Apia

Apia is the capital and largest city of Samoa. It is found on the central north coast of Upolu, which is Samoa's second-largest island. Apia is part of the political area called Tuamasaga.

The city of Apia, also called the Apia Urban Area, is home to 35,974 people, according to a count from 2021. The city stretches from the east near Letogo village in Vaimauga all the way to the west, where newer industrial areas reach toward Vaitele village in Faleata.

History

Main article: History of Samoa

Apia started as a small village with only 304 people in the year 1800. Today, it has grown into a big city that includes many villages. Each village, including Apia Village, has its own leaders and special traditions.

Apia became the official capital of Samoa in 1959. It was founded in the 1850s. The harbor was once the scene of a big storm in 1889 when ships from Germany, the US, and Britain stayed behind instead of leaving. Most of the ships were damaged or sank, but one British ship survived by moving slowly out of the storm.

Western Samoa was ruled by Germany from 1900 to 1914. In 1914, New Zealand took control and governed the islands until Samoa became independent in 1962. During this time, people in Apia held peaceful protests for independence. Sadly, during one protest in 1929, a chief was killed. During World War II, the United States built a base nearby from 1941 to 1944.

Geography

Apia is located on a natural harbor at the mouth of the Vaisigano River. It sits on a narrow coastal plain, with Mount Vaea directly to its south. Mount Vaea stands at an elevation of 472 metres (1,549 feet) and is the burial place of the writer Robert Louis Stevenson. Two main ridges run south on either side of the river, and there are roads along each ridge. The western road is called Cross Island Road, which is one of the few roads that goes from north to south across the middle of the island to the south coast of Upolu.

Climate

Apia has a tropical rainforest climate, which means the weather stays quite warm and rainy all year. The city gets most of its rain between December and March, with over 300 millimetres each month. The driest time is in July and August, with only about 80 millimetres of rain. The average temperature in Apia is around 26 °C, or 79 °F, and the city gets about 3,000 millimetres of rain each year.

Administration

Apia is part of the Tuamasaga political district and several election districts. The city is made up of around 45 different villages, each with its own way of managing things. There isn't a single city government for Apia.

The city has grown in an unplanned way over time, leading to some problems. During the rainy season, flooding can happen often because the city sits in a low area that easily gets wet. Some parts of the city face pollution issues because they are near wet, marshy lands. With more people owning cars, traffic can get crowded in the city centre, and there is a need to improve roads and manage traffic better. Laws have been created to help plan the city's growth and address these challenges.

City features

Apia has many important buildings and places. At the western end of the city is Mulinuʻu, the old ceremonial capital, where you can find the Parliament House and an old observatory that is now used for weather forecasts.

The city has a historic Catholic cathedral called the Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral. It was built a long time ago, in 1867, but had to be taken down in 2011 because it was damaged in an earthquake. A new cathedral was built and opened in 2014.

Apia has government buildings, a clock tower that reminds people of wars past, and a new market that is safer from strong storms. Some old wooden buildings from when Germany ruled the area are still standing, like an old courthouse that now has a museum inside.

New tall buildings have been built in recent years, such as the ACC building with shops and offices, the Samoatel building for telephone services, and the DBS building with banks and courts. There is also a shopping mall called SNPF Molesi and a new hospital.

Famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson lived in Apia for the last four years of his life and is buried on Mount Vaea, which looks over the city. You can visit his home, Vailima, which is now a museum.

Apia is also home to the Museum of Samoa, located in an old German school, and the Bahá’í House of Worship for the Pacific, a special place for people of all religions to gather and reflect.

Economy

Apia is an important business city. Two airlines, Talofa Airways and Samoa Airways, have their main offices there. A big company called Grey Investment Group also has its main office in downtown Apia. This company helped start the first private National Bank of Samoa.

In downtown Apia, one Chinese family owns 30% of the businesses. Europeans own 10% of the businesses, and the local community owns the other 60%.

Transport

Apia Harbour is the largest and busiest harbour in Samoa. Ships carrying goods, gas, and fuel stop here, and ferries leave for Tokelau and American Samoa.

Apia has good roads that are usually well kept. Most main roads are paved, while smaller roads are not. People drive on the left side of the road since September 7, 2009. The government improved many roads around Apia starting in 2012. Samoa does not have trains, but people can take buses or taxis, and many enjoy walking. There are not many bicycles or motorcycles, and roads can get busy, so improving them is important. The main airport, Faleolo International Airport, is about 40 minutes away by car. Samoa's airlines, Polynesian Airlines and Talofa Airways, fly from there. There is also a smaller airport, Fagali'i Airport, for local and some international flights to Pago Pago in American Samoa.

Education

Apia has many schools for children of all ages, including Samoa’s only university, the National University of Samoa. Another important school is the University of the South Pacific School of Agriculture at Alafua. There is also a well-known private school called Robert Louis Stevenson School, which many families in Samoa choose to send their children to.

Sport

Apia has been an important place for many sports events. In 1983, Apia hosted the Pacific Games for the first time. The Games returned in 2007, and Samoa finished third that year. Many people attended the closing ceremony at Apia Park.

Apia also hosted important football matches for Oceania in 2007, which were part of the qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The matches were played at the Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex, which is where the Samoa national football team plays its home games.

Other sports events in Apia include the IJF Judo World Cup from 2009 to 2012, the 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Eight tournament, and the 2018 FIBA Polynesia Basketball Cup, where Samoa's national basketball team came in second place.

Sister cities

Apia has several sister cities around the world. These include Shenzhen in Guangdong, China, since 2015; Compton, California in the United States, since 2010; Oranjestad in Aruba, since 2012; Riohacha in Colombia, since 2019; and Taipei in the Republic of China, since an earlier date. These partnerships help cities learn from each other and work together.

Notable influence

Apia has been home to famous people, like Pene Pati, who is known for his beautiful singing in operas.