Taʻū County

Taʻū County is a county in the Manu'a District in American Samoa.[1][2][3] Taʻū County is home to the villages of Lumā and Siʻufaga, which are commonly jointly called Taʻū Village.[4]

Located in the waters just west of the Taʻū County is the Valley of Giants, one of the world's largest and oldest coral colonies. Among its notable features is "Big Momma," also known as "Fale Bommie," a massive coral formation standing 6.4 meters high with a circumference of 41 meters. It is estimated to be over 530 years old.[5] According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it is the largest known coral head in the world.[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1912	480	—
1920	551	+14.8%
1930	562	+2.0%
1940	754	+34.2%
1950	771	+2.3%
1960	720	−6.6%
1970	540	−25.0%
1980	468	−13.3%
1990	436	−6.8%
2000	380	−12.8%
2010	358	−5.8%
2020	236	−34.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

Ta'u County was first recorded beginning with the 1912 special census. Regular decennial censuses were taken beginning in 1920.[8] Its population zenith was in 1950, with 771 residents. It has since declined to its lowest point since the census began recording, just 358 residents. Manu'a District as a whole has similarly declined in population since that time.

Villages

• Amouli, Ta'u County (now ghost)
• Lumā
• Siʻufaga

References

1. "CPH-T-8. Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density for U.S. Island Areas: 2010" (PDF). United States Census. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
2. 1987 Census of Agriculture: Geographic area series, Parts 55-56. Bureau of the Census. 1991. p. 4.
3. "5.0102 Division of districts into counties". www.asbar.org.
4. Gray, John Alexander Clinton (1960). Amerika Samoa: A History of American Samoa and Its United States Naval Administration. United States Naval Institute. Page 121. ISBN 9780405130380.
5. Rawlings-Way, Charles and Brett Atkinson (2016). Lonely Planet South Pacific. Lonely Planet Global Limited. Page 312. ISBN 9781786577344.
6. https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/earthisblue/wk146-protecting-big-momma.html
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
8. "1920 Census: Outlying Possessions" (PDF). US Census Bureau. p. 1231. Retrieved 5 July 2022.

14.230°S 169.516°W / -14.230; -169.516