|
|
 |
   |
|
| |
Samoa |
| |
King
Malietoa |
| |
Constitutional
kingship |
| |
As Samoa 's longest- reigning head
of state, HH Malietoa keeps things peaceful
on all sides Of all the countries represented
in the celebrations honouring His Majesty's
coronation anniversary, the Independent
State of Samoa might be, at least on
the surface, the most dissimilar to
Thailand . The Samoan archipelago, located
half-way between New Zealand and Hawaii
in the South Pacific, is divided between
Samoa (the capital is Apia ) and American
Samoa (the capital is Pago Pago ).
Samoa 's hereditary ruler – the third-longest
serving head of state in the world –
is not called “king”. Instead, the title
of HH Malietoa Tanumafili II is “Head
of State”, a position he has held since
1962, when Samoa became the first Polynesian
nation to re-establish its independence
in the 20th century. In the complex
Samoan environment, however, he held
the position jointly with his fellow
ruler Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole until the
following year when Tupua Tamasese Meea'ole
died. His Highness then became sole
head of state for life. The elaborate
Samoan culture has been affected in
part by its history. Polynesians first
inhabited the Samoan islands from at
least 1500 BC. The Dutch arrived in
the 18th century, and in the 19th century,
the British, Americans and Germans divided
Samoa into American Samoa and Western
Samoa .
In 1914, when World War I broke out,
New Zealand took over Western Samoa
and continued to administer the islands
as a mandate and then as a trust territory
until its independence in 1962. The
country dropped “Western” from its name
in 1997. With a population now nearing
180,000, Samoa 's economy depends on
development aid, family remittances
from overseas, agriculture and fishing.
Its natural resources are hardwood forests,
fish and hydropower. It also aims to
expand its tourism sector, which accounts
for about 25 per cent of its gross domestic
product (GDP). With all the intrusions
of non-Samoan governments, you'd expect
Samoa to be exceptionally Westernised.
Although a constitutional monarchy (the
head of state must act on the advice
of government), Samoa also includes
a parliamentary democracy that incorporates
ancient Samoan traditions. The legal
system is based on English common law
and local customs.
His Highness, for instance, is head
of the Malietoa extended family, one
of the four major extended families
in both Samoas . One extended family
can include up to 10,000 people, and
the head is somewhat controlled by the
needs and desires of the family members.
Styled the “O le Ao o le Malo” in the
Samoan language, His Highness is the
longest-reigning head of state in Samoan
history – as well as the oldest. Born
on January 4, 1913, he is, by all accounts,
a still-active nonagenarian who enjoys
golfing and maintains a humble and humorous
approach to his responsibilities. In
Samoa , Christianity is the main religion,
represented by Protestantism, Roman
Catholicism and Mormonism. His Highness,
on the other hand, follows the Baha'i
Faith. He is only the second royal (after
Queen Marie of Romania ) to be a member
of that religion. The Baha'i House of
Worship in Tiapapata, eight kilometres
from Apia , was dedicated by him in
1984.
Today, Samoa faces challenges similar
to those in Asian countries. Apart from
potential natural disasters such as
devastating typhoons, other environmental
issues it faces are soil erosion, deforestation,
invasive species and over-fishing. Yet
Samoa is unique in other ways. The country
supports no military branches. Having
no disputes with any other country,
it maintains only the Samoa Police Force.
Laurie Rosenthal
The Nation |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
