Samoa

/səˈmoʊə/ noun

Definition

An island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, or one of two geographical regions in Polynesia.

Etymology

From Samoan Samoa, with uncertain origins—possibly from 'sa' (to spread) and 'moa' (type of bird), or from other Polynesian language roots. The name has been used by Polynesian peoples for centuries.

Kelly Says

Samoa became internationally famous for the work of anthropologist Margaret Mead, who studied it in the 1920s and wrote about it in a way that shaped how the entire Western world thought about Pacific Island cultures—a reminder that our understanding of places is often filtered through famous books rather than direct experience.

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