10 Fun Facts About American Samoa

American Samoa is the rebel of U.S. territories, and we absolutely love it for that!

Unlike every other U.S. territory, residents here aren't automatically U.S. citizens; they're U.S. nationals instead. It's a unique status that you won't find anywhere else under the American flag.

But here's what makes it even more fascinating: American Samoa has managed to preserve its indigenous Samoan culture and governance like nowhere else. The territory operates under its own 1967 constitution, which works hand-in-hand with the traditional Samoan fa'amatai system.

From what we've experienced, this unique mix of American governance and Samoan tradition creates something truly extraordinary!

That's right, American Samoa is home to the only US national park south of the Equator!

If you're one of those dedicated souls working your way through all 65 US national parks (and we salute your commitment), this tropical gem is probably already on your bucket list. What makes it even more special? You can snag that coveted passport stamp at the National Park of American Samoa Visitor Center to prove you've conquered this unique corner of America's park system.

According to our very own editor-in-chief, Laura, it's one of the most rewarding stamps to collect – not just because of its rarity, but because of the incredible journey it takes to get there.

And if that wasn't special enough, American Samoa holds another record: it's the only inhabited U.S. territory south of the equator. Talk about standing out from the crowd!

Learn more about the Natty P in the 10 Best Walks & Hikes in American Samoa National Park.

Here's a quirky little detail we discovered about Ofu Airport: Google's Street View team had to get creative when mapping this remote spot in American Samoa.

Instead of sticking to traditional roads, they took their mapping camera right onto the beach to capture the area around the airport. You can still see this today if you explore the Street View imagery; the path literally takes you from the airport straight onto the sand, with glimpses of roadworks peeking through the bushes.

We love imagining the Google Street View driver stepping out of their car, rolling up their trousers, and trudging along the pristine beach with all that high-tech equipment. It's not every day that mapping the world involves a seaside stroll!

Here's a fun fact that'll make you do a double-take: American Samoa is actually the last place on Earth to see each new day!

Thanks to its position on the International Date Line (IDL), this Pacific territory gets to be fashionably late to every global celebration. What makes this even more amusing is that Samoa – just 44 mi (70 km) away – is one of the first countries to welcome each new day.

Imagine being neighbours who are literally a day apart! While Samoans are already celebrating New Year's Day, American Samoans are still finishing up New Year's Eve from the previous year.

It's one of those geographical quirks that makes you appreciate just how wonderfully weird our world can be.

If you're still trying to get your head around it, check out What is the American Samoa Time Zone?

Here's a brilliant piece of American Samoa history that'll make you chuckle—and locals insist it's true.

On 11 January 1942, a Japanese submarine popped up near Pago Pago Harbor and lobbed 15-17 shells at the island for about ten minutes. This was the only enemy attack on US soil during WWII in the Pacific, making American Samoa quite the unique wartime destination.

The Japanese were aiming for the fuel storage depot located up the street from what's now Sadie's by the Sea. But their marksmanship was absolutely dreadful...

Most of the shells splashed harmlessly into the harbour, missing their targets by a mile. You'd think that would be the end of it, but it gets even better.

The only building that actually took a direct hit? The Shimasaki General Store. Ironically, a Japanese-owned merchant shop...

According to locals we've chatted with during our visits, nobody missed the irony. As one storyteller put it when we stopped by, the Shibasaki store is still standing today, now operating as Young Mart, though everyone still calls it the Shibasaki building. You can pop in for supplies whilst pondering this delightfully quirky piece of WWII history.

It's one of those stories that perfectly captures how history sometimes has a wicked sense of humour—even during wartime.

During World War II, American Samoa became home to around 6,000 Marines at its peak. That's quite the military presence for such a small territory!

The remnants of this wartime chapter are scattered all across Tutuila today, creating an incredible outdoor museum. You'll find 81 pill boxes dotting the landscape, along with the impressive gun batteries at Blunts Point and countless other military relics.

It goes without saying, but these historical sites offer such a unique glimpse into the Pacific Theatre of the war.

For more ideas on discovering these fascinating remnants (and other budget-friendly adventures), check out our Free Things to Do in Tutuila guide.

Ok, we swear this is the last war story, but here's a fascinating wartime mystery that'll give you goosebumps... During World War II, 43 naval aircraft crashed or ditched in the waters surrounding American Samoa between 1942 and 1944.

The incredible part? Not a single one has ever been found!

These lost warbirds remain somewhere beneath the Pacific waves, officially designated as war graves and protected under federal law. It's both haunting and remarkable to think that dozens of aircraft from nearly 80 years ago are still out there, waiting to tell their stories.

The waters around American Samoa clearly hold more secrets than most visitors realise.

An iconic part of the landscape, American Samoa’s public buses all have their own personality with vibrant paint jobs, hood ornaments, LED lights and blasting the latest island tunes!

Needless to say, riding one of these bad boys around the island is an experience; see our guide to Taking the Bus in American Samoa to learn more.

That’s right, there are no nasty land animals that can seriously harm you in American Samoa, including no poisonous land snakes or spiders.

There are, of course, mosquitoes, nasty little centipedes, coral and the rare jellyfish and stonefish that you wouldn’t want to get too friendly with. Other than that, American Samoa is a pretty safe country.

Learn more about safety in American Samoa in our American Samoa Safety Tips: Is it Safe to Travel to American Samoa? and more about its awesome wildlife in the 15 Animals & Birds Found in American Samoa.

During our time in American Samoa, we were genuinely surprised by how many ghost stories locals shared with us. It turns out that belief in spirits and ghosts isn't just folklore here—it's a deeply respected part of daily life.

According to locals, these spirits are called aitu, and they're taken very seriously throughout Samoan culture. We learned that aitu can even possess someone if they've committed a social transgression, a condition known as mai aitu or "ghost sickness."

What fascinated us most was discovering how these beliefs shape where people go and when. Certain locations are considered off-limits at specific times because spirits are said to inhabit them.

Take the To'aga area of Ofu in the Manu'a Islands, for example. Locals warned us against visiting after dark or at noon: times when the aitu of To'aga are believed to be most active.

We experienced this respect for spirits firsthand on our way to Mt Tumu. Our guide quietly told us to keep our voices down as we passed the site of an old village where a couple is said to still haunt the area.

What's more, Ghost Hunters International even did an episode in American Samoa, with the team looking into claims about the spirit of a Samoan Chief who possessed and killed schoolgirls at the site in Futiga. As one local put it: "I don't think they found anything..." We don't have a photo of the school, but we did take the one above of the creepy remains of an old boy's school in Anua.

All in all, the atiu are a reminder that in American Samoa, the spiritual world isn't separate from everyday life; it's woven right into it.