133-713: American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the South Pacific Ocean . Centered on 14°18′S 170°42′W / 14.3°S 170.7°W / -14.3; -170.7 , it is 40 miles (64 km) southeast of the island country of Samoa , east of the International Date Line and the Wallis and Futuna Islands, west of
266-590: A Deed of Cession of Tutuila in 1900 and a Deed of Cession of Manuʻa in 1904 on behalf of the U.S. government. The last sovereign of Manuʻa, the Tui Manuʻa Elisala , signed a Deed of Cession of Manuʻa following a series of U.S. naval trials, known as the "Trial of the Ipu", in Pago Pago, Taʻu, and aboard a Pacific Squadron gunboat. The territory became known as the U.S. Naval Station Tutuila . On July 17, 1911,
399-685: A U.S. Department of Interior –sponsored attempt to incorporate American Samoa, was introduced in Congress. It was ultimately defeated, primarily through the efforts of Samoan chiefs, led by Tuiasosopo Mariota. The efforts of these chiefs led to the creation of a territorial legislature, the American Samoa Fono , which meets in the village of Fagatogo . In 1950 the Department of the Interior began to administer American Samoa. By 1956,
532-762: A GDP of $ 104.989 billion in 2019, to American Samoa, which has a GDP of $ 636 million in 2018. In 2018, Puerto Rico exported about $ 18 billion in goods, with the Netherlands as the largest destination. Guam's GDP shrank by 0.3% in 2018, the GDP of the Northern Mariana Islands shrank by 19.6% in 2018, Puerto Rico's GDP grew by 1.18% in 2019, and the U.S. Virgin Islands' GDP grew by 1.5% in 2018. In 2017, American Samoa's GDP shrank by 5.8%, but then grew by 2.2% in 2018. American Samoa has
665-562: A Samoan family, and intend to reside in the territory for life. Since the decision in King v. Andrus (452 F. Supp. 11 D.D.C., 1977), trial by jury has been required in criminal cases in American Samoa. In 1960, discussion renewed on whether an organic act should be passed for American Samoa. In 1969, such legislation was rejected because of concerns that conflicts in US law would damage
798-458: A U.S. citizen parent. U.S. nationals without U.S. citizenship may hold U.S. passports and reside in any part of the United States without restriction. However, to become U.S. citizens they must apply for naturalization, like foreigners, and may only do so while residing in parts of the United States other than American Samoa. Foreign nationals residing in American Samoa cannot apply for U.S. citizenship or U.S. nationality at all. Each territory
931-578: A U.S. court in Puerto Rico: The United States District Court is not a true United States court established under article 3 of the Constitution to administer the judicial power of the United States ... It is created ... by the sovereign congressional faculty, granted under article 4, 3, of that instrument, of making all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory belonging to
1064-530: A U.S. passport and gain diplomatic protection from the United States. Because of the rulings, all persons in the U.S. outlying possessions were considered U.S. non-citizen nationals, until Congress chose to convey full rights of citizenship. On February 16, 1900, the agreement was ratified, and on April 17, Tutuila was ceded by Samoan chiefs to the United States. Four years later the Manuʻa Islands group were also ceded by their chiefs. The islands came under
1197-430: A U.S. territory) sets Puerto Rico apart judicially from the other unincorporated territories, and U.S. district judge Gustavo Gelpí has expressed the opinion that Puerto Rico is no longer unincorporated: American Samoan citizenship and nationality American Samoa consists of a group of two coral atolls and five volcanic islands in the South Pacific Ocean of Oceania . The first permanent European settlement
1330-482: A US state. Nationality is the legal means in which inhabitants acquire formal membership in a nation without regard to its governance type. Citizenship is the relationship between the government and the governed, the rights and obligations that each owes the other, once one has become a member of a nation. The Dutch first sighted the Samoan Islands in 1722. The French later noted them in 1768, giving them
1463-460: A brief but lavish greeting. On January 30, 1974, Pan Am Flight 806 from Auckland , New Zealand, crashed at Pago Pago International Airport at 10:41 pm, with 91 passengers aboard. 86 people were killed, including Captain Leroy A. Petersen and the entire flight crew. Four of the five surviving passengers were seriously injured, with the other only slightly injured. The airliner was destroyed by
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#17327653362971596-530: A federal territorial court, and so federal matters in American Samoa are sent to either the District court of Hawaii or the District court of the District of Columbia . American Samoa is the only permanently inhabited region of the United States with no federal court. While the U.S. mainland is majority non-Hispanic White , this is not the case for the U.S. territories. In 2010, American Samoa's population
1729-467: A hundred canoes, with more than 500 people in them: but I was afraid of striking the wrong victims; the call of my conscience saved their lives." On December 19, 1912, English writer William Somerset Maugham arrived in Pago Pago, allegedly accompanied by a missionary and Miss Sadie Thompson. His visit inspired his short story " Rain " which later became plays and three major motion pictures. The building still stands where Maugham stayed and has been renamed
1862-530: A listing which is disputed by the territorial government officials, who do consider themselves to be self-governing. American Samoa and Pago Pago International Airport had historic significance with the Apollo Program . The astronaut crews of Apollo 10 , 12 , 13 , 14 , and 17 were retrieved a few hundred miles from Pago Pago and transported by helicopter to the airport prior to being flown to Honolulu on C-141 Starlifter military aircraft. While
1995-520: A name for their new territory. The traditional leaders chose "American Samoa", and, on July 7, 1911, the solicitor general of the Navy authorized the governor to proclaim it as the name for the new territory. In 1918, during the final stages of World War I , the Great Influenza epidemic had taken its toll, spreading rapidly from country to country. American Samoa became one of the few places in
2128-492: A piece of shrapnel , and "a member of the colorful native Fita Fita Guard" received minor injuries; they were the only casualties. This was the only time the Japanese attacked Tutuila during World War II , although "Japanese submarines had patrolled the waters around Samoa before the war, and continued to be active there throughout the war." On August 24, 1943, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited American Samoa and inspected
2261-612: A pivotal role in five of the Apollo Program missions . The astronauts landed several hundred miles from Pago and were transported to the islands en route back to the mainland. President Richard Nixon gave three Moon rocks to the American Samoan government, which are currently on display in the Jean P. Haydon Museum along with a flag carried to the Moon on one of the missions. In November 1970, Pope Paul VI visited American Samoa in
