1.
Glossary of vexillology
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Flag terminology is the nomenclature, or system of terms, used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display. Badge A coat of arms or simple heraldic symbol, canton Any quarter of a flag, but commonly means the upper hoist quarter, such as the field of stars in the flag of the United States or the Union Jack in the Australian Flag. Charge A figure or symbol appearing in the field of a flag, emblem A device often used as a charge on a flag. It may be heraldic in origin or modern, for example the maple leaf on the Canadian Flag, field The background of a flag, the color behind the charges. Fimbriation A narrow edging or border, often in white or gold, for example the white and gold lines of the South African Flag. Fly The half or edge of a flag farthest away from the flagpole and this term also sometimes refers to the horizontal length of a flag. Hoist The half or edge of a flag nearest to the flagpole and this term also sometimes refers to the vertical width of a flag. Length The span of a flag along the side at right angles to the flagpole, width The span of a flag down the side parallel to the flagpole. Flags often inherit traits seen in traditional European heraldry designs and as a result patterns often share names, banderole or bannerol A small flag or streamer carried on the lance of a knight, or a long narrow flag flying from the mast-head of a ship. Banner Generically, a synonym for a flag of any kind, in heraldry, a flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms, but usually in a square or rectangular shape, also known as a banner of arms. Burgee A distinguishing flag of a recreational boating organisation, Civil ensign, merchant flag or merchant ensign A version of the national flag flown by civil ships to denote nationality. Civil flag A version of the flag flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft. Colour or color The flag of a military unit, courtesy flag or courtesy ensign A flag flown by a visiting ship in foreign waters as a token of respect. Ensign The flag of a ship or military unit, may also be used generically as a synonym for a flag of any kind. Fanion A small flag used by the French military, gonfalon, gonfanon or gonfalone A type of heraldic flag suspended from a crossbar. Guidon A small flag borne by a military unit, in Scots heraldry, a smaller version of the Standard. Pennon or pennant A flag larger at the hoist than at the fly, pipe banner A decorative flag for the Scottish Highland bagpipes. Prayer flag A type of flag found strung along mountain ridges and peaks in the Himalayas, rank flag or distinguishing flag The flag flown by a superior naval officer on his flagship or headquarters
2.
Civil flag
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A civil flag is a version of the national flag that is flown by civilians on nongovernmental installations or craft. The use of flags was more common in the past to denote buildings or ships not manned by the military. In some countries, the flag is the same as the war flag or state flag but without the coat of arms, such as in the case of Spain. In others, it is an alteration of the war flag, in Scandinavia, state and war flags can be double and triple-tailed variants of the Nordic Cross flag. Many countries, particularly those with a British heritage, still have distinctive civil flags for use at sea, many based on the Red Ensign
3.
State flag
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There are two separate meanings for the term of state flag in vexillology, the flag of the government of a sovereign state and the flag of an individual subnational state. A state flag is a variant of a national flag specifically designated and restricted by law or custom to use by a government or its agencies. For this reason they are referred to as government flags. Scandinavian countries also use swallowtailed state flags, to differentiate them from civil flags. In addition, some countries have state ensigns, separate flags for use by government ships such as guard vessels. For example, government ships in the United Kingdom fly the blue ensign, state flags should not be confused with the national flag as used by military organisations, these are referred to as war flags and naval ensigns. To avoid confusion with the first meaning of the term, however, such a flag would be more referred to as the flag of the state of X. For this usage, see also, Flags of the Australian states and territories Flags of Brazilian states Flags of the U. S. states Flags of German states Znamierowski, the world encyclopedia of flags, The definitive guide to international flags, banners, standards and ensigns
4.
Flag
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A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or as decoration. National flags are patriotic symbols with varied wide-ranging interpretations, often including strong military associations due to their original, flags are also used in messaging, advertising, or for other decorative purposes. The study of flags is known as vexillology, from the Latin word vexillum, due to the use of flags by military units, flag is also used as the name of some military units. A flag is equivalent to a brigade in Arab countries, and in Spain, in antiquity, field signs or standards were used in warfare that can be categorized as vexilloid or flag-like. During the High Middle Ages flags came to be used primarily as a device in battle. Already during the medieval period, and increasingly during the Late Middle Ages. Regimental flags for individual units became commonplace during the Early Modern period, flags also became the preferred means of communications at sea, resulting in various systems of flag signals, see, International maritime signal flags. One of the most popular uses of a flag is to symbolize a nation or country, some national flags have been particularly inspirational to other nations, countries, or subnational entities in the design of their own flags. Some prominent examples include, The flag of Denmark, the Dannebrog, is attested in 1478, the flag of the Netherlands is the oldest tricolour. Its three colours of red, white and blue go back to Charlemagnes time, the 9th century, the coastal region of what today is the Netherlands was then known for its cloth in these colours. Maps from the early 16th century already put flags in these colours next to this region, a century before that, during the 15th century, the three colours were mentioned as the coastal signals for this area, with the three bands straight or diagonal, single or doubled. As state flag it first appeared around 1572 as the Princes Flag in orange–white–blue, soon the more famous red–white–blue began appearing, becoming the prevalent version from around 1630. Orange made a comeback during the war of the late 18th century. During World War II the pro-Nazi NSB used it, any symbolism has been added later to the three colours, although the orange comes from the House of Orange-Nassau. This use of orange comes from Nassau, which today uses orange-blue, not from Orange, however, the usual way to show the link with the House of Orange-Nassau is the orange pennant above the red-white-blue. It is said that the Dutch Tricolour has inspired many flags but most notably those of Russia, New York City, the national flag of France was designed in 1794. As a forerunner of revolution, Frances tricolour flag style has been adopted by other nations, examples, Italy, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Haiti, Romania and Mexico. The Union Flag of the United Kingdom is the most commonly used, british colonies typically flew a flag based on one of the ensigns based on this flag, and many former colonies have retained the design to acknowledge their cultural history
5.
