Futiga Fūtiga | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Futiga | |
| Coordinates:14°21′12″S170°45′15″W / 14.35333°S 170.75417°W /-14.35333; -170.75417 | |
| Country |  United States |
| Territory |  American Samoa |
| County | Tualatai |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.67 sq mi (4.33 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 682 |
| • Density | 408/sq mi (158/km2) |
Futiga (Samoan:Fūtiga;Samoan pronunciation:[fuːtiŋa]ⓘ) is avillage in the southwest ofTutuila Island,American Samoa. It is located inland, 7 miles (11 km) southwest ofPago Pago, between the villages of'Ili'ili and Puapua. It is in Tualatai County.
Futiga is home of theFagatele Bay Site, an archeological site which was added to theU.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Futiga is thesouthernmost town in the United States (because it includesSteps Point).[1][2] (Rose Atoll is farther south, but is uninhabited.)[3]
The name of the village,Futiga, is derived from the Samoan language and translates into English as “Plucking place".[4]
Fagatele Bay Trail is a 1-mile (1.6 km) roundtrip hiking trail to the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary from the village of Futiga. Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a protected nature area home to animals such as turtles and sharks. When traveling west on Route 1 to Futiga, turn left just before US Mart. Follow the road past the landfill until you reach a locked gate. The trailhead is located here.[5]
Fogamaʻa Crater is a 485-acre (196 ha) site on the shoreline in the village of Futiga. The crater lies immediately inland fromLarsen Bay, which makes up two smaller coves, Fogāma'a and Fagalua. The crater illustrates the most recent episode of volcanism in American Samoa.[6]
Futiga is home to the only landfill site in American Samoa. In 2018, it was reported that the landfill only had two years left before it reached its limit.American Samoa Power Authority was unable to find another site in the territory and instead began recompacting the site in Futiga. By digging up the landfill and recompacting it, the landfill may be usable for up to fifteen years longer.[7][8]
Access toFagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary is from the village of Futiga. Fagatele Bay is withinNational Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and is one of two designatedNational Marine Sanctuaries in American Samoa. It is home to various species of animals, includinghawksbill andgreen sea turtles. The nearest village isTaputimu, but the only access to the sanctuary is from Futiga.[9]
Fagatele Bay is a submerged volcanic crater surrounded by steep cliffs. It contains the last remaining stretch of coastal rainforest on Tutuila Island. A trail leads along Matautuloa Ridge to the lighthouse on the headland at Steps Point.[10]
| Year | Population[11] |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 682 |
| 2010 | 723 |
| 2000 | 731 |
| 1990 | 720 |
| 1980 | 322 |
| 1970 | 288 |
| 1960 | 205 |
| 1950 | 166 |
| 1940 | 68 |
| 1930 | 36 |
