People

• Population: 188,000 (2012 Census report)
• Languages: English, Samoan
• Ethnic Groups: Samoan, Chinese, Europeans, Tongans, Fijians, Americans, and other Ethnic groups.

Geography  

Samoa is located within the 480km Samoan archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean, about 3000km northeast of New Zealand.

Economy

• Currency: Samoa Tala (shown as WST or SAT).

Government

• Government: Constitutional monarchy under native chief
• Head of State: His Highness Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi.

Banking regulations

• The Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) is the regulatory authority for banking in Samoa for travel only.
• The market is deregulated with rates set by individual banks, subject to market forces.
• CBS provides prudential guidance.