The villages, which are bound together by close ties of kinship, are ruled by elected chiefs and their councils. In American Samoa, apart from government service, tuna canning and tourism are the major industries. Agriculture is not widely practiced, apart from the cultivation of coconuts for copra. Most of the food is grown for local consumption. In Western Samoa fishing and timber are the main industries.
Cash crops grown for export are copra, bananas, and cocoa.
Tourism began developing significantly after the 1970s. The government of American Samoa resembles that of a state. There have been elected governors since 1978. The legislature, called Fono, has a senate and house of representatives. Western Samoa has a parliamentary system of government, with a prime minister.