The islands of Western Samoa were first settled about 3,000 years ago,
after a very gradual migration eastwards into the Pacific from people
originating in South East Asia. Samoa, it seems, was the cradle of the
Polynesian culture, and archaeological evidence suggests settlers from
Samoa then spread to the other islands of Polynesia including Hawaii,
Tahiti and New Zealand. The Samoans have their own theory as to the
origin of the earth and their islands. These islands and the people are
the creation of the god "Tagaloa" and the story is very similar to the
biblical account given in the book of Genesis. The oldest known site of
human occupation is on the western edge of Upolu at Mulifanua where traces
of Lapita pottery have been carbon dated at about 1,000 BC.
Archaeologists have pondered for decades over the origin, purpose and use
of the many prehistoric structures which are scattered over the islands.
Many have been lost under centuries of dense jungle growth but many are
still visible today.
In 1768, French navigator, Louis de Bougainville, sighted the islands of
Samoa calling them the "Navigator Islands" because he encountered many
Samoans sailing small canoes far from the sight of the land and assumed
they must be good navigators. By the late 1700s, European traders were
plying the Pacific and around 1800 ships began to call at Samoa for
supplies. By the early nineteenth century, some Europeans (i.e. escaped
convicts, seamen and whalers) had settled in Samoa. However by far the
greatest impact of change on the culture and society of Samoa was the
arrival of the Western missionaries. The strong influence of the
missionaries and their teachings, have made the Samoan people devoutly
religious right up until today, with much time and resources devoted to
church activities.
After the arrival of the missionaries and European traders, vast
plantations producing copra and cotton were developed for export, and Apia
soon became a major commercial centre in the South Pacific. But, by the
late 1800s, internal strife amongst the Samoan chiefs, and power
struggles between the then present opposing colonial powers of Germany,
America and Britain, led to a period of instability. However, by 1899,
after a treaty was signed by the three colonial powers, Western Samoa was
annexed by Germany and the country prospered until Germany's expulsion by
New Zealand forces at the oubreak of World War One. New Zealand
administered tenuously thereafter, but Samoan discontent, headed by the
Mau movement, and a desire for self government led to a referendum in
1961. In January 1962, after overwhelming support for freedom from
foreign rule, Western Samoa became the first independent island nation in
the South Pacific.
Geographical Location
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