THIS IS PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA
Penina o le Pasifika
Welcome to “Penina o le Pasifika” (Pearl of the Pacific), home of friendly people and some of the most beautiful tropical scenery in the world. There are many historic sites dating back to WWII and the landing of the Apollo Missions. There is so much to see and do, you’ll wish you could stay longer.
We will show the beauty and everything you need to know to enjoy these islands.
Our Information section has general information, descriptions of each island and a section on our National Park.
Our Activities section has several suggested tours, a link to charter fishing services and our Explore section where you can use our great Google Earth map to find places you can explore.
We list all hotels with contact information and links to their websites where available. We list many restaurants with contact information.
Please keep in mind that this is a new website and we do not claim to have every bit of information on all subjects. We welcome your participation in helping us to improve the site with additional information and suggestions for new subject matter.
Where is Pago Pago?
The easy answer is: right in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean and a long way from anywhere.
The best answer to that question is about 2,575 miles south of Hawaii. It could also be said to be about 2,034 miles north, northeast of New Zealand. The most accurate answer is 14.30 degrees South, 170.70 degrees West. Learn more
How to Pronounce
Pago Pago
This is a fun subject because there are so many misinterpretations of the correct way to pronounce Pago Pago. We will focus on the way it is pronounced by the majority of people in American Samoa because, after all, that is where Pago Pago is located.
Quite simply, it is easy to describe how to pronounce Pago Pago by telling people to think of the Bongo drum and just replace the “B” in Bongo with a P for Pago and then just repeat.
Now you might ask how the “n” got in there. Well, that’s easy. The Samoan sound for “g” is pronounced “ng” with the emphasis on “n”. In some cases, you can barely hear the “g” sound at all.
Typical of all parts of the tropics, Pago Pago is warm, humid, rainy, and subject to hurricanes. The climate makes for a relaxed, informal atmosphere and is easily tolerated with appropriate attire. Light-weight cotton clothing is recommended because cotton tends to dissipate perspiration quickly causing a cooling effect. Hurricane season is December through March, but hurricanes are infrequent and very seldom cause loss of life.