 through Oct. 11 to document the impacts of the 8.1 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that occurred on Sept. 29. They examined flow depths, run-up heights,...

-Organization sending response team, coordinating local efforts for concerned groups -Samoan American relief worker to lead World Vision team deploying from Seattle -Former NFL quarterback "Throwin' Samoan" Jack Thompson calls on Americans to help SEATTLE, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Christian relief group World Vision is coordinating a response to the massive 8.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck the islands of Samoa and American Samoa yesterday, killing at least 110...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is on the ground in American Samoa where a tsunami swept across the island after a powerful earthquake hit the South Pacific. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO) After yesterday's 8.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami, a significant portion of American Samoa is without power or water. Damage is widespread. Red Cross has dozens of volunteers already providing food and supplies to...

An earthquake with a magnitude of between 8.0 and 8.3 sparked a powerful tsunami in the South Pacific islands of Samoa and American Samoa, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people.In Samoa, at least 77 deaths have been reported due to the massive tsunami, more than 25 are dead in Samoa and at least 6 deaths have been reported in Tonga. The Samoa islands hold a population of about 250,000 people.Four overseas visitors have been reported dead, according to Tuila'epe Sailele Malielegaoi,...

Church bells and honking horns sounded in Samoa to mark the moment drivers across the country switched from the right to the left side of the road. The streets of the capital, Alpia, were lined with hundreds of people Monday as police at checkpoints signaled for drivers to move slowly during the transition, the Samoa Observer reported Wednesday. Police Minister Toleafoa Fa'afisa made an announcement at 5:50 a.m. on national radio telling all motorists to stop their cars, and Prime Minister...

Samoa is preparing for a major travel switch, from driving on the right side of the road to the left. The change is scheduled for 6 a.m. Monday, The Times of London reported. It will be marked by the pealing of church bells across the island nation. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has decreed a two-day holiday Sunday and Monday. The hope is that will keep some cars off the road, allowing drivers to get used to the change gradually. The reasons for the change are economic. About...

HONOLULU, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaii-based South Pacific Development Group (SPDG) has obtained a 120-year lease for 600 acres of prime oceanfront land on Savaii Island in Samoa to develop the Sasina Village Resort. The luxury resort's first phase will feature a hotel, timeshare units, championship golf course, and cultural center to be followed in later phases by additional hotels, private residences and a recreational marina. The overall development cost is estimated at $450-500...