World Map › Oceania › Samoa
Country
Map of Samoa
Oceania · Apia
Samoa lies on the Pacific Plate. It has 2 volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years, 1 of which have erupted since 1900. Since 1900, 8 major earthquakes have been recorded, causing at least 194 deaths. Its exposure to natural hazards is 3.1 out of 10 (INFORM index), a low level. Its overall risk index, which accounts for its ability to cope, is 2.7 out of 10.
- Capital
- Apia
- Population
- 200,010
- Area
- 2,842 km²
- Continent
- Oceania
Tectonic Plates
Natural Hazards
Exposure to natural hazards according to the European Commission's INFORM index, from 0 (very low) to 10 (very high), overall and for each type of hazard.
Overall Risk Index
This overall score combines hazard exposure with the vulnerability of the population (3.1 out of 10) and the lack of coping capacity (3.8 out of 10). A highly exposed but well-prepared country therefore gets a low overall score.
People Exposed Each Year
- 427to strong shaking (intensity VI and above)
- 1to tsunamis
- 17,178to hurricane-force winds (category 1 and above)
Overall Risk Index Over Time
Hazard Levels
Hazard level assessed by ThinkHazard! (World Bank, GFDRR), meaning the likelihood of a damaging event, from very low to high.
- TsunamiHigh
- CycloneHigh
- Coastal FloodMedium
- EarthquakeMedium
- Extreme HeatMedium
- LandslideLow
- VolcanoLow
- WildfireVery Low
Volcanoes (2)
Volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years; year of the last known eruption.
Major Earthquakes Since 1900
Earthquakes that caused deaths or significant damage, or of magnitude 7.5 and above (NOAA).
Deadliest
- 2009Samoa Islands · M 8.1192 deaths
- 1917Samoa Islands · M 8.32 deaths
Regions
Regions with volcanoes, major earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones or famous faults.
Tsunamis
37 major tsunamis have reached Samoa since 1900, killing 358 people in the country. The deadliest and highest are listed below.
- 2009Tsunami (Samoa) · 14.5 m356 deaths
- 1917Tsunami (Samoa) · 12.2 m2 deaths
- 1960Tsunami (Chile) · 4.9 m
- 1907Tsunami (Samoa) · 3.6 m
- 1952Tsunami (Russia) · 1.4 m
- 1946Tsunami (United States of America) · 1.2 m
- 2025Tsunami (Russia) · 0.8 m
- 2010Tsunami (Chile) · 0.4 m
Tropical Cyclones
1 major tropical cyclone has made landfall in Samoa since 1950. The deadliest and most powerful are listed below.
- 1991Cyclone Val · 232 km/h
Sources : Natural Earth · Wikidata · INFORM Risk Index (1 September 2026 v 0.7.3), Commission européenne, CC BY 4.0 · NOAA NCEI · ThinkHazard!, GFDRR, CC BY · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution