Apia
| Apia | |||
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| Coordinates | 13 ° 50 ′ S , 171 ° 46 ′ W | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Samoa | ||
| Tuamasaga | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | WS-TU | ||
| height | 2 m | ||
| Residents | 36,735 (2011) | ||
 City map of Apia
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Apia [ ɑːˈpiːɑː ] is the capital of Samoa . With 36,735 inhabitants (2011), Apia is by far the largest and economically most important city in the country.
geography
The city is located on the north coast of the island of Upolu and has the only port in the country with international significance. As in the rest of the country, the city's climate is tropical-oceanic, with an average annual temperature of 27 ° C.
The city of Apia consists of 71 original villages that are also responsible for the administration.
climate
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Apia
Source: WMO
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history
The story of Apia as the largest port in Samoa is also the story of gunboat politics in the conflict over Samoa . The cyclone from March 13th to 17th, 1889 led to the loss of four of the six warships of the opponents Germany and the USA in the port of Apia. The other two could be beached and later recovered. Likewise, all six civil merchant ships anchored in the bay sank. A total of over 200 sailors lost their lives, 96 of them from the German and 52 from the US warships. Only the British HMS Calliope managed to escape from the storm on the open sea due to its powerful machine. The parties then agreed in the Berlin Samoa Conference initially on a peaceful joint administration of Samoa under a jointly appointed contract king.
Cityscape
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Since the 1990s, Apia has grown from a small colonial town to a modern, vibrant city. The cityscape is dominated by many new buildings that reflect the considerable economic boom in Samoa. So there was the first branch of an American fast food chain in the South Pacific . Shopping malls, banks and insurance buildings show the development as well as a variety of shops, street cafes and a small pedestrian zone . ATMs , cell phones, and internet cafes are everywhere; car traffic has also increased significantly. Most of the dilapidated buildings from the German colonial era were torn down; so z. B. the old customs house that gave way to a parking lot.
The Mulivai Cathedral with its imposing white facade and the two massive towers was the symbol of the city of Apia. Construction of the cathedral began in 1885. It was demolished in April 2011. The writer Robert Louis Stevenson is buried on a hill (Mount Vaea) above the city . The house and estate Vailima , which he lived in for four years until his death, has been converted into the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum . Nine kilometers south of the city in Tiapatu is the only house of worship of the Bahai in Oceania , which was inaugurated 1984th
economy
The city is the country's economic and political center. All trading activities and services that go beyond everyday needs are concentrated there. On the outskirts of the city (Vaitele) an extensive industrial area has been established, where auto accessories (Yazaki Samoa) are manufactured for export to Australia, as well as beverages (beer, soft drinks) for the local market and export. The only international airport in Samoa is Faleolo Airport, 35 km west of Apia .
- tourism
Apia is often called at by cruise ships and is the starting point for tours through Upolu Island.
education
Apia is home to the National University of Samoa (Iunivesite Aoao O Samoa), a public university with around 3,500 students that opened in 1984. In addition, Avele College, founded in 1924 . Together with eleven other island states, Samoa also operates the University of the South Pacific , whose campus is located in Apia (USP Tokelau Campus).
sons and daughters of the town
- Karl Ernst Demandt (1909–1990), German historian and archivist
- Gustav Angenheister (1917–1991), German geophysicist
- Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV (1922–1983), politician and two-time Prime Minister of Samoa
- Mavis Rivers (1929-1992), singer
- Albert Wendt , CNZM, ONZ (* 1939), poet, writer and university scholar
- Misa Telefoni Retzlaff (* 1952), politician, lawyer, manager and writer
- Maselino Masoe (* 1966), New Zealand professional boxer
- Brian Lima (born 1972), rugby union player
- Jerry Collins (1980-2015), New Zealand rugby union player
- Pua Magasiva (1980–2019), Samoan-New Zealand actor and comedian
- John Schwalger (born 1983), New Zealand rugby union player
Mars crater
A Martian crater is named after Apia .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ 216 Census Letter No. 1 , p. 14 f.
- ^ Website of the NUS