Fly-whisk
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A fly-whisk is a tool to swat or disturb flies. A similar gadget is used as a fan in hot tropical climates, sometimes used as part of regalia. In Indonesian art, a fly-whisk is one of the associated with Shiva. The fly-whisk is frequently seen as an attribute of both Hindu, Jainism, Daoist, and Buddhist deities, the fly-whisk is evident in some configurations of the Ashtamangala, employed in some traditions of murti puja, particularly the Gaudiya Vaishnava. It is also used as an accessory in the aspects of folk performance traditions. Fly-whisks are in use in parts of the contemporary Middle East, such as Egypt, by some classes of society, e. g. outdoor merchants and shop keepers and those have a wooden handle and plant fibers attached to them. The more expensive ones are made from horse hair, in the eastern parts of the Indian subcontinent it is made from the tail-hairs of the yak. Fly-whisks appear frequently in the traditional regales of monarchs and nobility in many parts of the African continent, the fly-whisk is one of the traditional symbols of Buddhist monastic hierarchy in China and Japan, along with the khakkhara, jewel scepter and begging bowl. The fly-whisk in Buddhism represents the symbolic sweeping of ignorance and mental afflictions, a fly-whisk forms part of the royal regalia of Thailand. It consists of the hairs of an albino elephant. Fly-whisks were also used in Polynesian culture as a mark of authority. In 1827, the last Ottoman ruler of Algeria, Hussein Dey and this insult became a pretext for the French invasion of Algeria in 1830
6.
Flag of the United States
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The flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag, is the national flag of the United States. S. Nicknames for the flag include The Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, the current design of the U. S. flag is its 27th, the design of the flag has been modified officially 26 times since 1777. The 48-star flag was in effect for 47 years until the 49-star version became official on July 4,1959, the 50-star flag was ordered by the then president Eisenhower on August 21,1959, and was adopted in July 1960. It is the version of the U. S. flag and has been in use for over 56 years. At the time of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, the flag contemporaneously known as the Continental Colors has historically been referred to as the first national flag. The name Grand Union was first applied to the Continental Colors by George Preble in his 1872 history of the American flag, the flag closely resembles the British East India Company flag of the era, and Sir Charles Fawcett argued in 1937 that the company flag inspired the design. Both flags could have been constructed by adding white stripes to a British Red Ensign. However, an East India Company flag could have nine to 13 stripes. In any case, both the stripes and the stars have precedents in classical heraldry, Flag Day is now observed on June 14 of each year. While scholars still argue about this, tradition holds that the new flag was first hoisted in June 1777 by the Continental Army at the Middlebrook encampment. The first official U. S. flag flown during battle was on August 3,1777, Massachusetts reinforcements brought news of the adoption by Congress of the official flag to Fort Schuyler. A voucher is extant that Capt. Swartwout of Dutchess County was paid by Congress for his coat for the flag, the 1777 resolution was most probably meant to define a naval ensign. In the late 18th century, the notion of a flag did not yet exist. The flag resolution appears between other resolutions from the Marine Committee, on May 10,1779, Secretary of the Board of War Richard Peters expressed concern it is not yet settled what is the Standard of the United States. However, the term, Standard, referred to a standard for the Army of the United States. Each regiment was to carry the standard in addition to its regimental standard. The national standard was not a reference to the national or naval flag, the appearance was up to the maker of the flag. Some flag makers arranged the stars into one big star, in a circle or in rows, one arrangement features 13 five-pointed stars arranged in a circle, with the stars arranged pointing outwards from the circle, the so-called Betsy Ross flag
7.
American Samoa
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American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Samoa. American Samoa consists of five islands and two coral atolls. The largest and most populous island is Tutuila, with the Manuʻa Islands, Rose Atoll, All islands except for Swains Island are part of the Samoan Islands, located west of the Cook Islands, north of Tonga, and some 300 miles south of Tokelau. To the west are the islands of the Wallis and Futuna group, the 2010 census showed a total population of 55,519 people. The total land area is 199 square kilometers, slightly more than Washington, American Samoa is the southernmost territory of the U. S. and one of two U. S. territories south of the Equator, along with the uninhabited Jarvis Island. Tuna products are the exports, and the main trading partner is the United States. American Samoa is noted for having the highest rate of enlistment of any U. S. state or territory. Most American Samoans are bilingual and can speak English and Samoan fluently, Samoan is the same language spoken in neighboring independent Samoa. Contact with Europeans began in the early 18th century, dutchman Jacob Roggeveen was the first known European to sight the Samoan Islands in 1722. This visit was followed by French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville who named them the Navigator Islands in 1768, contact was limited before the 1830s, when English missionaries and traders began arriving. The site of battle is called Massacre Bay. Mission work in the Samoas had begun in late 1830 when John Williams of the London Missionary Society arrived from the Cook Islands, by that time, the Samoans had gained a reputation for being savage and warlike, as violent altercations had occurred between natives and European visitors. In March 1889, an Imperial German naval force entered a village on Samoa, three American warships then entered the Apia harbor and prepared to engage the three German warships found there. Before any shots were fired, a typhoon wrecked both the American and German ships, a compulsory armistice was then called because of the lack of any warships. Forerunners to the Tripartite Convention of 1899 were the Washington Conference of 1887, the Treaty of Berlin of 1889, the following year, the USA formally occupied its portion, a smaller group of eastern islands, one of which contains the noted harbor of Pago Pago. The Navy secured a Deed of Cession of Tutuila in 1900, the territory became known as the US Naval Station Tutuila. On July 17,1911, the US Naval Station Tutuila, in 1918 during the final stages of World War I, the flu pandemic had taken its toll, spreading rapidly from country to country. The result of Poyers quick actions earned him the Navy Cross from the US Navy, with this distinction, American Samoans regarded Poyer as their hero for what he had done to prevent the deadly disease
8.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
9.