2394-584: A result, these territories are often considered colonies of the United States. All modern inhabited territories under the control of the federal government can be considered as part of the "United States" for purposes of law as defined in specific legislation. However, the judicial term "unincorporated" was coined to legitimize the late-19th-century territorial acquisitions without citizenship and their administration without constitutional protections temporarily until Congress made other provisions. The case law allowed Congress to impose discriminatory tax regimes with
2527-551: A short time before becoming states, while others remained territories for decades. The shortest-lived was Alabama Territory at two years, while New Mexico Territory and Hawaii Territory both lasted more than 50 years. Of the 50 states, 31 were once part of an organized, incorporated U.S. territory. In addition to the original 13, six subsequent states never were: Kentucky , Maine , and West Virginia were each separated from an existing state; Texas and Vermont were both sovereign states ( de facto sovereignty for Vermont, as
2660-456: A significant presence in American Samoa and plays a major role in its economy and society. The territory is noted for having the highest rate of military enlistment of any U.S. state or territory; as of 2021, the local U.S. Army recruiting station in Pago Pago ranked first in recruitment. Tuna products are the main exports, with the U.S. proper serving as the largest trading partner. Tourism
2793-452: A stopover in Pago Pago in April 2017. He addressed 200 soldiers here during his refueling stop. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited town on June 3, 2017. On September 28, 2009, at 17:48:11 UTC, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck 120 miles (190 km) off the coast of American Samoa, followed by smaller aftershocks. It was the largest earthquake of 2009. The quake occurred on
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#17327653362972926-512: A teenager from rough seas. On November 8, 2010, United States Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton made a refueling stopover at the Pago Pago International Airport . She was greeted by government dignitaries and presented with gifts and a traditional kava ceremony. Mike Pence was the third sitting U.S. vice president to visit American Samoa (after Dan Quayle and Joe Biden ) when he made
3059-461: Is a controversial topic locally, as the government of American Samoa fears that it would lead to the erosion of traditional customs. It is the only U.S. territory with its own immigration system. Traditional oral literature of Samoa and Manuʻa talks of a widespread Polynesian network or confederacy (or "empire") that was prehistorically ruled by the successive Tui Manuʻa dynasties. Manuan genealogies and religious oral literature also suggest that
3192-510: Is a nascent but underdeveloped sector, owing in part to the territory's relative geographic isolation, which also accounts for its high rate of poverty and emigration. Residents of American Samoa are politically disenfranchised , with no voting representation in the U.S. Congress. American Samoa is the only permanently inhabited territory of the United States in which citizenship is not granted at birth, and people born there are considered " non-citizen nationals " with limited rights. Citizenship
3325-633: Is disputed by Haiti , Wake Island is disputed by the Marshall Islands , Swains Island (a part of American Samoa ) is disputed by Tokelau , and Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank are both administered by Colombia, whose claim is disputed by the U.S. and Jamaica . The following two territories are claimed by multiple countries (including the United States) and are not included in ISO 3166-2:UM . However, they are sometimes grouped with
3458-494: Is erected on Mt. Mauga O Aliʻi to honor their memory. On November 1, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill which created American Samoa National Park . On July 22, 2010, Detective Lieutenant Lusila Brown was fatally shot outside the temporary High Court building in Fagatogo. It was the first time in more than 15 years that a police officer was killed in the line of duty. The last was Sa Fuimaono, who drowned after saving
3591-743: Is in the Southern Hemisphere , while the other four are in the Northern Hemisphere . In 2020, their combined population was about 3.62 million, over 90% of which is accounted for by Puerto Rico alone. People born in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands acquire U.S. citizenship by birth , and foreign nationals residing there may apply for U.S. citizenship by naturalization . People born in American Samoa acquire U.S. nationality but not U.S. citizenship by birth if they do not have
3724-542: Is self-governing with three branches of government, including a locally elected governor and a territorial legislature. Each territory elects a non-voting member (a non-voting resident commissioner in the case of Puerto Rico) to the U.S. House of Representatives . Although they cannot vote on the passage of legislation, they can introduce legislation, have floor privileges to address the house, be members of and vote in committees, are assigned offices and staff funding, and may nominate constituents from their territories to
3857-404: Is technically "unorganized". All of the U.S. territories without permanent non-military populations are unorganized. The Office of Insular Affairs coordinates federal administration of the U.S. territories and freely associated states, except for Puerto Rico. On March 3, 1849, the last day of the 30th Congress, a bill was passed to create the U.S. Department of the Interior to take charge of
3990-602: Is the head of government and along with the Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa is elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a four-year term. The governor's office is located in Utulei . Since American Samoa is a U.S. territory, the President of the United States serves as the head of state but does not play a direct role in government. The Secretary of the Interior oversees the government, retaining
4123-468: Is thus directly administered by the federal government. American Samoa is listed among seventeen " non-self-governing territories " but is a member of several intergovernmental organizations, including the Pacific Community , Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and International Olympic Committee (IOC). Due to its strategic location, the U.S. military has
American Samoa - Misplaced Pages Continue
4256-483: The Army , Naval , Air Force and Merchant Marine academies. As of the 118th Congress , the territories are represented by Aumua Amata Radewagen (R) of American Samoa, James Moylan (R) of Guam, Gregorio Sablan (D) of Northern Mariana Islands, Jenniffer González -Colón (R-PNP) of Puerto Rico and Stacey Plaskett (D) of U.S. Virgin Islands. The District of Columbia 's delegate is Eleanor Holmes Norton (D); like
4389-663: The Cook Islands , north of Tonga , and some 310 miles (500 km) south of Tokelau . American Samoa is the southernmost territory of the United States, situated 2,200 miles (3,500 km) southwest of the U.S. state of Hawaii , and one of two U.S. territories south of the Equator, along with the uninhabited Jarvis Island . American Samoa consists of the eastern part of the Samoan archipelago —the inhabited volcanic islands of Tutuila , Aunuʻu , Ofu , Olosega and Taʻū and
4522-602: The H.M.S. Bounty mutineers . Von Kotzebue visited in 1824. Mission work in the Samoas had begun in late 1830 when John Williams of the London Missionary Society arrived from the Cook Islands and Tahiti . By the late nineteenth century, French, British, German, and American vessels routinely stopped at Samoa, as they valued Pago Pago Harbor as a refueling station for coal-fired shipping and whaling. The United States Exploring Expedition visited
