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Samoa

Where can I find information about Samoa?

Senior Primary (Years 5-8)

Image: This is Coconuts by Michal Pechardo on Unsplash.

Contents

Facts and pictures Daily Life New Zealand and Samoa Books

Entry last updated: 13/01/21

Introduction

Samoa is a country made up of nine volcanic islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The largest of these islands is Upolu - home to Samoa’s capital city. An independent nation since 1962, Samoa has close relationships with both Australia and New Zealand.

Facts and pictures

There are some excellent places to look for facts and pictures about the history, people and culture of Samoa.

BBC

This reputable news website is a great place to find reliable and up-to-date information.

  • Use the search box and enter the name of the island you are interested in eg Samoa.
  • Select the result that says Profile, like Samoa country profile.
  • You will find some introductory facts for Samoa, as well as some key dates which can be extended to a fuller timeline.

National Geographic

National Geographic is known for its illustrated magazine and the website has a good range of images and videos of many countries.

  • Entering 'Samoa' into the search box will bring up a list of results.
  • From here you can choose Photography to view photos and pictures eg #samoa.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

Daily Life

These websites help us to explore daily life in Samoa including history, culture, food and beliefs.

Britannica School

This is one of the EPIC resources, a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics.

  • Choose the Primary level and put in your keyword 'Samoa'.
  • This will bring up the Samoa entry which covers the geography, plants and animals, people and culture, and economy.
  • Try the Images & Videos and Related tabs to find more information.
Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Topic Explorer

Topic Explorer is an online tool from the National Library of New Zealand. It contains a wide range of quality resources in a range of formats (eg articles, books, images, videos, primary sources, sets, websites), on a variety of topics including Samoa.

  • Enter the keyword 'Samoa' into the search bar to find the topic set on Samoa.

WickED

Here you can find out about people and places in the South Pacific through fun online activities, as well as reading digital legends based on traditional stories.

  • Have a look at their section on Pasifika.

New Zealand and Samoa

New Zealand has a strong connection with Samoa. Here are some websites to help you find more information about New Zealand's relationship with Samoa.

Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Although this is an excellent starting point for all questions about New Zealand Aotearoa, you will also find useful information relating to Samoans in New Zealand. If we scroll down to the bottom of the page we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

  • Go to Stories and find the letter S.
  • Select Samoans.
You can choose from a number of topics here, and remember to look at the External links and sources for other suggested resources.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Manatū Aorere

This site will help with understanding about New Zealand's relationship with the Pacific Islands.

  • Select Countries &regions.
  • Choose Pacific.
  • Select Samoa.

Ministry for Pacific Peoples - Te Manatū mā Ngā Iwi of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa

This New Zealand government department is responsible for policies that improve life for Pacific peoples. There is lots of information here, including a population breakdown of New Zealand's Pacific Island residents.

Tips: We like sites like these because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

Books

These books will give you more information on Samoa.

Samoa by Carmel Reilly.

Samoan Heroes by David Riley.

Rarotonga, Samoa and Tonga by Brett Atkinson, Charles Rawlings-Way and Tamara Sheward.

SCIS no: 1896450

Topics covered

South Pacific Samoa geography culture history social sciences Pacific Islands identity, culture and organisation place and environment continuity and change South Pacific Ocean Savai'i Upolu economy plants animals Australia New Zealand

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