Samoan culture
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The traditional culture of Samoa is a communal way of life based on Faa Samoa, the unique socio-political culture. In Samoan culture, most activities are done together, there are 3 main parts in the Samoan culture, that is faith, family and music. The traditional living quarters, or fale, contain no walls, during the day, the fale is used for chatting and relaxing. Ones family is viewed as an part of a persons life. The aiga or extended family lives and works together, elders in the family are greatly respected and hold the highest status, and this may be seen at a traditional Sunday umu. Both men and women can be tattooed, a mans tattoo is called a pea while a womans tattoo is called a malu. Women play an important part in contributing with their skills in items of important cultural value including ie toga, finely woven mats used in ceremony and gift exchanges. In terms of goods, during ritual exchange, women give fine mats ie toga and decorated bark cloth siapo while men give woodworking items. Bark cloth, called siapo in Samoa, both of which is made from beaten mulberry bark, patterns or pictures are painted on with a natural brown dye taken from a tree souce. These pictures typically depict abstract and realistic depictions of plant life, shells, fish, turtles, the siapo may be used for clothing, for wrapping objects and even simply for decorative reasons. Ornaments, jewellery and hair accessories are made from naturally occurring materials such as sea shells, coconut, traditional Samoan medicine is often practiced as a first-line before hospital medicine. This is a type of alternative medicine using plant leaves to massage the affected area, wooden figurative sculpture was extremely rare in pre-Christian Samoa, and share some similarities with Fijian and Tongan sculpture. The ava ceremony is the least significant ritual which takes place during all important occasions, the overall ceremony is highly ritualized, with specific gestures and phrases to be used at various times. Ceremonial items for the ava ceremony include the similar to those used in the kava cultures of other Polynesian societies. The tanoa are made of varying sizes supported by short legs around it. These bowls and other related instruments are highly decorated. Known as kava in other parts of Polynesia, the ava is a beverage produced from a plant that is throughout the western Pacific region. The drinking of ʻava in Samoa is generally done through highly ritualized ʻava ceremonies, the kava is prepared by a group of people called aumaga
10.
History of Samoa
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The Samoan Islands were first settled some 3,500 years ago as part of the Austronesian expansion. European exploration first reached the islands in the early 18th century, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville named them Navigator Islands in 1768. The United States Exploring Expedition under Charles Wilkes reached Samoa in 1839, in 1855 J. C. Godeffroy & Sohn expanded its trading business into the archipelago. After World War I, TalofaGerman Samoa became a Trust Territory, American Samoa remains an unincorporated territory of the United States. Archeologists place the earliest human settlement of the Samoan archipelago at around 2850 years before present and this date is based upon the ancient lapita pottery shards found throughout the islands, The oldest evidence being in Mulifanua. This area of Polynesia, Samoa and Tonga, contains evidence from dates of similar times, linguistically, the Samoan language belongs to the Polynesian sub-branch of the Austronesian language family, whose origin is thought to be in Taiwan. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans in the early 1700s, the oral history of Samoa preserves the memories of many battles fought between Samoa and neighboring islands. Other Samoan folklore tells of the arrival of two maidens from Fiji who brought the necessary to create the art of tatau, or in English tattoo. Bestowal of the highly reverential title Malietoa marked a period in Samoan history, the title refers to the parting words of Tongan warriors, Malie toa, malie tau. This was given by The Tongan King after having finally been conquered and driven out of Samoa after 500 years of ruling the pacific, the title was amended as part of the more ancient royal courts and titles of Tui Aana, Tui Atua. According to oral tradition, Samoa shares the common Polynesian ancestor of Tagaloa, contact with Europeans began in the early 18th century but did not intensify until the arrival of the British. In 1722, Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen was the first European to see the islands and this visit was followed by the French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, the man who named them the Navigator Islands in 1768. The United States Exploring Expedition under Charles Wilkes reached Samoa in 1839 and appointed an Englishman, however this appointment was never confirmed by the U. S. State Department, John C. Williams was merely recognized as Commercial Agent of the United States. A British consul was already residing at Apia, missionaries and traders arrived in the 1830s. In 1855 J. C. Godeffroy & Sohn expanded its business into the Samoan Islands. British business enterprises, harbour rights, and consulate office were the basis on which the United Kingdom had cause to intervene in Samoa. The United States began operations at the excellent harbor of Pago Pago on Tutuila in 1877 and formed alliances with local chieftains, most conspicuously on the islands of Tutuila. In the 1880s Great Britain, Germany and the United States all claimed parts of the kingdom of Samoa, the rivalry between these powers exacerbated the indigenous factions that were struggling to preserve their ancient political system
11.
German Empire
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The German Empire was the historical German nation state that existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918, when Germany became a federal republic. The German Empire consisted of 26 constituent territories, with most being ruled by royal families and this included four kingdoms, six grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities, three free Hanseatic cities, and one imperial territory. Although Prussia became one of kingdoms in the new realm, it contained most of its population and territory. Its influence also helped define modern German culture, after 1850, the states of Germany had rapidly become industrialized, with particular strengths in coal, iron, chemicals, and railways. In 1871, it had a population of 41 million people, and by 1913, a heavily rural collection of states in 1815, now united Germany became predominantly urban. During its 47 years of existence, the German Empire operated as an industrial, technological, Germany became a great power, boasting a rapidly growing rail network, the worlds strongest army, and a fast-growing industrial base. In less than a decade, its navy became second only to Britains Royal Navy, after the removal of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck by Wilhelm II, the Empire embarked on a bellicose new course that ultimately led to World War I. When the great crisis of 1914 arrived, the German Empire had two allies, Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy, however, left the once the First World War started in August 1914. In the First World War, German plans to capture Paris quickly in autumn 1914 failed, the Allied naval blockade caused severe shortages of food. Germany was repeatedly forced to send troops to bolster Austria and Turkey on other fronts, however, Germany had great success on the Eastern Front, it occupied large Eastern territories following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. German declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 was designed to strangle the British, it failed, but the declaration—along with the Zimmermann Telegram—did bring the United States into the