Samalae'ulu is a village on the northeast side of Savai'i

Savai'i

Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...

 island in Samoa

Samoa

Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...

.The village is part of the electoral constituency (Faipule District) Gaga'emauga I which includes the neighbouring villages of Patamea

Patamea

Patamea is a village on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. While most villages on Savai'i are situated near the sea, Patamea is situated inland, away from the coast...

 and the smaller settlement of Mauga

Mauga

Mauga is a village in Savai'i island in Samoa. The word mauga means mountain in the Samoan language. The settlement is built around the crater of a small volcano.Mauga is in the Gaga'emauga political district near the central north coast of the island...

 which is built around a volcanic crater.

The population of Samalae'ulu is 943 (2006 Census), making it one of the more populous villages in Savai'i.

During the volcani eruption of Mt Matavanu

Mt Matavanu

Mt Matavanu is an active volcano on the island of Savai'i in Samoa.The most recent eruptions from Matavanu occurred between 1905 - 1911 with lava flows on its northern side flowing towards the island's coastline and into the sea in the district of Gaga'emauga....

 (1905 - 1911), lava flowed between Samalae'ulu and Saleaula

Saleaula

Sale'aula is a village on the central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa and is the traditional center of the Gaga'emauga political district...

 to the west, forcing villagers to move from the coast to its present inland location.

The village is situated on the main island highway about a 40-minutes drive north west from Salelologa

Salelologa

Salelologa is a village district at the east end of Savai'i island in Samoa. It is the main entry point into the island with the only ferry terminal on Savai'i...

ferry terminal and township.