Geography of Samoa

Samoa is considered to be a large nation because of its total area. Its total land area is 2,831 km² (approx. 1,093 mi²). Continental shelf of Samoa is approximately 2,087 km² (around 806 mi²). Samoa is located in Oceania. Oceania is a region that comprises many of the islands found in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It is sometimes referred to as Oceanica. Countries in Oceania include, but are not limited to, New Zealand and The Solomon Islands. Samoa is not a landlocked country. It means that is is bordered by at least one major body of water. The average elevation range of Samoa is 929 m (3,045 ft).

Neighbors

Total length of land borders of Samoa is 0 kilometers (~0 miles). Samoa has no land borders, meaning that it also has no neighbouring countries in the traditional sense of the word.

Cities

The capital city of Samoa is Apia. The largest city in Samoa is Apia.

Elevation

The average elevation range of Samoa is 929 m (3,045 ft). The highest point of Samoa is Mauga Silisili, with its official height being 1857 m (6,093 ft). The lowest point of Samoa is Pacific Ocean. The elevation difference between the highest (Mauga Silisili) and lowest (Pacific Ocean) points of Samoa is 1857 m (2 ft).

Area

The total land area of Samoa is 2,831 km² (approx. 1,093 mi²). and the total exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is 127,950 km² (~49,402 mi²). The continental shelf of Samoa is approximately 2,087 km² (around 806 mi²). Including land mass and EEZ, the total area of Samoa is approximately 130,781 km² (~50,495 mi²). Samoa is considered to be a large nation because of its total area.

Forest and arable land

1,050 km² of Samoa's territory is covered in forests, and forest land comprises 37% of all the land in the country. There are 620 km² of arable land in Samoa, and it comprises 22% of the country's total territory.

Read our section on climate to discover what parameters affect these and other biomes of the country.

Natural resources

The most notable natural resources found in Samoa are hardwood forests, fish, hydropower.