Apia
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- For other uses of the term Apia, see Apia (disambiguation).
Apia, population 38,800 (2001), is the capital of the Independent State of Samoa. The city is located on the northern coast of Upolu Island. It is the nation's major port and only city. Fish and copra are the country's major exports, and cotton goods, motor vehicles, meats, and sugar are the major imports.
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[edit] Location
Apia () is situated on a natural harbour at the mouth of the Vaisigano River. It is on a narrow coastal plain with Mount Vaea (elev. 472 m) directly to its south. Two main ridges run south on either side of the Vaisigano River, with roads on each. The more western of these is Cross Island Road, one of the few roads crossing to the south coast of Upolu.
[edit] Administration
Apia is part of the Tuamasaga political district and of election district Vaimauga West. There is no city administration for Apia. Apia consists of some 45 individual, independent villages. Apia proper is just a small village between the mouths of the Vaisigano (east) and Mulivai (west) rivers, and is framed by Vaisigano and Mulivai villages, together constituting "Downtown Apia".
The Planning Urban Management Authority (PUMA) Act 2002 was passed by parliament to better plan for the urban growth of Samoa's built-up areas, with particular reference to the future urban management of Apia. The city's historical haphazard growth from village to colonial trading post to the major financial and business centre of the country has resulted in major infrastructural problems in the city. Problems of flooding are commonplace in the wet season, given the low flood-prone valley that the city is built on. In the inner-city village of Sogi, there are major shoreline pollution and effluent issues given that the village is situated on swamplands. The disparate village administrations of Apia has resulted in a lack of a unified and codified legislative approach to sewerage disposal. The relatively high growth in vehicle ownership has resulted in traffic congestion in the inner city streets and the need for major projects in road-widening and traffic management. The PUMA legislation sets up the Planning Urban Management Authority to better manage the unique planning issues facing Apia's urban growth.
[edit] City features
Mulinu'u, the old ceremonial capital, lies at the city's western end, and is the location of the Parliament House (Maota Fono) and the historic observatory, which is now the meteorology office.
An area of reclaimed land jutting into the harbour is the site of the multistorey government offices and the Central Bank of Samoa. A clock tower erected as a war memorial acts as a central point for the city. The new market (maketi fou) is inland a bit at Fugalei, where it is more protected from the effects of cyclones. Apia still has some of the early, wooden, colonial buildings which remain scattered around the town, most notably the courthouse, with a museum on the upper floor. Recent infrastructural development and economic growth has seen several multi-story buildings being built in the city. The ACB/NBS building (2001) houses the Accident Compensation Board, the National Bank of Samoa, and some government departments. The mall below it is home to shops and eateries. The Samoatel building (2004) which is the site for Samoa's international telecommunications hub was built inland at Maluafou, again to protect it from the effects of seasonal cyclones. The newest addition to Apia's skyline is the DBS building (2007) which houses the Development Bank of Samoa.
Writer Robert Louis Stevenson spent the last four years of his life here, and is buried on Mt. Vaea, overlooking both the city and the home he built, Vailima, which is now a museum in his honour.
[edit] Transport
Apia Harbour is by far the largest and busiest harbour in Samoa. International shipping with containers, LPG gas, and fuels all dock here. Ferries to Tokelau and American Samoa depart from here. Apia is served by a good road network, which is generally kept reasonably well maintained. Most of the main roads are sealed; the unsealed roads have lower use. Vehicles drive on the right-hand side of the road although much disputed legislation is in train to change to the other side. Speed limits are 25 mph (40 km/h) near the centre of town and 35 mph (56 km/h) in the rest of the country with a 15 mph (24 km/h) limit in special circumstances. The country has no trains or trams, but is served with an extensive bus service. People commonly walk around the town, or even for some distances outside it. There are few bicycles and motorcycles, but increasing numbers of privately owned cars which cause traffic congestion in the inner city. Taxis are a common form of transport. The small airstrip in Fagali'i, which was used for internal flights and some international flights to Pago Pago in American Samoa has now been closed. The main international airport, Faleolo International Airport, is a 40-minute drive west of the city.
[edit] Communications
Most streets do not have signs and none of the houses or businesses has street numbers. There are no postal codes and no local mail delivery. Post office boxes are used for this and a customs officer is present in the main Apia post office to check parcels. Locals refer to locations by the village where the house or business is situated.
Telephone services are efficient with local, trunk and international dialling. Both SamoaTel and [Digicel] operate mobile phone services with a high rate of mobile phone ownership in the country.
International Internet services are served by a satellite link with several internet service providers offering broadband and dial-up services. Apia has a choice of internet cafes.
[edit] Housing
This is a mixture of old colonial houses and more modern Western-style houses, interspersed with some traditional Samoan houses.
