Country Profile: Samoa

Country Resources

Topographic
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
Samoa 1:20,000 Scale Topographic MapsDepartment of Lands & Survey, Western Samoa1:20,0001961 – 197128
Samoa 1:50,000 Scale Topographic MapsDepartment of Lands, Surveys and Environment Samoa1:50,0002000 – 20006
Samoa 1:50,000 Scale Topographic Maps (EVMap50-WSM)East View Geospatial1:50,0002020 – 202016

Thematic
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
The World 1:30,000,000 Scale Topographic Map Series 1145 (NGA)DMA1:30,000,0002

Global Census Archive: GIS Census Data

YearQuestions / AnswersADM LevelPolygons at ADMData Points
2016126 / 84324336,249
20164 / 2333247,452

Global Resources

Topographic
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
Soviet Military City PlansVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)Varies1944 – 20033017
Soviet Military 1:100,000 Scale Topographic MapsVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)1:100,0001947 – 199924897
Soviet Military 1:200,000 Scale Topographic MapsVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)1:200,0001949 – 200917799
Soviet Military 1:500,000 Scale Topographic MapsVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)1:500,0001953 – 19983093

Nautical
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
NGA Nautical Charts POD Certified (All Scales)National Geospatial-Intelligence AgencyVaries1943 – 20134517

Aeronautical
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
Joint Operations Graphic (JOG) 1:250,000 – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:250,0001958 – 20074204
Tactical Pilotage Chart (TPC) 1:500,000 Scale – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:500,0001967 – 2006598
Operational Navigation Chart (ONC) 1:1,000,000 Scale – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:1,000,0001969 – 2001243
Jet Navigation Chart (JNC) 1:2,000,000 Scale – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:2,000,0001971 – 1999117
Global Navigation and Planning Chart (GNC) 1:5,000,000 Scale – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:5,000,0001981 – 199927

Geoscientific
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
Soviet Military 1:1,000,000 Scale Topographic MapsVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)1:1,000,0001948 – 19941089

Note: East View Geospatial is continuously sourcing new resources that may not yet be listed in Global Explorer. Please contact us if you have geodata needs beyond what is listed above and we will be happy to discuss available off-the-shelf and custom solutions.


Historical Country Mapping Information

Jump to: Topographic | Thematic | Tourist/Reference

Topographic

The western part of the Samoan islands gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 and comprises the two main islands, Savai’i and Upolu. The first modern mapping of Samoa was carried out by the New Zealand Mapping Service (now Land Information New Zealand (LINZ)) and Terra-link in 1954. Twenty-eight six-color 1:20,000 scale sheets were published between 1963 and 1971. This map is on the Cassini-Soldner projection, International ellipsoid, and includes the UTM grid with relief shown by 50 ft contours. Responsibility for maintaining topographic map passed to the national mapping agency in Apia, the Department of Lands and Surveys, now the Department of Lands and Environment (SDLE). Smaller scales include a 1:250,000 scale map in the Infomap series from Terralink, and monochrome 1:100,000 scale coverage of each main island. A town map of Apia was compiled by SDLE in 1980.

Soviet military topographic mapping of Samoa is available at the following scale: 1:1,000,000 (1 sheet, complete coverage, published in 1965). This product is available in print, digital raster and digital vector GIS formats from East View Geospatial.


Thematic

New Zealand agencies have also been involved in the thematic mapping of Samoa. The New Zealand Geological Survey (now Institute for Geological and Nuclear Sciences (IGNS)) produced geological, hydrological and bathymetric mapping in the late 1950s. The New Zealand Soil Bureau (now Landcare Research) also carried out soil and land use mapping of the islands at this time, resulting maps were issued with explanatory text in 1963. These comprised a 1:40,000 scale soil map of Upolu in eight sheets on an orthophoto base, and 1:95,040 scale coverage.

Three thematic series were compiled at the end of the 1980s and published in six sheets each to cover the whole of Savaii and Upolu. Coverage includes soils, land capability, land use and tenure.

More recent mapping activity has been sponsored by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) who recently issued coastal mapping of Upolu and a bathymetric chart of the islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone.


Tourist/Reference

Samoa is mapped on commercial products by Hema, Universal, and University of Hawaii Press.

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Content copyright © 2014 De Gruyter for e-version of World Mapping Today, 2nd Edition