Suʻa County
county of Eastern District, American Samoa
Suʻa County (itu malo Suʻa) is a county in the Eastern District in American Samoa. Su'a County contains the villages of Afono, Fagaitua, Falefa (including the settlements of Alega, Amaua, Auto, Avai'o and a portion of the settlement of Pagai), Lauli'i, Masefau, Masausi and Sailele. The county had a population of 3,323 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. According to the Constitution of American Samoa, Sua County is represented by two senatorial seats in the American Samoa Senate.
Fagaʻitua is the principal place of Suʻa County.
History
In 1959, Mulitauaopele “Pele” Tamotu of Lauliʻi was elected to the American Samoa Senate representing Suʻa County, serving until his death in 1986. He played a prominent role in major political developments of the 20th century, including the passage of the first Constitution of American Samoa in 1960, the transition of the Legislature to full-time status, and the movement for an elected governor, which culminated in 1977.
Demographics
Su'a County was first recorded beginning with the 1912 special census. Regular decennial censuses were taken beginning in 1920.
“Suʻa County” enters the record as county of Eastern District, American Samoa. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Suʻa, County and county can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Suʻa County” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Suʻa, County and county provides the most credible route into that argument.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3688661. Authority coordinates are -14.265, -170.651. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2010, 1959, 1986 and 1960.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Suʻa County”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Suʻa County primary sources, Suʻa County archive and Suʻa research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Suʻa County”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Suʻa County” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.