[ad_1]
American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of america, so I’m not precisely certain it counts as a rustic, however we’re going with it anyway. The place I stay there are a whole lot of Pacific Islanders (largely from the Marshall Islands) so it’s significantly essential to me that children find out about these island teams, which I feel lots of people don’t know are a part of america.
American Samoa Fundamentals
American Samoa is a gaggle of islands that’s the southernmost territory of america (and one in all two territories south of the Equator, the opposite being the uninhabited Jarvis Island, which I’ll admit to by no means having hear of till Wikipedia instructed me about it). The islands are about 1,600 miles northeast of New Zealand and a pair of,200 miles southwest of Hawaii.
American Samoa is usually made up of 5 islands and two coral atolls, with Tutuila being the most important and most populous. In all of the land is 76.8 sq. miles, or 199 sq. kilometers, which is in regards to the measurement of Washington, D.C., and the inhabitants is about 45,500.
Most individuals in American Samoa are ethnically Samoans and converse each English and Samoan.
American Samoa turned a territory of america as a part of an settlement with Germany and Nice Britain in 1899. The islands have nice strategic worth due to their location, and through World Battle II American Marines outnumbered the native native inhabitants. That affect continues to be felt immediately, and in 2021 the Military recruiting station in Pago Pago was first in recruitment.
Regardless of this, American Samoans are thought-about non-citizen nationals, who aren’t granted American citizenship at delivery and haven’t any voting consultant in Congress. Domestically they’ve have a structure since 1967 and have a regionally elected governor.
Nationwide Symbols
The flag of American Samoa has a blue background with a purple and white triangle pointing to the left. Contained in the triangle is a bald eagle holding a conflict membership and a fly whisk (which because it feels like is a workers with cloth or hair tied to the tip that’s used as a fan and to brush away bugs).
This flag was adopted in 1960. Pink, white and blue are conventional colours of each america and Samoa, and the eagle is a nationwide image of the US (they don’t stay in Samoa). The conflict membership represents the facility of the federal government and the fly whisk the knowledge of conventional Samoan leaders.
Their anthem is “Amerika Samoa,” which was adopted in 1950.
I can’t affirm there are any nationwide animals, however the islands are house to the Samoa flying fox, which has a three-foot wingspan, which sounds fairly cool. At this time I additionally discovered that flying fox is one other identify for megabats, and so they’re the one mammal native to the islands. Sixteen of the 34 species of birds discovered within the Samoan Islands are discovered nowhere else on Earth.
American Samoa Actions for Children
In case your youngsters are into animals, you may study extra in regards to the Samoan flying fox at Animal Range.
Study Samoan tattooing from the Australian Museum (enjoyable truth: the phrase for male tattoos is pe’a, which implies flying fox and refers back to the darkish shade of the tattoo). You possibly can watch a conventional Samoan tattooing ritual on this video from Voice of America.
Rugby is a well-liked sport in Samoa, which you’ll study extra about with these info and worksheets from KidsKonnect.
You possibly can study much more in regards to the tropical panorama, fruit bats, coral reefs and conventional Samoan tradition on the web site for the Nationwide Park of American Samoa, which is positioned in Pago Pago.
Books About American Samoa
Be taught extra about Samoan tradition with Rthan Braxton’s Journey to the Land of the Samoans, which describes conventional Samoan life and tradition.
For youthful youngsters, attempt Sleepy Time Samoa: A Goodnight Bedtime Rhyme, by Mary C. Aflague.
Or you will get a e book that features English and Samoan language, like Head, Shoulders Knees, and Toes in Samoan, or this Samoan e book of colours with English translations.
[Map image via Mapsland]
[ad_2]
Source link
