| Apia, population 38,800 (2001), is the capital of the Independent State of Samoa. The city is located on the northern coast of Upolu Island. It is the nation's major port and only city. Fish and copra are the country's major exports, and cotton goods, motor vehicles, meats, and sugar are the major imports.
Apia is situated on a natural harbour at the mouth of the Vaisigano River. It is on a narrow coastal plain with Mount Vaea (elev. 472 m) directly to its south. Two main ridges run south on either side of the Vaisigano River, with roads on each. The more western of these is Cross Island Road, one of the few roads crossing to the south coast of Upolu.
Mulinu'u, the old ceremonial capital, lies at the city's western end, and is the location of the Parliament House (Maota Fono) and the historic observatory, which is now the meteorology office.
An area of reclaimed land jutting into the harbour is the site of the multistorey government offices and the Central Bank of Samoa. In the center of the city is a clock tower erected as a war memorial. Apia has a number of multistorey buildings of recent origin, but some of the early, wooden, colonial buildings remain scattered around the town, most notably the courthouse, with a museum on the upper floor. The new market (maketi fou) is inland a bit at Fugalei, where it is more protected from the effects of cyclones. Recent infrastructural development and economic growth has seen several multi-story buildings being built in the city. The ACB/NBS building (2001) houses the Accident Compensation Board, the National Bank of Samoa, and some government departments. The mall below it is home to shops and eateries. The Samoatel building (2004) was built inland at Maluafou to house the telecommunications hub for the country. It is inland from Apia to protect it from the effects of seasonal cyclones. The newest addition to Apia's skyline is the DBS building (2007) which houses the Development Bank of Samoa.
Writer Robert Louis Stevenson spent the last four years of his life here, and is buried on Mt. Vaea, overlooking both the city and the home he built, Vailima, which is now a museum in his honour. |
