According to archaeological evidence the Samoan people are Polynesians who migrated from the West, (the East Indies, the Malay Peninsula or the Philippines).  The oldest known site of human occupation in Samoa is Mulifanua on Upolu dating back to about 1000 BC (about 3,000 years ago).  This site is associated with the Lapita people who left many pieces of broken Lapita pottery as evidence of their occupation.

The first European to discover Samoa was Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutchman, who sighted the islands in 1722 whilst searching for the great unknown southern continent.

By far the most important agents of change in Samoa were the Western missionaries.  They had a profound influence on Samoan culture and society.  The missionary influence on Samoan life was so strong that they are now a devoutly religious people with much time and resources devoted to church activities.

Immediately after the outbreak of World War I Britain persuaded New Zealand to seize Samoa, which had been under German control since the Berlin Treaty was established in 1889.  New Zealand administered Samoa from 1918 up to the day of its independence in January 1962, making Samoa the first independent island nation in the South Pacific.

Samoa is a traditional society with a distinctive Polynesian cultural heritage.  Their wish to preserve this traditional lifestyle provides one of the principal attractions for tourists.  Traditional authority is vested in the matai, or chief, of the village.  Each extended family or aiga has at least one matai at its head.  The matai is appointed by consensus of the aiga.  Ownership of customary land is legally vested in the matai who directs the economic, social and political affairs of the aiga.

There are 362 villages in Samoa with a total of 18,000 matais.  Citizens 21 years and over, vote for 45 matai members of the Legislative Assembly in national elections, with a further two seats under the individual voters roll.

Ten things you may not know about Samoa:

1. Samoa recently (by skipping Friday 30 December 2011) relocated to west of the International Date Line - the time difference is now only three hours ahead of Australia.  The International Date Line now passes beetween Samoa and American Samoa.  Situated south of the equator, Samoa's ten islands lie about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean.
2. While Samoan is the official language, English is widely spoken.
3. Samoa is one of the top game fishing spots in the world and offers a huge variety of game fish including giant trevally, wahoo, masimasi, sail fish, albacore, dog tooth and yellow-fin tuna to name a few. Every May, the annual Samoa International Tournament is held and attracts anglers from around the world.
4. Penina Golf Course on Upolu is an 18-hole championship golf course, which meanders around some 160 landscaped acres. On the coastal area lie two par fours where the Pacific Ocean challenges any avid golfer.
5. The Samoa decimal currency is the Tala (dollar) and Sene (cent) - 100 Sene = $1Tala. $1.00 US is roughly equivalent to $2.55 Samoan Tala, $1.00 Australian is roughly equivalent to $2.44 Samoan Tala.
6. Samoa is a mostly Christian nation.  The main denominations are Congregational, Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Assembly of God, Seven Days Adventist, Bahai, Latter Day Saints and Jehovah's Witness. Our guests are welcomed and encouraged to attend church services.
7. In the village of Vailima on Upolu, you'll find the beautifully restored colonial homestead where author Robert Louis Stevenson and his family lived for five years prior to his death. It's a must-see visitor attraction.
8. Samoa is perfect for weddings and honeymoons, family, surf, and fishing trips.
9. Samoa became the first country since the 1970s to change the side of the road on which cars are driven. In September 2009, drivers moved from the right side to the left.
10. The Samoa Tourism Authority has a great blog. Check it out and feel free to submit features at www.samoa.travel/blog.aspx.