4655-738: The Kansas and Nebraska Territories, bringing organized government to the region once again. The creation of Kansas and Nebraska left the Indian Territory as the only unorganized territory in the Great Plains. In 1858, the western part of the Minnesota Territory became unorganized when it was not included in the new state of Minnesota ; this area was organized in 1861 as part of the Dakota Territory . In 1890,
4788-742: The Pacific Ocean while Navassa Island is in the Caribbean Sea . The additional claimed territories of Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank are also located in the Caribbean Sea. Palmyra Atoll (formally known as the United States Territory of Palmyra Island) is the only incorporated territory, a status it has maintained since Hawaii became a state in 1959. All are uninhabited except for Midway Atoll, whose approximately 40 inhabitants (as of 2004) were employees of
4921-678: The President of the United States . In 1951, with Executive Order 10264 , President Harry Truman delegated that authority to the Secretary of the Interior . On June 21, 1963 Paramount Chief Tuli Leʻiato of Fagaʻitua was sworn in and installed as the first Secretary of Samoan Affairs by Governor H. Rex Lee . On June 2, 1967, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall promulgated the Revised Constitution of American Samoa, which took effect on July 1, 1967. The Governor of American Samoa
5054-497: The Sadie Thompson Building . Today, it is a prominent restaurant and inn. On November 2, 1921, American Samoa's 13th naval governor , Commander Warren Jay Terhune , died by suicide with a pistol in the bathroom of the government mansion, overlooking the entrance to Pago Pago Harbor. His body was discovered by Government House's cook, SDI First Class Felisiano Debid Ahchica, USN. His ghost is rumored to walk about
5187-412: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and their services provider; Palmyra Atoll, whose population varies from four to 20 Nature Conservancy and Fish and Wildlife staff and researchers; and Wake Island, which has a population of about 100 military personnel and civilian employees. The two-letter abbreviation for the islands collectively is "UM". The status of several islands is disputed. Navassa Island
5320-567: The chiefs of the islands . The Fono is located in Fagatogo . Territories of the United States Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States . The American territories differ from the U.S. states and Indian reservations as they are not sovereign entities . In contrast, each state has a sovereignty separate from that of
5453-481: The federal district ) which were given a measure of self-governance by Congress through an organic act subject to the Congress's plenary powers under the territorial clause of the Constitution's Article Four, section 3. The term unorganized was historically applied either to a newly acquired region not yet constituted as an organized incorporated territory (e.g. the Louisiana Purchase prior to
American Samoa - Misplaced Pages Continue
5586-509: The lowest per capita income in the United States—it has a per capita income comparable to that of Botswana . In 2010, American Samoa's per capita income was $ 6,311. As of 2010, the Manu'a District in American Samoa had a per capita income of $ 5,441, the lowest of any county or county-equivalent in the United States. In 2018, Puerto Rico had a median household income of $ 20,166 (lower than
5719-788: The outer rise of the Kermadec-Tonga Subduction Zone . This is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire , where tectonic plates in the Earth's lithosphere meet, and earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. The quake struck 11.2 miles (18.0 km) below the ocean floor and generated an onsetting tsunami that killed more than 170 people in the Samoa Islands and Tonga . Four waves with heights from 15 feet (4.6 m) to 20 feet (6.1 m) high were reported to have reached up to one mile (1.6 km) inland on
5852-540: The "Manulele Tausala" ("Lady Bird") Elementary School in Nuʻuuli , which was named after her. Johnson is the only US president to have visited American Samoa, while Mrs. Johnson was the second First Lady, preceded by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1943. The territory's only hospital was renamed the LBJ Tropical Medical Center in honor of President Johnson. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, American Samoa played
5985-404: The 2010s, the U.S. territories (overall) lost population. The combined population of the five inhabited territories was 4,100,594 in 2010, and 3,569,284 in 2020. The U.S. territories have high religiosity rates —American Samoa has the highest religiosity rate in the United States (99.3% religious and 98.3% Christian). The economies of the U.S. territories vary from Puerto Rico, which has
6118-632: The Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, under this law; most have been abandoned. It also has acquired territories since 1856 under other circumstances, such as under the Treaty of Paris (1898) which ended the Spanish–American War. The Supreme Court considered the constitutional position of these unincorporated territories in 1922 in Balzac v. People of Porto Rico , and said the following about
6251-598: The Court said that the U.S. Constitution did not fully apply in unincorporated territories because they were inhabited by "alien races". The U.S. had no unincorporated territories (also known as overseas possessions or insular areas) until 1856. Congress enacted the Guano Islands Act that year, authorizing the president to take possession of unclaimed islands to mine guano . The U.S. has taken control of (and claimed rights on) many islands and atolls, especially in
6384-722: The Fita Fita Guard and Band and the First Samoan Battalion of U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at the U.S. Naval Station American Samoa. The fact that First Lady reviewed the troops led to further assurance that Tutuila Island was considered safe. Her presence underscored that World War II had passed by American Samoa. While the Fita Fita band played, Eleanor Roosevelt inspected the guard. On October 18, 1966, President Lyndon Baines Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson visited American Samoa. Mrs. Johnson dedicated
6517-461: The Fono) structures similar to the United States, but policies for each branch are dependent upon Samoan culture. Among those policies are the concept of ʻaiga , a kinship system of regulating extended families and family leaders known as matai who regulate and protect community governance and communal land ownership. Because the constitution was accepted by the Department of the Interior, rather than
6650-657: The Mau movement and naval rule of American Samoa, a commission was formed to investigate conditions in the territory and make recommendations for legislation to address concerns of Samoans. After consultations with Samoan elders and communities, in 1929, Congress confirmed the acquisition of the territory, designating its inhabitants non-citizen nationals of the United States. The commission recommended that Congress collectively naturalize and extend federal citizenship to all inhabitants of American Samoa who were living in Samoa, Hawaii, or