war. Meanwhile, German civilians and soldiers had become war-weary and radicalised by the Russian Revolution and this failed, and by October the armies were in retreat, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire had collapsed, Bulgaria had surrendered and the German people had lost faith in their political system. The Empire collapsed in the November 1918 Revolution as the Emperor and all the ruling monarchs abdicated, and a republic took over. The German Confederation had been created by an act of the Congress of Vienna on 8 June 1815 as a result of the Napoleonic Wars, German nationalism rapidly shifted from its liberal and democratic character in 1848, called Pan-Germanism, to Prussian prime minister Otto von Bismarcks pragmatic Realpolitik. He envisioned a conservative, Prussian-dominated Germany, the war resulted in the Confederation being partially replaced by a North German Confederation in 1867, comprising the 22 states north of the Main. The new constitution and the title Emperor came into effect on 1 January 1871, during the Siege of Paris on 18 January 1871, William accepted to be proclaimed Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. The second German Constitution was adopted by the Reichstag on 14 April 1871 and proclaimed by the Emperor on 16 April, the political system remained the same. The empire had a parliament called the Reichstag, which was elected by universal male suffrage, however, the original constituencies drawn in 1871 were never redrawn to reflect the growth of urban areas
12.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was established as a sovereign state on 1 January 1801 by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. The growing desire for an Irish Republic led to the Irish War of Independence, Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom, and the state was consequently renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Britain financed the European coalition that defeated France in 1815 in the Napoleonic Wars, the British Empire thereby became the foremost world power for the next century. The Crimean War with Russia and the Boer wars were relatively small operations in a largely peaceful century, rapid industrialisation that began in the decades prior to the states formation continued up until the mid-19th century. A devastating famine, exacerbated by government inaction in the century, led to demographic collapse in much of Ireland. It was an era of economic modernization and growth of industry, trade and finance. Outward migration was heavy to the colonies and to the United States. Britain also built up a large British Empire in Africa and Asia, India, by far the most important possession, saw a short-lived revolt in 1857. In foreign policy Britain favoured free trade, which enabled its financiers and merchants to operate successfully in many otherwise independent countries, as in South America. Britain formed no permanent military alliances until the early 20th century, when it began to cooperate with Japan, France and Russia, and moved closer to the United States. A brief period of limited independence for Ireland came to an end following the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the British governments fear of an independent Ireland siding against them with the French resulted in the decision to unite the two countries. This was brought about by legislation in the parliaments of both kingdoms and came into effect on 1 January 1801, however, King George III was bitterly opposed to any such Emancipation and succeeded in defeating his governments attempts to introduce it. When the Treaty of Amiens ended the war, Britain agreed to return most of the territories it had seized, in May 1803, war was declared again. In 1806, Napoleon issued the series of Berlin Decrees, which brought into effect the Continental System and this policy aimed to eliminate the threat from the British by closing French-controlled territory to foreign trade. Frances population and agricultural capacity far outstripped that of the British Isles, Napoleon expected that cutting Britain off from the European mainland would end its economic hegemony. The Spanish uprising in 1808 at last permitted Britain to gain a foothold on the Continent, after Napoleons surrender and exile to the island of Elba, peace appeared to have returned. The Allies united and the armies of Wellington and Blucher defeated Napoleon once, simultaneous with the Napoleonic Wars, trade disputes, arming hostile Indians and British impressment of American sailors led to the War of 1812 with the United States. The war was little noticed in Britain, which could devote few resources to the conflict until the fall of Napoleon in 1814, American frigates inflicted a series of defeats on the Royal Navy, which was short on manpower due to the conflict in Europe
13.
Tripartite Convention
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The Tripartite Convention of 1899 concluded the Second Samoan Civil War, resulting in the formal partition of the Samoan archipelago into a German colony and a United States territory. Forerunners to the Tripartite Convention of 1899 were the Washington Conference of 1887, the Treaty of Berlin of 1889, contentions among the whites in Samoa, plus native factional strife led to side-choosing that became deadly warring with the introduction of modern weapons. Washington conference of 1887 To attempt to resolve some of the problems, the United States, Germany, after the surfacing of serious disagreements among the parties, the conference adjourned without results. Fighting by nationals of the three powers with their local allies led to a conflict that was only tempered by the Apia hurricane of 1889 that wrecked warships on the verge of hostilities. He invited U. S. and British representatives to Berlin in April 1889, the United States insisted on a three powers authority while preserving native rights. No sooner was the native royal figurehead appointed, and after disturbances restored, a dissolution of the condominium created by the “entangling alliance” was now in play. The German government had never made a secret of their belief that international control of Samoa was visionary, and they began a series of diplomatic moves intended to eliminate it altogether. With partitioning of Samoa by then the prevailing understanding, the United States expressed no objections to Britain, kaiser Wilhelm II had accepted an invitation to visit England in November 1899 and his government insisted that an agreement on Samoa should be concluded before his departure for Britain. A settlement was reached at London by 9 November and signed on 14 November and it was therefore this Anglo-German agreement on Samoa in tandem with the informal understanding with the United States that partitioned Samoa. It only remained for the three powers to negotiate a convention in order to secure the approval of the United States to the whole agreement. The Tripartite Convention of 1899 was duly constituted and documents were signed at Washington on 2 December 1899 by the U. S. The Secretary of the Navy shall take such steps as are necessary to establish the authority of the United States, on the same day John D. Long, Secretary of the Navy, stated further that these islands. Are hereby established into a station, to be known as the naval station, Tutuila. Rose Island, a coral atoll, and the island of Aunuu were included. The cession of deeds of the islands of the Manua Group did not take place until 1904, the term American Samoa entered into conscious usage in 1905 with a first assembly or fono of Samoan chiefs from all ceded islands within the naval station. This happy acquisition was viewed in Germany as an achievement in colonial policy. These treaty arrangements of the Tripartite Convention of 1899 stayed in place until the outbreak of World War I in 1914, gilson, R. P. Samoa 1830-1900, The Politics of a Multi-Cultural Community. Amerika Samoa, A History of American Samoa and its United States Naval Administration, the Foreign Policy of the United States in Relation to Samoa
14.
