Samoa

Did you know?

• 🏝An independent island state in Polynesia consisting of two main islands (Upolu and Savai'i) and several smaller islets.
• 🏳️What does its flag mean? The red field symbolizes courage, sacrifice, and the historical struggle for independence. The blue canton represents freedom, purity, and the surrounding ocean. Five white stars represent the Southern Cross constellation, highlighting Samoa's geographic location in the South Pacific and Christian faith.
• 🗓️Jumping across time: In 2011, Samoa skipped December 30 entirely by moving to the west side of the International Date Line to align its business calendar with trade partners Australia and New Zealand.
• 🚗Switched driving sides: In 2009, Samoa became one of the few modern nations to switch driving orientation from the right side of the road to the left to lower vehicle import costs.
• 🖋️Robert Louis Stevenson's haven: Famous author of Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson, spent his final years in Samoa, where locals warmly nicknamed him Tusitala ('Teller of Tales').