6783-552: The Northern Mariana Islands' four municipalities, and American Samoa's three districts and two atolls as county equivalents. The Census Bureau also counts each of the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands as county equivalents. For statistical purposes, the U.S. Census Bureau has a defined area called the "Island Areas" which consists of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (every major territory except Puerto Rico). The U.S. Census Bureau often treats Puerto Rico as its own entity or groups it with
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#17327653362976916-585: The Samoan archipelago in 1857. German expansion on the island included oil extraction and founding the first coconut plantations. Struggle for control of the area by Western powers eventually led to the Tripartite Convention of 1899, in which the United States, Great Britain, and Germany agreed to partition the islands into German Samoa and American Samoa. Prior to 1898, all persons born in U.S. possessions were treated as having been born in
7049-522: The Secretary of the Interior, and associate judges are selected by the executive from the matai. Matai must be registered and the court has the authority to determine if candidates are qualified to represent their kin groups. Land in American Samoa, unless they are freehold lands and not subject to communal family property requirements, can only be owned by persons who have at least fifty percent Samoan blood and were born in American Samoa, are descended of
7182-517: The Tui Manuʻa had long been one of the most prestigious and powerful paramounts of Samoa. Oral history suggests that the Tui Manuʻa kings governed a confederacy of far-flung islands which included Tutuila, as well as smaller western Pacific chiefdoms and Polynesian outliers such as Uvea , Futuna , Tokelau , Tuvalu and bigger islands like the Samoa in the North. Commerce and exchange routes between
7315-556: The U.S. Army's Hawaii-based Tropic Lightning Parachute Club. The aeroplane contacted the Solo Ridge-Mount Alava aerial tramway cable across Pago Pago harbor, which sheared off its vertical stabilizer. The aircraft crashed, demolishing a wing of the Rainmaker Hotel and killing all six crew members and one civilian. The six skydivers had already left the aircraft during a demonstration jump. A memorial monument
7448-515: The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands. According to the GAO, "the United States conducts maritime law enforcement operations in and around Serranilla Bank and Bajo Nuevo [Bank] consistent with U.S. sovereignty claims." Pursuant to a series of Supreme Court rulings, Congress decides whether a territory is incorporated or unincorporated. The U.S. Constitution applies to each incorporated territory (including its local government and inhabitants) as it applies to
7581-399: The U.S. Naval Station Tutuila over the next 10 minutes. The first shell struck the rear of Frank Shimasaki's store, ironically owned by one of Tutuila's few Japanese residents. The store was closed, as Mr. Shimasaki had been interned as an enemy alien. The next shell caused slight damage to the naval dispensary, the third landed on the lawn behind the naval quarters known as "Centipede Row," and
7714-404: The U.S. Naval Station Tutuila, which was composed of Tutuila, Aunuʻu and Manuʻa, was officially renamed American Samoa. People of Manuʻa had been unhappy since they were left out of the name "Naval Station Tutuila". In May 1911, Governor William Michael Crose authored a letter to the Secretary of the Navy conveying the sentiments of Manuʻa. The department responded that the people should choose
7847-478: The U.S. Navy-appointed governor was replaced by Peter Tali Coleman , who was locally elected. Although technically considered "unorganized" since the U.S. Congress has not passed an Organic Act for the territory, American Samoa is self-governing under a constitution that became effective on July 1, 1967. The U.S. Territory of American Samoa is on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories ,
7980-546: The U.S. formally annexed its portion, a smaller group of eastern islands, one of which contains the noted harbor of Pago Pago . After the United States Navy took possession of eastern Samoa for the United States government , the existing coaling station at Pago Pago Bay was expanded into a full naval station , known as United States Naval Station Tutuila and commanded by a commandant. The Navy secured
8113-464: The U.S.). Unincorporated territories in particular are not considered to be integral parts of the U.S., and the U.S. Constitution applies only partially in those territories. The U.S. administers three territories in the Caribbean Sea and eleven in the Pacific Ocean . Five territories ( American Samoa , Guam , the Northern Mariana Islands , Puerto Rico , and the U.S. Virgin Islands ) are permanently inhabited, unincorporated territories;
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#17327653362978246-432: The US Congress, the territory remains unorganized . In 1967, a revised Constitution was adopted in American Samoa. Territorial citizens are allowed to vote in elections for the executive and House representatives and those who are US nationals and are twenty-five years old and have lived in American Samoa for five years can run for office. Senators are selected by matai in local council meetings. High judges are appointed by
8379-481: The US Supreme Court, the justices refused to review the decision . In 2018, John Fitisemanu, an American Samoan who had lived and paid taxes in Utah for twenty years, sued the United States because of his inability to vote. The government of American Samoa intervened with permission of the United States District Court for the District of Utah , arguing that US citizenship should not be imposed upon American Samoa. In 2019, U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups struck down
8512-437: The United Nations' decolonization list, arguing that the territory should not be considered a colony. American Samoans have a high rate of service in the U.S. Armed Forces . Because of economic hardship, military service has been seen as an opportunity in American Samoa and other U.S. Overseas territories . The federal Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 started gradual adjustments to the territorial minimum wage to bring it up to
8645-463: The United States . Non-citizen nationals do not have full protection of their rights, though they may reside in the United States and gain entry without a visa. Territorial citizens do not have the ability for full participation in national politics and American Samoans cannot serve as officers in the US military or in many federal jobs, are unable to bear arms, vote in local elections, or hold public office or civil-service positions even when residing in
8778-493: The United States and gain entry without a visa. They cannot serve as officers in the US military or in many federal jobs, are unable to bear arms, cannot vote in federal or local elections outside of their territory, or hold public office or civil-service positions even when residing in a US state. Because of the unequal status of territorial citizens, inhabitants have instituted legal actions to address discrepancies. In 2012, Leneuoti Tuaua, an American Samoan, filed suit after he
