Continuing our Going Global theme, we’re taking ‘shallow dives’ into some of the more exotic, far-flung, or lesser-known locations that make up the 80+ countries and territories where Orchid’s Sage Add-ons have taken root.
We’ve already visited the landlocked African Kingdom of Eswatini, and Aruba in the Caribbean. This time we follow the Orchid trail to American Samoa in the South Pacific.
Ten (or so) things you may not know about…American Samoa
(Most of the information below is sourced from Wikipedia.)
- An unincorporated territory of the United States, it is the southernmost territory of the US, and about the same size as Washington, D.C.
It shares the same time of day as its near-neighbour Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), but not the same date, as they sit on opposite sides of the International Date Line.
- The population is just over 45,000 people, most of whom are bilingual, speaking English and Samoan fluently.
- Native land, under communal ownership, makes up over 90% of the territory. This land can only be transferred to full-blooded native Samoans.
- Contact with Europeans began in the early 18th century. The 1789 visit by French explorer La Pérouse ended in an attack on a water collection expedition, resulting in multiple deaths. The location is still called "Massacre Bay". La Pérouse wrote of:
...this den, more fearful from its treacherous situation and the cruelty of its inhabitants than the lair of a lion or a tiger".
- This incident gave Samoa a reputation for savagery that kept Europeans away until the arrival of the first Christian missionaries four decades later.
- In March 1889, three American warships sailed from Pago Pago (American Samoa) to Apia harbour (Samoa ), and prepared to engage three German warships found there.
Before any shots were fired, a typhoon wrecked all of the American and German ships, leading to an enforced armistice.
- Margaret Mead, studying anthropology at Columbia University, arrived in 1924 to carry out fieldwork for her doctoral dissertation.
Mead’s seminal 1928 work ‘Coming of Age in Samoa’ became the most widely read book of the time in the field of anthropology, sparking years of ongoing and intense debate and controversy.
- On January 13, 1942, a Japanese submarine surfaced and fired about 15 shells at the U.S. Naval Station Tutuila.
The first Japanese shell struck a store owned by Frank Shimasaki, ironically of the few Japanese residents.
- American Samoa played a pivotal role in five of the Apollo Program missions, with astronauts landing in the South Pacific then being transported to the islands en route to mainland US.
- Despite having only a few active duty military personnel, American Samoa is noted for having the highest rate of military enlistment of any US state or territory, thanks to the opportunity it provides for economic advancement.
Orchid EFT's Global Footprint
Orchid’s EFT Processing supports 800+ bank formats in 80+ countries, and has found a home in American Samoa. It is now available for both Sage 300 and Sage Intacct.
From Aruba to Zimbabwe, Eswatini to Ethiopia, we may already have the format you need. If not, just let us know and we can set it up!
