Ità «au County is a county in the Eastern District in American Samoa. The official name is Ità «au ma Nofo, however, it is commonly known as just Ità «au. It is divided into northern and southern parts by the highest part of the Tutuila's central mountain range. It is peculiar in that it had no county chief. In Nuûuuli in the south, power was divided between village high chief Savusa and the Four Chiefly Houses of the Soliai, Tago, Levu, and Alega. In Fagasàin the north, leadership was shared by Alo, Tuinei and Tupuola. The physical division of the county by mountains combined with the lack of a high chief made the county a battleground (itu'au) in ancient times.
It is a small county which only consisted of two villages: Nuûuuli and FagasÃÂ. These villages lie across from each other, Nuûuuli on the south shoreline of Tutuila Island and Fagasàon the north side. They are connected by an inland road which runs west of Pago Pago Bay across the mountain ridge.
The name of the county, Ità «Ã»au, is derived from the Samoan language and translates into English as âÂÂArmy" or âÂÂside of the warriorsâÂÂ.
Three of the villages are in a section known as Nofoa, which translates to "Abiding Place".
In 1974, Alo W. Steffany entered the American Samoa Senate to fill a vacancy representing Ità «Ã»au County. He was subsequently reelected every four years until his death in 1992. Steffany also held the chiefly title SuâÂÂesuâÂÂemanogi of Fagasàand was bestowed the High AliâÂÂi title Alo.
Itu'au County was first recorded beginning with the 1912 special census. Regular decennial censuses were taken beginning in 1920.
The county is officially known as Itu'au ma Nofoa (Itu'au and Nofoa), where Itu'au includes Nuûuuli, Faganeanea, and Matu'u. Nofoa is made up of FagasÃÂ, Fagatele, and Fagale'a.