8911-408: The United States at that time, two laws governed marriages between foreigners and US citizens. The 1855 Nationality Act required foreign women to automatically acquire the nationality of the husband upon marriage and the Expatriation Act of 1907 definitively stated that US-born women lost their nationality upon marriage if their spouse was a foreigner. The miscegenation law fueled Samoan belief that
9044-432: The United States mainland, he was prevented from disembarking from the ship that brought him home to American Samoa and was not allowed to return because the American Samoa Mau movement was suppressed by the U.S. Navy. In 1930 the U.S. Congress sent a committee to investigate the status of American Samoa, led by Americans who had a part in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii . Swains Island , which had been included in
9177-417: The United States on February 20, 1929, and that they create territorial citizenship for Samoans. Because the Territorial Clause of the Constitution gave Congress sole authority to regulate on behalf of United States territories and possessions, the matter of drafting an organic act for American Samoa rested with Congress. Though an organic act was drafted in 1930, Congress never ratified it, in part due to
9310-401: The United States, and upon acquisition, provisions were made for collective naturalization of the inhabitants. After that date, possessions have been selectively judged to be foreign localities and not subject to the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment . Under the Insular Cases (1901–1922), the US Supreme Court ruled that unincorporated territories and insular possessions of
9443-426: The United States, which were not on a path toward statehood, had limited applicability of the U.S. Constitution. At the time, these included Guam , the Philippines , and Puerto Rico , acquired in 1898 at the end of the Spanish–American War . According to the decisions, those born in insular possessions or unincorporated territories were not eligible for citizenship, though they were considered nationals and could hold
9576-495: The United States. The resemblance of its jurisdiction to that of true United States courts, in offering an opportunity to nonresidents of resorting to a tribunal not subject to local influence, does not change its character as a mere territorial court. In Glidden Company v. Zdanok , the Court cited Balzac and said about courts in unincorporated territories: "Upon like considerations, Article III has been viewed as inapplicable to courts created in unincorporated territories outside
9709-558: The United States. This was amended by the Nationality Act of 1952 , to confirm the acquisition of non-citizen nationality by birth for those born in American Samoa on or after it was formally acquired. Under international and domestic pressure at the end of World War II, the United States passed administration of the territory from the navy to the US Interior Department in 1951. In 1900, local administration
9842-588: The acting governor, Benjamin Franklin Tilley , to sign the Deeds of Cession, led to a thirty-year delay in formal recognition by the US government. The chiefs, who had exchanged their lands for US citizenship pressed for clarification of their status. Swains Island was acquired and incorporated into American Samoa in 1925, but the United States was indifferent to formal annexation of the island and incorporating its non-white inhabitants into equal partnership in
9975-533: The administration of the United States Navy with the proviso that US laws in the territory could not conflict with traditional Samoan custom. Since ratification in 1900, all inhabitants born in American Samoa have been United States nationals and since 1906, when the US Congress passed special provisions, persons born in unincorporated territories can be naturalized in the United States. Failure of
10108-565: The aircraft apart. On November 24, 1939, American Samoa's last execution to date was carried out. A man named Imoa of Fagatogo was convicted of stabbing a person named Sella to death and was hanged in the Customs House . The popular Samoan song "Faʻafofoga Samoa" is based on this, said to be the final words of Imoa. On January 13, 1942, at 2:26 am, a Japanese submarine surfaced off Tutuila between Southworth Point and Fagasa Bay and fired about 15 shells from its 5.5-inch deck gun at
10241-732: The cases of Indian reservations, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and island dependencies administered by the Office of Insular Affairs. The U.S. has five permanently inhabited territories: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea , Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the North Pacific Ocean , and American Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean. American Samoa
10374-489: The continental territories. The Court also established the doctrine of territorial incorporation, in which the Constitution applies fully to incorporated territories (such as the then-territories of Alaska and Hawaii ) and partially in the unincorporated territories of Guam , Puerto Rico , and, at the time, the Philippines (which is no longer a U.S. territory). In the 1901 Supreme Court case Downes v. Bidwell ,
10507-455: The courts in the fifty states); it became an Article III court in 1966. This means that, unlike other U.S. territories, federal judges in Puerto Rico have life tenure. Federal courts in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands are Article IV territorial courts . The following is a list of federal territorial courts, plus Puerto Rico's court: American Samoa does not have
10640-468: The cruelty of its inhabitants than the lair of a lion or a tiger". This incident gave Samoa a reputation for savagery that kept Europeans away until the arrival of the first Christian missionaries four decades later. On December 12, at Aʻasu Bay, Lapérouse ordered his gunners to fire one cannonball amid the attackers who had killed his men the day before and were now returning to launch another attack. He later wrote in his journal "I could have destroyed or sunk
10773-401: The deadly disease. The neighboring New Zealand territory at the time, Western Samoa , suffered the most of all Pacific islands , with 90% of the population infected; 30% of adult men, 22% of adult women and 10% of children died. Poyer offered assistance to help his New Zealand counterparts but was refused by the administrator of Western Samoa, Robert Logan , who became outraged after witnessing
10906-594: The dedication of the Jean P. Haydon Museum . In 1938, the noted aviator Ed Musick and his crew died on the Pan American World Airways S-42 Samoan Clipper over Pago Pago, while on a survey flight to Auckland , New Zealand . Sometime after takeoff, the aircraft experienced trouble, and Musick turned it back toward Pago Pago. While the crew dumped fuel in preparation for an emergency landing, an explosion occurred that tore
11039-575: The district, the territories have no vote in Congress and no representation in the Senate . Additionally, the Cherokee Nation has delegate-elect Kimberly Teehee , who has not been seated by Congress. Every four years, U.S. political parties nominate presidential candidates at conventions which include delegates from the territories. U.S. citizens living in the territories can vote for presidential candidates in these primary elections but not in
11172-550: The effect of a protective tariff upon territorial regions which were not domestic states. In 2022, the United States Supreme Court in United States v. Vaello Madero held that the territorial clause of the constitution allowed wide congressional latitude in mandating "reasonable" tax and benefit schemes in Puerto Rico and the other territories, which are different from the states, but did not address