Tutuila
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Tutuila is the largest and the main island of American Samoa in the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific located roughly 4,000 kilometers northeast of Brisbane, Australia and it contains a large, natural harbor, Pago Pago Harbor, where Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa is situated. Pago Pago International Airport is also located on Tutuila island and its land expanse is about 68% of the total land area of American Samoa and with 56,000 people accounts for 95% of its population. The island has six terrestrial and three marine ecosystems, a popular island legend is that, upon the issuance of a particular call, a shark and a turtle will appear. The underlying story is that, in order to escape the pangs of starvation, according to this legend, they were reborn as a shark and a turtle. In support of this legend, the villagers utter a particular chant by which the shark, another Samoan legend is the Flying Fox, found in the National Park of American Samoa in Tutuila. The belief is that the Flying Fox is the guardian of the forest. The Polynesians first reached Samoa at about 10,000 BC, by 600 BC, they had established a settlement on Tuta at Tula. They built up a settlement at Tula, over the centuries, the Samoans kept in contacts with the neighboring islands of Western Polynesia, Tonga and Fiji. Whalers and Protestant missionaries began to arrive in the early 19th century, particularly in the 1830s, apia, rather than Pago Pago developed as a trading station. Louis de Freycinet arrived in October 1819 and named Tutuila Rose Island after his wife, in 1872, the Pago Pago Harbor was recognized by the Americans as the ideal refueling station for the new San Francisco to Sydney steamship service. In 1872, the US Navy negotiated a treaty on Tutuila to use the island, the Samoans signed the agreement in 1900 and the Flag of the United States was raised on Tutuila on April 17,1900. It wasnt until 1929 though that it was ratified and the name of American Samoa wasnt given formally until 1911. During World War II, Tutuila was an important island for the US Marines in the Pacific, the island, given that it was such an important base went relatively unscathed during the war, except for an attack from a Japanese submarine on January 11,1942. Since 1951, the island and American Samoa has been the responsibility of the Department of the Interior, in 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed H. In July 1997 Western Samoa, by agreement, changed the countrys name from Western Samoa to Samoa. This was opposed by the Americans, including the American Samoan islanders who believed that the name diminished their sense of identity and still use the terms Western Samoa and Western Samoans. Today American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US but is under the administration of the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior
15.
United States Army Institute of Heraldry
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The United States Army Institute of Heraldry, also known as The Institute of Heraldry, furnishes heraldic services to the U. S. Armed Forces and other U. S. government organizations, including the Executive Office of the President, limited research and information services concerning official symbolic items are also provided to the general public. The Institute of Heraldry is located at Fort Belvoir, an installation within the metropolitan area of Washington. The staff consists of thirty-two civilians, Heraldic and other military symbols have been used by the U. S. Armed Forces and government agencies since the beginning of the American Revolution. S, in 1924, formal staff responsibility for specific military designs was delegated to the Quartermaster General. As the needs for symbolism by the services and the national government expanded. The expansion of the Army during World War II, and the subsequent increased interest in symbolism and it was further expanded by Pub. L. 85–263, approved September 1957,71 Stat,89, which delineated the authority of the Secretary of the Army to furnish heraldic services to the military departments and other branches of the federal government. On 1960-08-10, Army General Order Number 29 placed the U. S. Army Institute of Heraldry under the control of the Quartermaster General. The Army Adjutant General’s office assumed responsibility of the institute in 1962, in 1987, another realignment subordinated the Institute to the U. S. In April 1994, the Institute of Heraldry moved from Cameron Station to Fort Belvoir, in October 2004, another realignment assigned responsibility for the Heraldic Program to Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, part of the United States Army. Approve designs for distinctive unit insignia, Regimental Distinctive Insignia, and shoulder sleeve insignia, authorize heraldic items for U. S. Army Organizations. Authorize the use of Army insignia when incorporated into items for commercial sale, design and develop insignia seals, medals, badges, band regalia and flags. Establish Army policy for flag design and display, monitor the Heraldic Quality Control System in accordance with Army Regulation 672-8, to ensure heraldic items are manufactured according to government specifications or purchase descriptions. Prepare heraldic item specifications and provide engineering support to manufacturers, provide manufacturers with government-loaned tools and specifications for heraldic items. Blazon, Or a chevron Gules, on a chief Sable a label of the first, blazon, On a wreath Or and Gules, a griffin salient of the first. The griffin, a fabulous animal half eagle and half lion, is symbolic of wisdom, the role of the griffin as guardian of treasure is symbolic of the institutes singular responsibility to safeguard the heraldic art of the federal government. The eagle also alludes to the United States and the lion to Great Britain, dexter, The large white star edged with blue symbolizes all the States, which comprise the United States, and was suggested by the union of the United States Flag
16.
Pago Pago
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Pago Pago is the territorial capital of American Samoa. It is on the island of American Samoa, Tutuila. The territory is served by Pago Pago International Airport at Tafuna, tourism, entertainment, food, and tuna canning are its main industries. The area commonly referred to as Pago Pago consists of a string of villages, each with its own village council, one of the villages is itself named Pago Pago, and in 2010 had a population of 3,656. Pago Pago may refer to the village, to the bay area or to American Samoa as a whole, the constituent villages are, in order, Utulei, Fagatogo, Malaloa, Pago Pago, Satala and Atuu. Fagatogo is the referred to as Town and was the seat of government until a new Executive Office Building was opened in Utulei. In Fagatoto is the Fono, the Police Department, the Port of Pago Pago, many shops, from 1878 to 1951, the area was the site of a coaling and repair station for the U. S. Navy, known then as United States Naval Station Tutuila. In January 1942 Pago Pago Harbor was shelled by a Japanese submarine, on September 29,2009, an earthquake struck in the South Pacific, near Samoa and American Samoa, sending a tsunami into Pago Pago and surrounding areas. The tsunami caused moderate to severe damage to villages, buildings and vehicles, the town is located between steep mountainsides and the harbor. The main downtown area is Fagatogo on the shore of Pago Pago Harbor, the location of the Fono, the port, the bus station. The banks are in Utulei and Fagotogo, as are the Sadie Thompson Inn, the tuna canneries, which provide employment for a third of the population of Tutuila, are in Atuu on the north shore of the harbor. The village of Pago Pago is at the head of the harbor. A climb to the summit of Mt. Alava in the National Park of American Samoa provides a view of the harbor. Pago Pago has a tropical rainforest climate, all official climate records for American Samoa are kept at Pago Pago. The hottest temperature recorded was 99 °F on February 22,1958. Conversely, the lowest temperature on record was 59 °F on October 10,1964, the Feleti Barstow Public Library is located in Pago Pago. In 1991, severe tropical cyclone Val hit Pago Pago, destroying the library that existed there, the current Barstow library, constructed in 1998, opened on April 17,2000. The tramway was repaired, but closed not long after, another noted view is that from the top of the pass above Aua Village on the road to Afono
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Bald eagle
