Samoa

Samoa Known as Western Samoa until 1997, it consisted of a group of Polynesian islands in the central Pacific divided in 1900 between US and German colonial government. At the beginning of World War I, the western, German part was occupied by New Zealand troops. New Zealand administration, subsequently legitimized as a League of Nations Mandate, was considered by the Samoans as racist and insensitive to local customs, and was thus resisted in the so-called Mau protests until the more sensitive approach taken by the new New Zealand Labour government after 1935. It became a UN trust territory in 1946 and, after gradually acquiring more self-government, it became independent on 1 January 1962. Though it retained a traditional system of government, as 47 out of 49 seats in the legislative assembly were reserved for clan chiefs, the first free elections were introduced 1991. In 1998, Tofilau Eti Alesana, who had been Prime Minister since 1982, was succeeded by Sailele Malielegoai Tuila'epa. He continued to diversify the economy by promoting tourism and foreign direct investment.