11305-537: The egg cowry ). Contact with Europeans began in the early 18th century. Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen was the first known European to sight the Samoan Islands in 1722, calling them the "Baumann Islands" after one of his captains. The next explorer to visit the islands was Louis-Antoine de Bougainville , who named them the "Îles des Navigateurs" in 1768. British explorer James Cook recorded the island names in 1773, but never visited. The 1789 visit by Lapérouse
11438-442: The establishment of Orleans Territory and the District of Louisiana ), or to a region previously part of an organized incorporated territory left "unorganized" after part of it had been organized and achieved the requirements for statehood (e.g. a large portion of Missouri Territory became unorganized territory for several years after its southeastern section became the state of Missouri ). The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created
11571-444: The exemption of island residents from most federal income taxes provides a "rational basis" for their exclusion from eligibility for SSI payments. American Samoa is the only U.S. territory with its own immigration system (a system separate from the United States immigration system). American Samoa also has a communal land system in which 90% of the land is communally owned; ownership is based on Samoan ancestry. Except for Guam,
11704-539: The federal government and each federally recognized Native American tribe possesses limited tribal sovereignty as a "dependent sovereign nation". Territories are classified by incorporation and whether they have an "organized" government through an organic act passed by the Congress . American territories are under American sovereignty and may be treated as part of the U.S. proper in some ways and not others (i.e., territories belong to, but are not considered part of
11837-472: The fourth struck the stone seawall outside the customs house. The other rounds fell harmlessly into the harbor. As one writer described it, "The fire was not returned, notwithstanding the eagerness of the Samoan Marines to test their skill against the enemy ... No American or Samoan Marines were wounded." Commander Edwin B. Robinson was bicycling behind Centipede Row and was wounded in the knee by
11970-495: The general election. The territorial capitals are Pago Pago (American Samoa), Hagåtña (Guam), Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Charlotte Amalie (U.S. Virgin Islands). Their governors are Lemanu Peleti Mauga ( American Samoa ), Lou Leon Guerrero ( Guam ), Ralph Torres ( Northern Mariana Islands ), Pedro Pierluisi ( Puerto Rico ) and Albert Bryan ( U.S. Virgin Islands ). Among
12103-465: The governments of the U.S. territories following completion of the 2022 United States elections . Instances where local and national party affiliation differs, the national affiliation is listed second. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have unicameral territorial legislatures. Each of the five major territories has its own local court system: Of the five major territories, only Puerto Rico has an Article III federal district court (i.e., equivalent to
12236-561: The grounds at night. On August 17, 1924, Margaret Mead arrived in American Samoa aboard the SS Sonoma to begin fieldwork for her doctoral dissertation in anthropology at Columbia University, where she was a student of Professor Franz Boas . Her work Coming of Age in Samoa was published in 1928, at the time becoming the most widely read book in the field of anthropology . The book has sparked years of ongoing and intense debate and controversy. Mead returned to American Samoa in 1971 for
12369-563: The highly protected natural harbor of Pago Pago. The United States took possession of American Samoa in the late 19th century, developing it into a major naval outpost; the territory's strategic value was reinforced by the Second World War and subsequent Cold War. In 1967, American Samoa became self-governing with the adoption of a constitution; its local government is republican in form, with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It remains officially unorganized and
12502-498: The impact and succeeding fire. The crash was attributed to poor visibility, pilot error, or wind shear since a violent storm was raging at the time. In January 2014, filmmaker Paul Crompton visited the territory to interview local residents for a documentary film about the 1974 crash. As part of the Flag Day celebrations on April 17, 1980, a U.S. Navy P-3 Orion patrol plane from Patrol Squadron 50 took off with six skydivers from
12635-453: The incorporated/unincorporated distinction. In a concurrence with the court's overall ruling on the propriety of the differential tax structures, one of the justices opined that it was time to overrule the incorporation doctrine, as wrongly decided and founded in racism, the dissent agreed. The U.S. Supreme Court , in its 1901–1905 Insular Cases opinions, ruled that the Constitution extended ex proprio vigore (i.e., of its own force) to
12768-437: The inhabited territories lost population in 2020. Although the territories have higher poverty rates than the mainland U.S., they have high Human Development Indexes . Four of the five territories have another official language, in addition to English. The territories do not have administrative counties . The U.S. Census Bureau counts Puerto Rico's 78 municipalities , the U.S. Virgin Islands' three main islands, all of Guam,
12901-421: The inhabited territories, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available only in the Northern Mariana Islands; however, in 2019 a U.S. judge ruled that the federal government's denial of SSI benefits to residents of Puerto Rico is unconstitutional. This ruling was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court , allowing for the exclusion of territories from such programs. In the decision, the court explained that
13034-506: The internal affairs of United States territory . The Interior Department has a wide range of responsibilities (which include the regulation of territorial governments, the basic responsibilities for public lands, and other various duties). In contrast to similarly named Departments in other countries, the United States Department of the Interior is not responsible for local government or for civil administration except in
13167-558: The island of Tutuila. The Defense Logistics Agency worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide 16 ft × 16 ft (4.9 m × 4.9 m) humanitarian tents to the devastated areas of American Samoa. American Samoa is classified in U.S. law as an unincorporated territory ; the Ratification Act of 1929 vested all civil, judicial, and military powers in
13300-508: The islands in 1839. In March 1889, an Imperial German naval force entered a village in Samoa, and in doing so destroyed some American property. Three American warships then entered the Apia harbor and prepared to engage the three German warships found there. Before any shots were fired, a typhoon wrecked both the American and German ships. A compulsory armistice was then called because of
13433-400: The lack of any warships. At the turn of the 20th century, international rivalries in the latter half of the century were settled by the 1899 Tripartite Convention in which Germany and the United States partitioned the Samoan Islands into two: the eastern island group became a territory of the United States (Tutuila in 1900 and officially Manuʻa in 1904) and is today known as American Samoa;
