| Colonial governor of Samoa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| German Samoa | |
| Formation | 1 March 1900 |
| First holder | Wilhelm Heinrich Solf |
| Final holder | Jack Wright |
| Abolished | 31 December 1961 |
| Succession | O le Ao o le Malo |
This article lists the colonial governors of Samoa (or Western Samoa), from the establishment of German Samoa in 1900 until the independence of the Western Samoa Trust Territory in 1962.
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
| Tenure | Portrait | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| In 1900, according to the Tripartite Convention and following the Second Samoan Civil War, the Samoan Islands were annexed by the German Empire, except for the part that is to become American Samoa. [1] Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, is styled "Tupu Sili o Samoa" ("Paramount King of Samoa"). [2] | |||
| Governors of German Samoa (1900–1914) | |||
| 1 March 1900 to 19 December 1911 |  | Wilhelm Heinrich Solf | Afterwards served as the Secretary of State in the Reichskolonialamt, from 1911 to 1918 |
| 19 December 1911 to 29 August 1914 |  | Erich Schultz-Ewerth | Acting to 19 June 1912 |
| In 1914, as part of the Asian and Pacific theatre of World War I, an expeditionary force from the Dominion of New Zealand called the Samoa Expeditionary Force (SEF) captured and occupied the territory. In 1920, the territory was turned into a League of Nations mandate, administered by New Zealand. In 1946, the mandate was reformed as a United Nations trust territory and continued to be administered by New Zealand. | |||
| Administrators of Western Samoa (1914–1948) | |||
| 29 August 1914 to 28 January 1919 |  | Colonel Robert Logan | |
| 28 January 1919 to 16 March 1923 |  | Colonel Robert Ward Tate | |
| 16 March 1923 to 8 April 1928 |  | George Spafford Richardson | From 3 June 1925, Sir George Spafford Richardson |
| 5 May 1928 to 3 April 1931 |  | Stephen Allen | |
| 18 April 1931 to 25 July 1935 |  | Herbert Ernest Hart | |
| 25 July 1935 to 28 February 1946 |  | Alfred Turnbull | From 1942, Sir Alfred Clarke Turnbull; acting to 1943 |
| March 1946 to 10 March 1948 |  | Francis William Voelcker | |
| High Commissioners of Western Samoa (1948–1961) | |||
| 10 March 1948 to 23 February 1949 | | Francis William Voelcker | |
| 1 March 1949 to 2 April 1960 |  | Guy Powles | |
| 2 April 1960 to 31 December 1961 |  | Jack Wright | Acting to June 1960 |
On 1 January 1962, Western Samoa achieved independence following the passage of the 1961 referendum. For a list of heads of state after independence, see O le Ao o le Malo.
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Malietoa Tanumafili II was a Samoan paramount chief who was O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa from its independence in 1962 until his death in 2007. He was appointed to the high title of Malietoa in 1940.
Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole was a Western Samoan paramount chief. He held the royal title of Tupua Tamasese from 1929 to 1963, and O le Ao o le Malo jointly with Malietoa Tanumafili II from 1962 until his death the following year.
Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi is a Samoan political leader and paramount chief, and heads one of Samoa’s two royal families - Sā Tupua - through the family’s maximal lineage title, Tupua Tamasese.
The prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa is the head of government of Samoa. The prime minister is a member of the Legislative Assembly, and is appointed by the O le Ao o le Malo for a five-year term. Since independence in 1962, a total of seven individuals have served as prime minister. The incumbent was disputed due to the 2021 constitutional crisis, when Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi refused to accept the results of the 2021 general election. On 23 July 2021, the Samoan Court of Appeal ruled that the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party had been in government since 24 May. Tuilaʻepa then conceded defeat, resulting in FAST party leader Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa becoming prime minister.
The Legislative Assembly, also known as the Parliament of Samoa, is the national legislature of Samoa, seated at Apia, where the country's central administration is situated. Samoan Parliament is composed of two parts: the O le Ao o le Malo and the Legislative Assembly.
Mal, which in Spanish means bad or evil, may also refer to:
The O le Ao o le Malo is the ceremonial head of state of Samoa. The position is described in Part III of the 1960 Samoan constitution.
An indirect election was held in Samoa to elect the O le Ao o le Malo on 16 June 2007 after the death of the country's head of state for four and a half decades, Malietoa Tanumafili II, in May 2007. Former Prime Minister Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi was elected unopposed by the 49-member strong parliament. This election was the first to occur for an O le Ao o le Malo since Samoa gained independence in 1962.
The National University of Samoa is the only national university in Samoa. Established in 1984 by an act of parliament, it is coeducational and provides certificate, diploma, and undergraduate degree programs, as well as technical and vocational training. About 2,000 students were enrolled in 2010 with an estimated 300 staff. It offers a wide range of programmes including Arts, Business and Entrepreneurship, Education, Science, Nursing, Engineering and Maritime Training. The Centre for Samoan Studies, established in the university for the teaching of the Samoan language and culture, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as the world's first degree in Master of Samoan Studies.
The decolonisation of Oceania occurred after World War II when nations in Oceania achieved independence by transitioning from European colonial rule to full independence.
The Constitution of Samoa is a written constitution which is the supreme law in Samoa. It establishes Samoa as a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system and responsible government. It outlines the structure and powers of the Samoan government's three parts: the executive, legislature, and judiciary.
Indirect elections for the o le Ao o le Malo were held in Apia on 19 July 2012. Incumbent Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi was the only candidate, and was re-elected unopposed. He had been nominated by Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi and seconded by Palusalue Fa’apo II, the leader of the opposition.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Independent State of Samoa is a cabinet minister in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Samoa, responsible for conducting foreign relations of the country.
The chief justice of Samoa is the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Samoa. The qualifications and powers of the office are governed by Part VI of the Constitution of Samoa and the Judicature Ordinance 1961. The position is currently held by Satiu Simativa Perese.
Vailoatai is a village in southwestern Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. It is located on the eastern end of Leone Bay. The village is known for its beautiful malae, nested along the island's rugged southern coast and lined by the fale tali mālō of its village chiefs.
Afioga Tuimalealiʻifano Vaʻaletoʻa Eti Sualauvi II is a Samoan politician who is the current O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa, in office since 2017.
The Council of Deputies is a constitutional body in Samoa. Its members serve as Deputy O le Ao o le Malo and act as head of state when the office of O le Ao o le Malo is vacant or when the incumbent is unable to fulfill their duties due to absence or incapacitation.
Tuiaana Tuimalealiʻifano Suatipatipa II was a Western Samoan paramount chief, politician and church elder. For most of the period between 1962 and 1974 he was the only member of the Council of Deputies, whose members serve as deputy to the O le Ao o le Malo.
Capital punishment is not a legal penalty in Samoa. The death penalty was used in the colonial era, but the practice had ceased by the time of independence in 1962, with death sentences being commuted to life imprisonment, and it was formally abolished in 2004. The last execution was carried out in 1952.
