Samoans
Samoans or Samoan people (Samoan: tagata Sāmoa) are the indigenous Polynesian people of the Samoan Islands, an archipelago in Polynesia, who speak the Samoan language. The group's home islands are politically and geographically divided between the Independent State of Samoa and American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. Though divided by national border, the culture and language are the same.
Samoan canoe performers | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 700,000-800,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Oceania | |
| United States | 243,682 |
| Samoa | c. 205,557 |
| New Zealand | 182,721 |
| Australia | 98,029 |
| American Samoa | 47,910 |
| Canada | 1,100 |
| Tokelau | 100 |
| Languages | |
| Samoan, English, German (Historically) | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, traditional faith | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Polynesians, Samoan Australians, Samoan New Zealanders | |
The Samoan people and culture form a vital link and stepping stone in the formation and spread of Polynesian culture, language and religion throughout Eastern Polynesia.
Polynesian trade, religion, war, and colonialism are important markers within Polynesian culture that are almost certainly rooted in the Samoan culture. Samoa's ancient history with the kingdom of Tonga, chiefdoms of Fiji and French Polynesia form the basis of modern Polynesian culture.