Fagatogo
Fagatogo is the downtown area of Pago Pago (the territorial capital of American Samoa). Located in the low grounds at the foot of Matafao Peak, it was the location of the first American settlement on Tutuila Island. It includes the sub-village of Malaloa. Today, Fagatogo is the government, commercial, financial, and shipping center of Tutuila.: 1 It is also the administrative capital of American Samoa. It is the location of the American Samoa Fono (legislature), and is listed in the Constitution of American Samoa as the territory's official seat of government. Its population (as of April 1, 2010) is 1,737.
Fagatogo | |
|---|---|
Village | |
| Etymology: Samoan: faga ("bay"), togo ("mangrove tree") | |
Fagatogo Location in Tutuila Island Fagatogo Fagatogo (American Samoa) | |
| Coordinates: 14°16′45″S 170°41′25″W | |
| Country | United States |
| Territory | American Samoa |
| County | Maoputasi |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.15 km2 (0.83 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,737 |
| • Density | 810/km2 (2,100/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Fagatogan |
| Time zone | UTC−11 (Samoa Time Zone) |
| ZIP code | 96799 |
| Area code | +1 684 |
Fagatogo contains the Pago Pago port, the Pago Pago bus station and market, and the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago. Fagatogo is also home to the governor's mansion, which sits on a hilltop just west of the Rainmaker Hotel site, in a section of Fagatogo called Utulei. This colonial mansion was built in 1903, during the naval administration. The 1917 Jean P. Haydon Museum is located a little further west. The old jail (built in 1911) and the police station sit just across the field from the Fono. The architecture includes both 19th century clapboard buildings and newer, two-story, monotone concrete structures.
The area around Fagatogo Market is considered the center of Pago Pago. Residents from all over the island travel to it by bus. Several landmarks are visible from the market: Mount ʻAlava, the canneries in Atu'u, Rainmaker Mountain (Mount Pioa), and Pago Pago Harbor. Immediately next to the Fagatogo Market is the Fagatogo Square Shopping Center, a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m2) retail- and commercial center containing a number of large shops and restaurants. Fagatogo is also home to the Pago Pago post office and the city's taxi services, museums, bars, and movie theaters.
Fagatogo is recognized in American Samoa as having played the paramount role in the territory's political history. For example, it is where every agreement between the United States and American Samoa has been signed. It is jocularly called by some the "Washington, D.C. of American Samoa".: 2