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The bald eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States and it is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting. The bald eagle is a feeder which subsists mainly on fish. It builds the largest nest of any North American bird and the largest tree nests ever recorded for any species, up to 4 m deep,2.5 m wide. Sexual maturity is attained at the age of four to five years, Bald eagles are not actually bald, the name derives from an older meaning of the word, white headed. The adult is brown with a white head and tail. The sexes are identical in plumage, but females are about 25 percent larger than males, the beak is large and hooked. The plumage of the immature is brown, the bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the United States of America. The bald eagle appears on its seal, in the late 20th century it was on the brink of extirpation in the contiguous United States. Populations have since recovered and the species was removed from the U. S. governments list of endangered species on July 12,1995 and it was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in the Lower 48 States on June 28,2007. The plumage of an bald eagle is evenly dark brown with a white head. The tail is long and slightly wedge-shaped. Males and females are identical in coloration, but sexual dimorphism is evident in the species. The beak, feet and irises are bright yellow, the legs are feather-free, and the toes are short and powerful with large talons. The highly developed talon of the toe is used to pierce the vital areas of prey while it is held immobile by the front toes. The beak is large and hooked, with a yellow cere, the adult bald eagle is unmistakable in its native range. The closely related African fish eagle also has a body, white head and tail
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Great Seal of the United States
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The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the U. S. federal government. The phrase is used both for the seal itself, and more generally for the design impressed upon it. The Great Seal was first used publicly in 1782, the obverse of the great seal is used as the national coat of arms of the United States. It is officially used on such as United States passports, military insignia, embassy placards. As a coat of arms, the design has official colors, since 1935, both sides of the Great Seal have appeared on the reverse of the one-dollar bill. The Seal of the President of the United States is directly based on the Great Seal, the design on the obverse of the seal is the coat of arms of the United States. The shield, though sometimes drawn incorrectly, has two differences from the American flag. First, it has no stars on the blue chief, second, unlike the American flag, the outermost stripes are white, not red, so as not to violate the heraldic rule of tincture. The supporter of the shield is an eagle with its wings outstretched. Although not specified by law, the branch is usually depicted with 13 leaves and 13 olives. The eagle has its head turned towards the branch, on its right side. In its beak, the eagle clutches a scroll with the motto E pluribus unum, over its head there appears a glory with 13 mullets on a blue field. In the current dies of the seal, the 13 stars above the eagle are arranged in rows of 1-4-3-4-1. The 1782 resolution of Congress adopting the arms, still in force, legally blazoned the shield as Paleways of 13 pieces, argent and gules, a more technically proper blazon would have been argent, six pallets gules. But the phrase used was chosen to preserve the reference to the 13 original states, the 1782 resolution adopting the seal blazons the image on the reverse as A pyramid unfinished. In the zenith an eye in a triangle, surrounded by a glory, the pyramid is conventionally shown as consisting of 13 layers to refer to the 13 original states. The adopting resolution provides that it is inscribed on its base with the date MDCCLXXVI in Roman numerals, where the top of the pyramid should be, the Eye of Providence watches over it. Two mottos appear, Annuit cœptis signifies that Providence has approved of undertakings, Novus ordo seclorum, freely taken from Virgil, is Latin for a new order of the ages
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Club (weapon)
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A club is among the simplest of all weapons, a short staff or stick, usually made of wood, wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times. In popular culture, clubs are associated with cultures, especially cavemen. Most clubs are small enough to be swung with one hand, Various specialized clubs are used in martial arts and other fields, including the law-enforcement baton. The military mace is a more sophisticated descendant of the club, typically made of metal, the wounds inflicted by a club are generally known as bludgeoning or blunt-force trauma injuries. Police forces and their predecessors have traditionally favored the use, whenever possible, of weapons than guns or blades to impose public order or to subdue. Short, flexible clubs are often used, especially by plainclothes officers who need to avoid notice. These are known colloquially as blackjacks, saps, or coshes, in addition, Shaolin monks and members of other religious orders around the world have employed cudgels from time to time as defensive weapons. Though perhaps the simplest of all weapons, there are varieties of club, including. Aklys – a club with a leather thong, used to return it to the hand after snapping it at an opponent. Used by the legions of the Roman Empire, ball club – These clubs were used by the Native Americans. There are two types, the stone clubs that were used mostly by early Plains, Plateau and Southwest Native Indians. These consisted of a relatively free-moving head of rounded stone or wood attached to a wooden handle, baseball, cricket and T-ball bats – The baseball bat is often used as an improvised weapon, much like the pickaxe handle. In countries where baseball is not commonly played, baseball bats are often first thought of as weapons, tee ball bats are also used in this manner. Their smaller size and lighter weight make the bat easier to handle in one hand than a baseball bat, clava – a traditional stone hand-club used by Mapuche Indians in Chile, featuring a long flat body. In Spanish, it is known as clava cefalomorfa and it has some ritual importance as a special sign of distinction carried by the tribal chief. Cosh, A weapon made of covered metal similar to a blackjack, any of various sorts of blunt instrument such as bludgeon, truncheon or the like. Cudgel – A stout stick carried by peasants during the Middle Ages and it functioned as a walking staff and a weapon for both self-defence and wartime. Regiments of clubmen were raised as late as the English Civil War, the cudgel is also known as the singlestick
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Seal of American Samoa
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The Seal of the Territory of American Samoa is based in traditional local design. The fly switch represents wisdom and the staff represents authority, both symbols are used by talking chiefs indicating their rank. The Tanoa represents service to the chief, the Samoan motto Samoa Muamua Le Atua is translated “Samoa, God is First”. Flag of American Samoa Seals of the U. S. states American Samoa tourism agency
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Flags of the U.S. states and territories
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The flags of the U. S. states, territories and federal district exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. Nonetheless, the majority of the states share the same design pattern consisting of the state seal superimposed on a monochrome background. The most recent current state flag is that of Utah, while the most recent current territorial flag is that of the Northern Mariana Islands. Modern U. S. state flags date from the 1890s, most U. S. state flags were designed and adopted between 1893 and World War I. Dates in parentheses denote when the current flag was adopted by the states legislature and these are the current flags of the federal district and territories of the United States. Dates in parenthesis denote when the district or territorys current flag was adopted by its respective political body, the U. S. national flag is the official flag for all islands, atolls, and reefs composing the United States Minor Outlying Islands. However, unofficial flags are in use on five of these nine areas, Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island. Maine and Massachusetts have ensigns differing from the flag for use at sea
