TuÃÂlÃÂuta County is a county in the Western District in American Samoa. It is the largest and also the most populated county in American Samoa. The county is represented by two seats in the Senate and two seats in House of Representatives in the American Samoa Legislature. 'Ili'ili is the principal place in Tualauta County, a county which consists of 'Ili'ili, Pava'ia'i, Mapusaga, Faleniu, Mesepa, Malae'imi, Tafuna, and Vaitogi.
As of 2015, the county has a population of 19,519 residents. Tualauta County has the highest number of registered voters in American Samoa: 2,033 female voters and 1,660 male voters (3,693 total voters). However, in terms of votes cast in the 2016 election, more votes were cast in Maoputasi County. Tualauta County also has the highest number of voters between the ages of 18 and 35 with 2,105.
Tualauta County, which is the most populated county in American Samoa, had the highest number of housing units according to the 2010 U.S. census with 4,080 units, followed by 1,999 housing units for Maoputasi County. Tualauta County has experienced a large population increase and, as of the 2010 U.S. census, the county had over double the number of residents as Maoputasi County (home to the territorial capital of Pago Pago).
At , it is the largest county in American Samoa.
TuÃÂlÃÂuta contains most of Tutuila Island's flatland, including the Tafuna Plain.
The name of the county, TuÃÂlÃÂuta, is derived from the Samoan language and translates into English as âÂÂInland TuÃÂlÃÂ".
In 1902, resistance to the copra tax emerged among Samoan communities, particularly within the Western District and notably in TuÃÂlÃÂuta County, an area that would later become a significant area for the Mau movement. In an effort to suppress this opposition, Governor Uriel Sebree detained three local chiefs to deter their supporters. Additionally, he dismissed a Samoan judge who had submitted a petition protesting the U.S. Navy's policies. In response to these actions, Governor Sebree characterized the Samoan populace as âÂÂgrown-up children who love form and ceremony.âÂÂ
In the early 1920s, TuÃÂlÃÂuta County, particularly the village of Faleniu, became a stronghold for the Mau movement. Faleniu served as the meeting place for the Faleniu conspirators, prompting Governor Waldo A. Evans to dispatch a posse that arrested 17 matais on charges of conspiracy and rebellion. Among the MauâÂÂs prominent leaders was Magalei SiÃÂsulu from Faleniu. The U.S. Navy charged him and several other matais with tax evasion, but they were released by Governor Edward Stanley Kellogg on November 14, 1925. The other arrested matais included Savea Motu, Mase, Siufanua, Noa, Liu, Tuiaana, Malufau, Ui, Sagapolutele, Fonoti, Tua, and Poloai â all from TuÃÂlÃÂuta County.
During the late 1940s and early 1950s, residents of Pavaûiaûi and Nuûuuli initiated a period of rapid land acquisition in TÃÂfuna, transforming what had been largely undeveloped forest. Among the most prominent figures during this expansion was Otto Vincent Haleck, a resident of Pavaûiaûi at the time, who cleared land and staked extensive claims. By the end of the 1950s, Haleck had become the largest private landowner on Tutuila. Religious institutions were among the first major purchasers of his properties. The Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa (CCCAS) acquired 15 acres for the Kanana Fou theological complex, the Catholic Church purchased land that became Fatuoaiga, and the Assembly of God obtained four acres for its regional center. In 1998, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased five acres for the establishment of a new stake. By 2000, Haleck was the largest rental property owner in American Samoa, and his development ventures included the Tradewinds Hotel, which opened that same year. He also maintained a private museum at his Aûoloau-Tafeta estate, notable for displaying the nifo âÂÂoti used by High Orator Olo Letuli to ignite the torch at the 1997 South Pacific Mini Games opening ceremony held at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
TuÃÂlÃÂuta County was first recorded beginning with the 1912 special census. Regular decennial censuses were taken beginning in 1920. Between 2010âÂÂ2020, TuÃÂlÃÂuta was the only county in American Samoa to experience a population increase. The population here increased by 9.4 percent, while American Samoa as a whole experienced a 10.5 percent population decline. This large increase was largely due to a 57 percent population growth in the village of Mapusagafou. Population growth also occurred in Faleniu (2.9%) and in TÃÂfuna (0.5%). Population declines were seen in Pava'ia'i (âÂÂ13.8%), Malaeimi (âÂÂ11.5%), 'Ili'ili (âÂÂ3.8%), and in Vaitogi (âÂÂ1.9%).