Samoa lost a day on Friday. In an effort to boost trade and tourism with the Pacific Rim Countries, the Prime Minister decided on a "great leap forward" across the international date line.
This is not the first time Samoa has moved across the date line. In 1892 they moved to the east side of the line to make trade with the United States and Europe more convenient. Now that China, Australia, New Zealand and other countries to the west have become more important trade partners, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has decided to move back to the west side. According to Tuilaepa: "In doing business with them we're losing out on two working days a week. While it's Friday here, it's Saturday in New Zealand and when we're at church Sunday, they're already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane." This quote and more information can be found at the Daily Mail.
This change means that Samoa and American Samoa will be on different days. This brings about all kinds of possibilities for celebrating any notable date twice with a very short flight or boat trip. It also means that Cape Mulinuu (Sunset Point) will no longer be the last piece of land in the world to see the day end. Now that honor will be passed to Cape Taputapu on American Samoa.
This is not the first time Samoa has moved across the date line. In 1892 they moved to the east side of the line to make trade with the United States and Europe more convenient. Now that China, Australia, New Zealand and other countries to the west have become more important trade partners, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has decided to move back to the west side. According to Tuilaepa: "In doing business with them we're losing out on two working days a week. While it's Friday here, it's Saturday in New Zealand and when we're at church Sunday, they're already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane." This quote and more information can be found at the Daily Mail.
This change means that Samoa and American Samoa will be on different days. This brings about all kinds of possibilities for celebrating any notable date twice with a very short flight or boat trip. It also means that Cape Mulinuu (Sunset Point) will no longer be the last piece of land in the world to see the day end. Now that honor will be passed to Cape Taputapu on American Samoa.