Reviews: Samoa: Mapping the Diversity

Summary

This review assesses the book 'Samoa: Mapping the Diversity' by R. Gerard Ward and Paul Ashcroft. The book aims to reveal significant regional differences in Samoa's environment, forestry, population, land tenure, infrastructure, agriculture, crops, livestock, and fishing, and to make information about Samoa more accessible and usable. Drawing primarily on census data from the 1980s and early 1990s, including the 1989 agricultural census, the authors construct detailed maps and tables that clearly demonstrate regional variations and spatial interrelationships. The book is immediately useful for planners, officials, and development practitioners, particularly for locally tailored solutions, and serves as a valuable resource for students and the public, exemplifying the application of data processing and GIS in Pacific Island contexts.