The official language of Samoa is Samoan, which is a Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. It is the first language for most of the Samoa Islands population of about 246,000 people, and it is widely spoken across the Pacific region, heavily so in New Zealand and also in Australia and the United States. Samoan is an official language, alongside English, in both Samoa and American Samoa. Although English is an official language in both Samoa and American Samoa and is widely spoken, Samoan shares equal billing and is used by most people for everyday conversation. If you intend to explore smaller, outlying villages and islands, it pays to learn a few basic Samoan words and phrases.