POPULATION 178,631
CONGREGATIONALIST 34.7 percent
ROMAN CATHOLIC 19.7 percent
METHODIST 15.0 percent
MORMON 12.7 percent
OTHER 17.9 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

The Independent State of Samoa is part of the Samoa Islands, which lie on an east-west axis in the South Pacific Ocean. The western part of the group, with a total land area of 1,130 square miles, forms the Independent State of Samoa (formerly called Western Samoa), while the eastern part forms the U.S. territory of American Samoa.

Originally settled by Polynesians, the islands came under European influence (and later European control) in the late eighteenth century. They became independent in 1962.

Before 1830 Samoans practiced an animistic form of religion. The arrival of English Evangelical missionaries in 1830 marked the beginning of modernization in the Samoan islands. Thousands of Samoans forsook their ancient religion and converted to Christianity, whose God was generally perceived to be stronger than the traditional gods. By 1860 practically the entire population...