Patamea is a village on the island of Savai'i in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

. While most villages on Savai'i are situated near the sea, Patamea is situated inland, away from the coast. The village is in the Gaga'emauga political district near the central north coast of the island. The population is 649. Heading north west on the main road from

Salelologa Salelologa () is a village district at the east end of Savai'i island in Samoa. It is the main entry point into the island with the only ferry terminal on Savai'i. It also serves as the main township for shopping and public amenities with a marke ...

township and ferry terminal, the turnoff to Patamea is just before

Samalaeʻulu Samalaeulu is a village on the northeast side of Savaii island in Samoa. The village is situated on the main island highway about a 40-minutes drive north west from Salelologa ferry terminal and township and is part of the electoral constituency ...

village at a T-junction of the road. Turning left (south west direction) at the junction is the road to Patamea, which lies 2 km from the main road. The road is tar sealed to the village.

Geography

The nearest villages to Patamea are Samalaeʻulu and

Mauga Mauga is a village in Savai'i island in Samoa. The village is in the Gaga'emauga 1 constituency, a sub-division of the larger Gaga'emauga district. The population is 162. The word ''mauga'' means ''mountain'' in the Samoan language. The settlem ...

, a village built around the rim of a small

volcanic A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

crater. The main tar-sealed road circling Savai'i, which generally follows the coastline around the island where most villages are situated, runs inland where these settlements are located. The main road is considered a ''life-line'' for these inland villages for access to schools, churches and nearest hospitals at

Tuasivi Tuasivi is a village on the north east coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. The village is in the electoral district of Fa'asaleleaga and has a population of 193. Tuasivi is the main centre for government administration on Savai'i. There is a small ...

and

Safotu Safotu is a village on the central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. Safotu is in the district Gagaifomauga and has a population of 1270. Traditionally, it attained the status of 'Pule,' customary political authority, and has been the main ...

. However, at Samalaeʻulu village, the main road crosses a ford at

Maliolio River The Maliolio (or Mali'oli'o) River is one of the largest rivers in the Pacific island nation of Samoa. It is located in the northeast of the island of Savai'i, flowing through the Gaga'emauga district. The river initially flows northeastwards fr ...

which can become inaccessible during flooding. The river overflowing can also make access to plantations impassable along local roads which cross Molioli River in parts. Loss of access to plantations can have economic and health impacts on the villagers. In 2007, Patamea and neighbouring villages, came under a Coastal Infrastructure Management Plan by the

Government of Samoa Politics of Samoa takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic state whereby the Prime Minister of Samoa is the head of government. Existing alongside the country's Western-styled political system is the '' faʻamatai' ...

Coastal Infrastructure Management Plan, 2007 Draft, Government of Samoa. Retrieved 31 October 2009 to help communities prepare for any type of emergency. Under the plan, the government is responsible for public and district infrastructure while villages are responsible for implementing approved projects locally.

Economy

Like most villages in Samoa, the village of Patamea is based on a cash economy driven by traditional work, mostly in plantations although there is some cattle farming as well as family members working in the capital

Apia Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. The Apia Urban A ...

on the main island

Upolu Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long and in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approximate ...

. As the village is situated inland with no coast access, there is little fishing. In 2006, the Patamea Primary School committee received $245,000 Samoan ''tala'', to rebuild the school, from the Japanese Government Grassroots Human Sector Grant Aid Programme.
Japan Bulletin, Publication of Japan Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand, No. 2, Vol 29, 2006

References

{{Gaga'emauga Populated places in Gaga'emauga