▁building ▁of ▁an ▁international ▁air port , ▁port ▁facilities , ▁roads , ▁schools , ▁houses , ▁a ▁hospital , ▁a ▁t una ▁can n ery , ▁a ▁modern ▁hotel ▁and ▁installing ▁electric ity ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁This ▁massive ▁development ▁came ▁at ▁the ▁exact ▁time ▁that ▁the ▁political ▁future ▁of ▁American ▁Sam oa ▁was ▁uncertain ▁given ▁that ▁Western ▁Sam oa ▁became ▁independent ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁and ▁effectively ▁stamp ed ▁American ▁authority ▁over ▁T ut u ila ▁as ▁a ▁dependency . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Western ▁Sam oa , ▁by ▁legal ▁agreement , ▁changed ▁the ▁country ' s ▁name ▁from ▁Western ▁Sam oa ▁to ▁Sam oa . ▁This ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁the ▁Americans , ▁including ▁the ▁American ▁Sam o an ▁island ers ▁who ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁dimin ished ▁their ▁sense ▁of ▁identity ▁and ▁still ▁use ▁the ▁terms ▁Western ▁Sam oa ▁and ▁Western ▁Sam o ans . ▁ ▁Today ▁American ▁Sam oa ▁is ▁an ▁un in cor por ated ▁and ▁un organ ized ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁but ▁is ▁under ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Ins ular ▁Affairs ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior . ▁Polit ically , ▁the ▁island ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁of ▁American ▁Sam oa ' s ▁primary ▁divisions , ▁the ▁Eastern ▁District ▁and ▁the ▁Western ▁District . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁T ut u ila ▁lies ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean , ▁roughly ▁ ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁Br is b ane , ▁Australia .