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International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
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United States territory
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United States territory is any extent of region under the sovereign jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters and all U. S. naval vessels. The United States asserts sovereign rights for exploring, exploiting, conserving and this extent of territory is all the area belonging to, and under the dominion of, the United States federal government for administrative and other purposes. The United States total territory includes a subset of political divisions, the United States territory includes any geography under the control of the United States federal government. Various regions, districts, and divisions are under the supervision of the United States federal government, the United States territory includes clearly defined geographical area and refers to an area of land, air, or sea under jurisdiction of United States federal governmental authority. The extent of territory is all the area belonging to, and under the dominion of, under Article IV of the U. S. Constitution, territory is subject to and belongs to the United States. This includes tracts of land or water not included within the limits of any State, Congress possesses power to set territorial governments within the boundaries of the United States. The power of Congress over such territory is exclusive and universal, congressional legislation is subject to no control, unless in the case of ceded territory. The U. S. Congress is granted the exclusive and universal power to set a United States territorys political divisions, all territory under the control of the federal government is considered part of the United States for purposes of law. From 1901–1905, the U. S. Supreme Court in a series of known as the Insular Cases held that the Constitution extended ex proprio vigore to the territories. However, the Court in these cases also established the doctrine of territorial incorporation, a Supreme Court ruling from 1945 stated that the term United States can have three different meanings, in different contexts, The term United States may be used in any one of several senses. It may be merely the name of a sovereign occupying the position analogous to that of sovereigns in the family of nations. It may designate the territory over which the sovereignty of the United States extends, or it may be the name of the states which are united by. The United States Department of the Interior is charged with managing federal affairs within U. S. territory, the Interior Department has a wide range of responsibilities. The contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Alaska are divided into administrative regions. These are called counties in 48 of the 50 states, and they are called boroughs in Alaska, a county can include a number of cities and towns, or just a portion of either type. These counties have varying degrees of political and legal significance, a township in the United States refers to a small geographic area. Territories are subdivided into legally administered tracts—e. g, geographic areas that are under the authority of a government. The District of Columbia and territories are under the authority of Congress
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Fagatogo
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Fagatogo is a village situated on Tutuila Island, in American Samoa. It is part of the agglomeration of Pago Pago. Fagatogo is the location of the American Samoa Fono, and is listed in the Constitution of American Samoa as the official seat of government. Fagatogo also contains the port of Pago Pago, the bus station and market
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History of American Samoa
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Wikimedia Atlas of American Samoa The islands of Samoa were originally inhabited by humans as early as 850 CE. After being invaded by European explorers in the 18th century, by the 20th and 21st century, the pre-Western history of Eastern Samoa is inextricably bound with the history of Western Samoa. The islands of Tutuila and Aunuu were politically connected to Upolu island in what is now independent Samoa and it can be said that all the Samoa islands are politically connected today through the faamatai chiefly system and through family connections that are as strong as ever. This system of the faamatai and the customs of faasamoa originated with two of the most famous chiefs of Samoa, who were both women and related, Nafanua and Salamasina. Early Western contact included a battle in the 18th century between French explorers and islanders in Tutuila, for which the Samoans were blamed in the West, less than a hundred years later, the Samoan Congregationalist Church became the first independent indigenous church of the South Pacific. In 1872 the high chief of the tribes of the eastern Samoan islands gave America permission to establish a base in exchange for military protection. In 1878 the U. S. Navy built a station on Pago Pago Bay for its Pacific Squadron. American Samoa is the result of the Second Samoan Civil War, the international rivalries were settled by the 1899 Treaty of Berlin in which Germany and the U. S. divided the Samoan archipelago. The eastern Samoan islands became territories of the United States and later known as American Samoa. The U. S. formally occupied its portion, with the harbor of Pago Pago. The western islands are now the independent state of Samoa, several chiefs of the island of Tutuila swore allegiance, and ceded the island, to the United States in the Treaty of Cession of Tutuila of 1900. The treaties where ratified by the United States in the Ratification Act of 1929, marines in American Samoa outnumbered the local population, having a huge cultural influence. Young Samoan men from the age of 14 and above were combat trained by US military personnel, as in World War I, American Samoans served in World War II as combatants, medical personnel, code personnel, ship repairs, etc. These chiefs efforts led to the creation of a legislature, the American Samoa Fono which meets in the village of Fagatogo. In time, the Navy-appointed governor was replaced by an elected one. Territory of American Samoa is on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, the islands have been reluctant to separate from the USA in any manner. The maritime boundaries of American Samoa with New Zealand have been determined in a series of treaties, maritime boundaries with Tonga and Samoa have yet to be agreed upon. Employment on the island basically falls into three relatively equally sized categories of approximately 5,000 workers each, the sector, the tuna cannery
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Geography of American Samoa
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American Samoa, located within the geographical region of Oceania, is one of only two possessions of the United States in the Southern Hemisphere, the other being Jarvis Island. Its total land area is 76.8 square miles larger than Washington, D. C. —consisting of five rugged, volcanic islands. The five volcanic islands are, Tutuila, Aunuu, Ofu, Olosega, the coral atolls are, Swains, and Rose Atoll. Of the seven islands, Rose Atoll is an uninhabited Marine National Monument, due to its positioning in the South Pacific Ocean, it is frequently hit by typhoons between December and March. Rose Atoll is the easternmost point of the territory, American Samoa is the southernmost part of the United States. American Samoa is home to the National Park of American Samoa, samoan Islands Geography of Samoa Swamps of American Samoa Wikimedia Atlas of American Samoa
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National Park of American Samoa