13566-562: The lack of support by naval personnel and in part due to fears of spending funds abroad when many people in the United States were suffering because of the Great Depression . Instead, they drafted a Bill of Rights, which was added to the Code of American Samoa, gave more autonomy for local affairs to Samoan leaders, and created a commission to address land ownership disputes. Though islanders continued to press for an organic act, none
13699-600: The level for US states. On December 13, 1784, French navigator Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse landed two exploration parties on Tutuila's north shore: one from the ship La Boussole at Fagasa, and the other from L'Astrolabe at Aʻasu . One of the cooks, David, died of "scorbutic dropsy". On December 11, twelve members of Lapérouse's crew (including First Officer Paul Antoine Fleuriot de Langle ) were killed by angry Samoans at Aʻasu Bay, Tutuila, thereafter known as "Massacre Bay", which Lapérouse described as "this den, more fearful from its treacherous situation and
13832-805: The list of guano islands appertaining to the United States and bonded under the Guano Islands Act , was annexed in 1925 by Pub. Res. 68–75, following the dissolution of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony by the United Kingdom. During World War II , U.S. Marines stationed in Samoa outnumbered the local population and had a huge cultural influence. Young Samoan men from age 14 and above were combat-trained by U.S. military personnel . Samoans served in various capacities during World War II, including as combatants, medical personnel, code personnel, and ship repairmen. In 1949, Organic Act 4500,
13965-556: The local governments and residents of a state. Incorporated territories are considered to be integral parts of the U.S., rather than possessions. In unincorporated territories, " fundamental rights apply as a matter of law, but other constitutional rights are not available", raising concerns about how citizens in these territories can influence politics in the United States . Selected constitutional provisions apply, depending on congressional acts and judicial rulings according to U.S. constitutional practice, local tradition, and law. As
14098-525: The mainland ... and to the consular courts established by concessions from foreign countries". The judiciary determined that incorporation involves express declaration or an implication strong enough to exclude any other view, raising questions about Puerto Rico's status. In 1966, Congress made the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico an Article III district court . This (the only district court in
14231-561: The median household income of any state). Also in 2018, Comerío Municipality, Puerto Rico had a median household income of $ 12,812 (the lowest median household income of any populated county or county-equivalent in the U.S.) Guam has much higher incomes (Guam had a median household income of $ 48,274 in 2010.) The United States Minor Outlying Islands are small uninhabited islands, atolls , and reefs. Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , Midway Atoll , Palmyra Atoll , and Wake Island are in
14364-597: The name Navigator Islands. No permanent European settlements occurred until John Williams of the London Missionary Society established a mission in the islands in 1830. Charles Wilkes led the United States Exploring Expedition, which surveyed the islands and drafted commercial regulations in 1839 and in 1845, George Pritchard arrived as the British consul. The German trading firm J.C. Godeffroy & Sohn began commercial operations in
14497-426: The nation. The Mau movement , which was push for independence and an end to colonialism , finally led to action by Congress to acknowledge Samoa. Conflicts arose over naval laws and local custom, such as a 1919 law banning interracial marriage . The navy justified the law by arguing that it was protection against extinction of Polynesians and in agreement with other legislation in the United States. However, in
14630-491: The navy believed them to be an inferior and primitive people. The initial demands of the Samoans in the Mau movement were creation of a local Samoan assembly with an executive council to advise on governance and the removal of naval administration, repeal of the anti-miscegenation law on marriage, publication of laws in the Samoan language, and various improvements to infrastructure. In 1928, in response to media pressure about
14763-541: The number of quarantine ships surrounding American Samoa. Angered by this, Logan cut off communications with his American counterparts. After World War I, during the time of the Mau movement in Western Samoa (then a League of Nations mandate governed by New Zealand), there was a corresponding American Samoa Mau movement led by Samuelu Ripley, a World War I veteran who was from Leone village, Tutuila. After meetings on
14896-573: The other nine are small islands, atolls, and reefs with no native (or permanent) population. Of the nine, only one is classified as an incorporated territory ( Palmyra Atoll ). Two additional territories ( Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank ) are claimed by the U.S. but administered by Colombia . Historically, territories were created to administer newly acquired land, and most eventually attained statehood . The most recent territories to become U.S. states were Alaska on January 3, 1959, and Hawaii on August 21, 1959. Politically and economically,
15029-460: The population is approximately 47,400 and concentrated on Tutuila, which hosts the capital and largest settlement, Pago Pago . The vast majority of residents are indigenous ethnic Samoans , most of whom are fluent in the official languages, English and Samoan . Inhabited by Polynesians since prehistory, American Samoa was first contacted by Europeans in the 18th century. The islands attracted missionaries, explorers, and mariners, particularly to
15162-485: The power to approve constitutional amendments, overrides the governor's vetoes , and nomination of justices. The legislative power is vested in the American Samoa Fono , which has two chambers . The House of Representatives has 21 members serving two-year terms, being 20 representatives popularly elected from various districts and one non-voting delegate from Swains Island elected in a public meeting. The Senate has 18 members, elected for four-year terms by and from
15295-541: The region was claimed by New York) when they entered the Union; and California was part of unorganized land ceded to the United States by Mexico in 1848 at the end of the Mexican–American War . All of the five major U.S. territories are permanently inhabited and have locally elected territorial legislatures and executives and some degree of political autonomy . Four of the five are "organized", but American Samoa
15428-497: The states and D.C. (for example, Puerto Rico has a QuickFacts page just like the states and D.C.) Puerto Rico data is collected annually in American Community Survey estimates (just like the states), but data for the other territories is collected only once every ten years. The five major inhabited territories contain the following governments and legislatures: The following is the political party status of
