A group of islands in the southwest central Pacific, divided into AMERICAN SAMOA and the INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA (Western Samoa). First European contact was made in 1722 by Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutchman. In 1768 they were named Navigators Islands by Louis de Bougainville. The present name may derive from that of a local chieftain or from a local word meaning place of the moa, a now-extinct island bird. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p1061 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p481)

Annotation

an island group in Polynesia; AMERICAN SAMOA & INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA are also available

skupina ostrovů v Polynésii; k dispozici jsou i deskriptory AMERICKÁ SAMOA a NEZÁVISLÝ STÁT SAMOA

DUI

D018947 MeSH Browser

CUI

M0028317

Previous indexing

Pacific Islands (1967-1970); Western Samoa (1968-1995)

History note

96; was see WESTERN SAMOA 1994-95

Online note

use WESTERN SAMOA to search SAMOA 1994-95