Itūʻau County is a county in the Eastern District in American Samoa.[1] [2] [3] The official name is Itūʻau ma Nofo, however, it is commonly known as just Itūʻau. 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 Nuʻuuli in the south, power was divided between village high chief Savusa and the Four Chiefly Houses of the Soliai, Tago, Levu, and Alega. In Fagasā in the north, leadership was shared by the Tupuola and the Alo. 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.[4]
It is a small county which only consisted of two villages: Nuʻuuli and Fagasā. These villages lie across from each other, Nuʻuuli on the south shoreline of Tutuila Island and Fagasā on the north side. They are connected by an inland road which runs west of Pago Pago Bay across the mountain ridge.[5]
Itu'au County was first recorded beginning with the 1912 special census. Regular decennial censuses were taken beginning in 1920.[6]
The county is officially known as Itu'au ma Nofoa (Itu'au and Nofoa), where Itu'au includes Nuʻuuli, Faganeanea, and Matu'u. Nofoa is made up of Fagasā, Fagatele, and Fagale'a.[7]