page_title: American Samoa
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: American Samoa / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: Vatia from the Tuafanua Trail in the National Park of American Samoa
context_page_description: American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Samoa. Its location is centered on 14.2710° S, 170.1322° W. It is east of the International Date Line, while Samoa is west of the Line.
  American Samoa consists of five main islands and two coral atolls. The largest and most populous island is Tutuila, with the Manuʻa Islands, Rose Atoll, and Swains Island also included in the territory. All islands except for Swains Island are part of the Samoan Islands, located west of the Cook Islands, north of Tonga, and some 300 miles south of Tokelau. To the west are the islands of the Wallis and Futuna group.
  As of 2020 the population of American Samoa is approximately 55,212 people.
  Most American Samoans are bilingual and can speak English and Samoan fluently.
  The total land area is 199 square kilometers, slightly more than Washington, D.C. American Samoa is the southernmost territory of the United States and one of two U.S. territories south of the Equator, along with the uninhabited Jarvis Island. Tuna products are the main exports, and the main trading partner is the rest of the United States.
context_section_description: American Samoa, located within the geographical region of Oceania, is one of only two possessions of the United States in the Southern Hemisphere, the other being Jarvis Island. Its total land area is 76.1 square miles (197.1 km²)—slightly larger than Washington, D.C.—consisting of five rugged, volcanic islands and two coral atolls. The five volcanic islands are Tutuila, Aunu'u, Ofu, Olosega, and Ta‘ū. The coral atolls are Swains and Rose Atoll. Of the seven islands, Rose Atoll is the only uninhabited one; it is a Marine National Monument. American Samoa is the southernmost reach of the United States at fourteen degrees below the equator.
  Due to its positioning in the South Pacific Ocean, it is frequently hit by tropical cyclones between November and April. Rose Atoll is the easternmost point of the territory. American Samoa's Rose Atoll is the southernmost point of the United States. American Samoa is home to the National Park of American Samoa.
  The highest mountains are: Lata Mountain (Ta‘ū), 3,170 ft (970 m); Matafao Peak, 2,141 ft (653 m); Piumafua (Olosega), 2,095 ft (639 m); and Tumutumu (Ofu), 1,621 ft (494 m). Mount Pioa, nicknamed the Rainmaker, is 1,718 ft (524 m). American Samoa is also home to some of the world's highest sea cliffs at 3,000 ft (910 m).
  The Vailulu'u Seamount, an active submerged volcano, lies 28 miles (45 km) east of Ta‘ū in American Samoa. It was discovered in 1975 and has since been studied by an international team of scientists, contributing towards understanding of the Earth's fundamental processes. Growing inside the summit crater of Va'ilulu'u is an active underwater volcanic cone, named after Samoa's goddess of war, Nafanua.
caption: Coastline of American Samoa (in Vatia)
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "3264", "Image ImageLength": "1836", "Image Make": "samsung", "Image Model": "SAMSUNG-SM-G890A", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "G890AUCS7DRE1", "Image DateTime": "2018:06:17 12:08:28", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "234", "Thumbnail ImageWidth": "480", "Thumbnail ImageLength": "272", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "936", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "16950", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/2560", "EXIF FNumber": "19/10", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "40", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2018:06:17 12:08:28", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2018:06:17 12:08:28", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "283/25", "EXIF ApertureValue": "37/20", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "228/25", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "37/20", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "43/10", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3264", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1836", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "28", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF ImageUniqueID": "A16LLIC08SM A16LLJL02GM"}