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The National Park of American Samoa is a National Park in the United States Territory of American Samoa, distributed across three separate islands, Tutuila, Ofu, and Ta‘ū. The park preserves and protects coral reefs, tropical rainforests, fruit bats, and it is popular for hiking and snorkeling. Of the parks 13,500 acres,9,000 acres is land and 4,500 acres is coral reefs, the park is the only American National Park Service system unit south of the equator. The National Park of American Samoa was established on October 31,1988 by Public Law 100-571 and this was resolved on September 9,1993, when the National Park Service entered into a 50-year lease for the park land from the Samoan village councils. In 2002, Congress approved a thirty percent expansion on Olosega, in 2009 an earthquake and tsunami produced several large waves, resulting in 34 confirmed deaths, more than a hundred injuries and the destruction of about 200 homes and businesses. The visitor center and main office were destroyed but there was one reported injury among the NPS staff. The Tutuila unit of the park is on the end of the island near Pago Pago. It is separated by Mount Alava and the Maugaloa Ridge and includes the Amalau Valley, Craggy Point, Tafeu Cove, and it is the only part of the park accessible by car and attracts the vast majority of visitors to the area. The park lands include a trail to the top of Mount Alava and historic World War II gun emplacement sites at Breakers Point, the trail runs along the ridge in dense forest, north of which the land slopes steeply away to the ocean. Ofu island is accessible via small fisherman boats from Tau island. Ta‘ū island can be reached by a flight from Tutuila to Fiti‘uta village on Ta‘ū, a trail runs from Saua around Si’u Point to the southern coastline and stairs to the 3, 170-foot summit of Lata Mountain. Because of its location, diversity among the terrestrial species is low. Approximately 30% of the plants and one species are endemic to the archipelago. Three species of bat are the native mammals, two large fruit bats and a small insectivore, the Pacific sheath-tailed bat. They serve an important role in pollinating the islands plants, the sheath-tailed bat was nearly eliminated by Cyclone Val in 1991. Native reptiles include the pelagic gecko, Polynesian gecko, mourning gecko, stump-toed gecko, Pacific boa, a major role for the park is to control and eradicate invasive plant and animal species such as feral pigs, which threaten the parks ecosystem. There are several species, the most predominant being the wattled honeyeater, Samoan starling. Other unusual birds include the Tahiti petrel, the spotless crake, the islands are mostly covered by tropical rainforest, including cloud forest on Tau and lowland ridge forest on Tutuila
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Politics of American Samoa
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Politics of American Samoa takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic dependency, whereby the Governor is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs and its constitution was ratified 1966 and came into effect 1967. Executive power is discharged by the governor and the lieutenant governor, legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the legislature. The party system is a based on the United States party system, the judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Faasamoa is the language and customs, and the Faamatai the protocols of the fono, the Faamatai and the Fono take place at all levels of the Samoan body politic, from the family, to the village, to the region, to national matters. The matai are elected by consensus within the fono of the extended family, the matai and the fono decide on distribution of family exchanges and tenancy of communal lands. The majority of lands in American Samoa and independent Samoa are communal, a matai can represent a small family group or a great extended family that reaches across islands, and to both American Samoa and independent Samoa. The government of American Samoa is defined under the Constitution of American Samoa, the Governor of American Samoa is the head of government and along with the lieutenant governor of American Samoa is elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms. The legislative power is vested in the American Samoa Fono, which has two chambers, the House of Representatives has 18 members, elected for a two-year term,17 in single-seat constituencies and one by a public meeting on Swain Island. The Senate also has 18 members, elected for a term by. The High Court is located in the capital of Pago Pago and it consists of a Chief Justice and an Associate Justice, appointed by the United States Secretary of the Interior. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in American Samoa, at November 2,2004 election Eni F. H. Faleomavaega of the Democratic Party defeated the Republican candidate and was re-elected. ESCAP, Interpol, IOC, SPC Political party strength in American Samoa
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High Court of American Samoa
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The High Court of American Samoa is a Samoan court and the highest court below the United States Supreme Court in American Samoa. The Court is located in the capital of Fagatogo and it consists of one chief justice and one associate justice, appointed by the United States Secretary of the Interior, holding office during good behavior and removable for cause. The High Court of American Samoa also has several Samoan associate judges who sit with the two justices, normally, two associate judges will sit with the chief justice and associate justice on every case. The Secretary of the Interior retains ultimate authority over the courts, the High Court consists of four divisions, the trial division, the probate division, the land and titles division, and the appellate division. The justices of the court, Judiciary of American Samoa Article I and Article III tribunals#Article IV tribunals Tagupa, judicial Intervention in Matai Title Succession Disputes in American Samoa
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American Samoa Department of Public Safety
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It was created to protect the lives and property of American Samoans. The DPS has police, corrections and fire divisions, airport police, port police conservation officers, and community college police departments are also active in American Samoa. It is in charge of the Tafuna Correctional Facility, the correctional facility in the territory. In 2008 former Tafuna warden Mika Kelemete, along with a guard at Tafuna
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American Samoa Fono
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The Legislature of American Samoa or Fono is the territorial legislature of American Samoa. Like most state and territorial legislatures of the United States, it is a legislature with a House of Representatives. The legislature is located in Fagatogo along Pago Pago harbor and it is the only legislature on the state or territorial level in the United States that is both bicameral and nonpartisan. The Nebraska Legislature is similarly nonpartisan yet is a unicameral body, the lower House of Representatives has 21 members, elected for a two year term. It comprises 20 single-seat constituencies and one constituency decided upon by a meeting on Swains Island. The Senate has 18 members, elected for a four year term by, during Governor Vernon Hubers the term in office, which lasted from 1947 until 1949, American Samoans moved towards greater self-government. Under Hubers encouragement, the legislature of the territory, known as the American Samoa Fono, the American Samoa Fono is housed at the Maota Fono complex, a bee-hive shaped building based on the traditional Samoan fale. It is based on the traditional building designs as the Fono in Samoa. A two story wing is flanked by two single storey wings housing the chambers from the Senate and the House of Representatives. This Fono building is the second to be located in Fagotogo, the first Fono was housed in the former home at the United States Navy Tutuila Station barracks. It was destroyed by a fire in 1970, the former Fono site is home to the ANZ Amerika Samoa Banks Head Office
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American Samoa Senate
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The American Samoa Senate is the upper house of the American Samoa Fono. The Senate, like the lower House of Representatives, is a nonpartisan body and it is composed of 18 senators, serving a four-year term. Galeai M. Tuufuli, Manua District 1 NuanuaolefeagaigaT, instead, the Senates voting franchise is strictly limited to the various chiefs of the islands
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Economy of American Samoa
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The economy of American Samoa is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is linked to the United States, with which American Samoa conducts the great bulk of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, transfers from the U. S. federal government add substantially to American Samoas economic well-being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoas remote location, its limited transportation, tourism, a developing sector, may be held back by the current financial difficulties in East Asia