15561-627: The status of non-citizen nationals as unconstitutional and in violation of the 14th Amendment. He rejected government attorneys' arguments based on Downes v. Bidwell (182 U.S. 244, 1901) as Downes was not a 14th Amendment issue, but rather involved taxation. In 2021, a divided panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled in Fitisemanu v. United States (No. 20-4017, 10th Cir. 2021) that "neither
15694-490: The territories are underdeveloped. Residents of U.S. territories cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections , and they have only non-voting representation in the U.S. Congress. According to 2012 data, territorial telecommunications and other infrastructure are generally inferior to that of the continental U.S. and Hawaii. Poverty rates are higher in the territories than in the states. Organized territories are lands under federal sovereignty (but not part of any state or
15827-520: The traditional social structure of the territory. The issue was revisited in 1975, and though it was supported by Samoans, no change was made to the status of the territory, but it was granted official congressional delegate status for its delegate to the United States House of Representatives in 1978. Despite changes in local ordinances, American Samoans do not have full protection of their constitutional rights, though they may reside in
15960-402: The two Samoas share language and ethnicity, their cultures have recently followed different paths, with American Samoans often emigrating to Hawaiʻi and the U.S. mainland, and adopting many U.S. customs, such as the playing of American football and baseball . Samoans have tended to emigrate instead to New Zealand , whose influence has made the sports of rugby and cricket more popular in
16093-496: The uninhabited Rose Atoll —as well as Swains Island , a remote coral atoll in the Tokelau volcanic island group . The total land area is 77 square miles (199 km), slightly larger than Washington, D.C. ; including its territorial waters , the total area is 117,500 square miles (304,000 km), about the size of New Zealand. American Samoa has a tropical climate, with 90 percent of its land covered by rainforests. As of 2024,
16226-461: The western Polynesian societies are well documented and it is speculated that the Tui Manuʻa dynasty grew through its success in obtaining control and manufacturing goods such as finely woven ceremonial mats "('Ie Konga)" for the Tu'i Tonga, whale ivory " tabua " for their Fijian masters, obsidian and basalt tools, chiefly red feathers, and seashells reserved for royalty (such as polished nautilus and
16359-495: The western Samoan islands. Travel writer Paul Theroux noted that there were marked differences between the societies in Samoa and American Samoa. On August 13, 1999, the United Nations granted American Samoa "observer seat" status. Six days later, American Samoa officially recognized both Samoan and English as its official languages. In 2001 and 2003, the United States unsuccessfully sought to have American Samoa removed from
16492-589: The western half of the Indian Territory was organized as Oklahoma Territory . The eastern half remained unorganized until 1907, when it was joined with Oklahoma Territory to form the State of Oklahoma . Additionally, the Department of Alaska was unorganized from its acquisition in 1867 from Russia until organized as the District of Alaska in 1884; it was organized as Alaska Territory in 1912. Hawaii
16625-707: The western islands, by far the greater landmass, became known as German Samoa , after Britain gave up all claims to Samoa and in return accepted the termination of German rights in Tonga and certain areas in the Solomon Islands and West Africa . Forerunners to the Tripartite Convention of 1899 were the Washington Conference of 1887, the Treaty of Berlin of 1889 and the Anglo-German Agreement on Samoa of 1899. The following year,
16758-660: The world (the others being New Caledonia and Marajó island in Brazil) to have proactively prevented any deaths during the pandemic through the quick response from Governor John Martin Poyer after hearing news reports of the outbreak on the radio and requesting quarantine ships from the U.S. mainland. The result of Poyer's quick actions earned him the Navy Cross from the U.S. Navy . With this distinction, American Samoans regarded Poyer as their hero for what he had done to prevent
16891-468: Was 92.6% Pacific Islander (including 88.9% Samoan ); Guam's population was 49.3% Pacific Islander (including 37.3% Chamorro ) and 32.2% Asian (including 26.3% Filipino ); the population of the Northern Mariana Islands was 34.9% Pacific Islander and 49.9% Asian; and the population of the U.S. Virgin Islands was 76.0% African American . In 2019, Puerto Rico's population was 98.9% Hispanic or Latino , 67.4% white, and 0.8% non-Hispanic white. Throughout
17024-545: Was also unorganized from the time of its annexation by the U.S. in 1898 until organized as Hawaii Territory in 1900. Regions that have been admitted as states under the United States Constitution in addition to the original thirteen were, most often, prior to admission, territories or parts of territories of this kind. As the United States grew, the most populous parts of the organized territory would achieve statehood. Some territories existed only
17157-604: Was authorized by the "Declaration of the Form of Government", which established a judiciary system. In 1930, a Bill of Rights was added to the American Samoan Code and the secretary of native affairs and chief justice of the high court became separate offices. In 1953, a constitutional committee was established in American Samoa and its first constitution was promulgated in 1960. The constitution provided for organization of executive, judiciary, and legislative (known as
17290-410: Was ended by an attack , on Tutuila island where Lapérouse's men were trying to obtain water. His second in command Capt. de Langle and several of his crew were killed. La Pérouse named the island "Massacre Island", and the bay near Aasu is still called "Massacre Bay". HMS Pandora , under the command of Admiral Edward Edwards (Royal Navy officer), visited the island in 1791 during its search for
17423-475: Was forthcoming, despite Congressional hearings being held in 1931, 1936, and 1937. In the late 1940s, island leadership requested that legislation on the citizenship of Samoans be curtailed for ten years. The US Nationality Act of 1940 provided that American Samoans, born to US nationals who were indigenous to Samoa, on or after February 16, 1900, or on Swains Island on or after March 4, 1925, and in both cases before January 13, 1941, were non-citizen nationals of
17556-520: Was founded in 1830 by British missionaries, who were followed by explorers from the United States, in 1839, and German traders in 1845. Based upon the Tripartite Convention of 1899, the United States, Great Britain, and Germany agreed to partition the islands into German Samoa and American Samoa. Though the territory was ceded to the United States in a series of transactions in 1900, 1904, and 1925, Congress did not formally confirm its acquisition until 1929. American Samoans are non-citizen nationals of
17689-571: Was prevented from becoming a police officer in California. His suit claimed that all people in the United States have birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. In 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in Tuaua v. United States (788 F.3d 300, D.C. Cir., 2015) that birthright citizenship as outlined in the Constitution is a vague concept and that it did not apply to American Samoa. Though appealed to
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