Samoa | Palauli, Samoa

Country

Samoa, officieel de Onafhankelijke Staat Samoa en tot 1997 West-Samoa, is een republiek in Polynesië. Het land omvat het westelijk gedeelte van de Samoa-eilanden; het oostelijke deel is het Amerikaanse territorium Amerikaans-Samoa.

People

Samoans or Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group native to the Samoan Islands, an archipelago in Polynesia, who speak the Samoan language. The group's home islands are politically and geographically divided between the Independent State of Samoa and American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. Though divided by government, the culture and language remain the same.

The Samoan people and culture form a vital link and stepping stone in the formation and spread of Polynesian culture, language and religion throughout Eastern Polynesia.

Polynesian trade, religion, war, and colonialism are important markers within Polynesian culture that are almost certainly rooted in the Samoan culture. Samoa's colonial history, with the kingdom of Tonga, Fiji and French Polynesia form the basis of modern Polynesian culture.

Living Area:

• Samoa
• American Samoa