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35 Fun Facts About Samoa for Kids
35 Fun Facts About Samoa for Kids

35 Fun Facts About Samoa for Kids

© Samoa Tourism Authority

Learn Some Trivia About Samoa!

Every parent wants to make sure the whole family gets the most out of a trip to a new country. Samoa is a fascinating nation with a captivating culture, breathtaking landscapes and wildlife that kids love. Get your children excited for their family holiday to Samoa, and create some fun trivia, by sharing some interesting, random and even funny facts about Samoa with them!

5 Things to Do in Samoa with Kids

What could you be getting up to with the kids on holiday? Check them out:

  1. Check out Samoa’s family-friendly swimming hole, the Piula Cave Pool
  2. Experience cultural and crafting workshops at Samoa Cultural Village
  3. Have a splash at the Afu Aau Waterfall…
  4. … And at the natural playground of the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks
  5. See a fire dance at a “fiafia night“.

Don’t worry, there are far more than five things to do, as shown in the 20 Best Things to Do in Samoa with Kids!

35 Fun Facts About Samoa for Kids© SamoaPocketGuide.com

Fun Facts About the Islands

Learn something new, interesting and perhaps a little random in this list of fun facts about the islands of Samoa – ideal for sharing with kids!

  1. Samoa has 10 islands
  2. Samoa is located in the South Pacific Ocean in the continent of Oceania
  3. The capital of Samoa is Apia on the island of Upolu
  4. Most of the islands in Samoa are volcanic
  5. Savai’i is the largest island in Samoa
  6. Samoa is the first country to see the new day because it is the closest country to the west side of the International Date Line
  7. Samoa used to be called “Western Samoa“
  8. Apolima was the first island in the South Pacific to run completely on solar power
  9. The footprint of a legendary giant can be found on Savai’i, called “Moso’s Footprint“

Learn more facts about each of the islands in What are the 10 Islands of Samoa?

35 Fun Facts About Samoa for Kids© SamoaPocketGuide.com

Fun Facts About Samoa Wildlife

Samoa is also home to an abundance of interesting wildlife, from a small selection of birds to countless marine creatures. Check out some fun facts about them in the list below!

  1. There are birds called pe’ape’a that live in caves and use sonar like a bat
  2. There are around 900 species of fish in Samoa
  3. There are around 200 species of coral in Samoa
  4. There are no poisonous land snakes or spiders in Samoa
  5. Manumea is the national bird of Samoa and is the last living descendent of the dodo
  6. Samoa has a wild population of goldfish that can only be found at Lake Lanoto’o
  7. Samoa is one of the best places to see turtles in the wild; you’ll see hawksbill turtles and greenback turtles
  8. There are lots of dogs in Samoa, but dogs are banned from the island of Manono.

Learn more interesting things about animals in Wildlife in Samoa: Animals in Samoa & Where to See Them.

35 Fun Facts About Samoa for Kids© SamoaPocketGuide.com

Fun Facts About Samoa History

Ok, not all kids are into history, but they might just like these fun facts about things that have happened in Samoa.

  1. Samoa was first settled around 1,000 BC
  2. The Pulemelai Mound on Savai’i is the largest ancient structure in the Pacific
  3. Samoa has a long history of tribal battles with Tonga
  4. Samoans used to believe in the gods of the sun, earth, heavens and sea until missionaries John Williams and Charles Barff first converted locals on Savai’i to Christianity in 1830
  5. Germany, Britain and the US all fought to rule over Samoa until the Tripartite Treaty was drawn up, giving control of western Samoa (today’s Samoa) to the Germans and eastern Samoa (today’s American Samoa) to the Americans
  6. After the outbreak of World War One, New Zealand captured Samoa from Germany
  7. Samoa became an independent country in 1962
  8. Samoa had a devastating tsunami in 2009. Not such a fun fact; it destroyed around 20 villages and killed around 150 people.

Learn more about the history in A Brief History of Samoa.

35 Fun Facts About Samoa for Kids© Samoa Tourism Authority

Fun Facts About the People of Samoa

And what would a visit to Samoa be without people? Here are some interesting facts about the people of Samoa.

  1. Samoan is the language of Samoa
  2. There are only 14 letters in the Samoan alphabet
  3. There are around 206,180 people living in Samoa
  4. There are more Samoans living overseas than in Samoa
  5. “Talofa Lava” is how you say hello in Samoan
  6. The chief of the family in Samoa is called a “matai“
  7. There is a national day for children called “White Sunday” where kids dress all in white, are celebrated in church, are cooked their favourite food, and given gifts
  8. Tattoos (tatau) in Samoa are applied with a bone dipped in ink and attached to a stick, which is tapped into the skin. It is very painful but an important event for Samoans
  9. Samoa has its own sport called “kilikiti” which is like cricket but played with a three-sided club and everyone gets involved in the game
  10. It is considered rude to point your toes at someone when sitting on the floor in Samoa.

Check out our guides, Who are the People of Samoa? and A Traveller’s Guide to the Samoan Culture to learn more about the people of Samoa.

More Fun Facts About Samoa for Kids

That’s it for our list of fun facts about Samoa for kids, but the funniest of facts are those that you learn on holiday. Check out the below articles to learn more about making your island trip a reality:

Finally, find a place to stay on the islands using the 25 Best Family Resorts & Accommodations in Samoa.

Sources:

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across Samoa and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

Our editorial standards: At Samoa Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Samoa Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. Robin works and consults regularly with the Samoa Tourism Authority, a local government body representing the tourism industry. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

Contact Robin via our contact page

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