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Introduction | Solomon Islands

Background: | The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.

Geography | Solomon Islands

Location: | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic coordinates: | 8 00 S, 159 00 E
Map references: | Oceania
Area: | total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 5,313 km
Maritime claims: | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate: | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain: | mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Natural resources: | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Land use: | arable land: 0.62% permanent crops: 2.04% other: 97.34% (2005)
Irrigated land: | NA
Total renewable water resources: | 44.7 cu km (1987)
Natural hazards: | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis
Environment - current issues: | deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara, the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit

People | Solomon Islands

Population: | 581,318 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 40.1% (male 118,856/female 114,173) 15-64 years: 56.5% (male 166,004/female 162,317) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 9,487/female 10,481) (2008 est.)
Median age: | total: 19.4 years male: 19.3 years female: 19.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.467% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: | 28.48 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: | 3.81 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate: | NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 19.67 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.36 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 73.44 years male: 70.9 years female: 76.1 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 3.65 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups: | Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)
Religions: | Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)
Languages: | Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official; but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indigenous languages
Literacy: | NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): | total: 8 years male: 9 years female: 8 years (2005)
Education expenditures: | 3.3% of GDP (1999)

Government | Solomon Islands

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands local long form: none local short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands
Government type: | parliamentary democracy
Capital: | name: Honiara geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: | 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Independence: | 7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: | Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution: | 7 July 1978
Legal system: | English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: | 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Derek SIKUA (since 20 December 2007); note - Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE defeated in a no confidence vote in parliament on 13 December 2007; SIKUA elected on 20 December 2007 cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
Legislative branch: | unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%, PAP 6.3%, SIPRA 6.3%, Liberal 5%, Democratic 4.9%, SOCRED 4.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4, SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2, independents 30
Judicial branch: | Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: | Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA] note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003
International organization participation: | ACP, ADB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Flag description: | divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
Government - note: | by the end of 2007, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) - originally made up of police and troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga - had been scaled back to 303 police officers, 197 civilian technical advisers, and 72 military advisers from 15 countries across the region

Economy | Solomon Islands

Economy - overview: | The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of its livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI's efforts to restore law and order and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $948 million (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $358 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 5.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $1,900 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 42% industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.)
Labor force: | 249,200 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 75% industry: 5% services: 20% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: | NA%
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget: | revenues: $49.7 million expenditures: $75.1 million (2003)
Fiscal year: | calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 6.3% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate: | 14.12% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money: | $118.3 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money: | $57.89 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit: | $126.9 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products: | cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish
Industries: | fish (tuna), mining, timber
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | 70 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption: | 70 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 1,320 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports: | 1,426 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance: | -$143 million (2007 est.)
Exports: | $237 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities: | timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners: | China 50.8%, South Korea 7%, Thailand 6.5%, Japan 5.7%, Philippines 4.3% (2007)
Imports: | $256 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities: | food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners: | Singapore 28.2%, Australia 25.4%, Japan 4.6%, NZ 4.5%, Fiji 4% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient: | $198.2 million annually, mainly from Australia (2005 est.)
Debt - external: | $166 million (2004)
Currency (code): | Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
Currency code: | SBD
Exchange rates: | Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 7.3447 (2006), 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003)

Communications | Solomon Islands

Telephones - main lines in use: | 7,600 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 10,900 (2007)
Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)
Radios: | 57,000 (1997)
Televisions: | 3,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .sb
Internet hosts: | 3,804 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)
Internet users: | 8,000 (2006)

Transportation | Solomon Islands

Airports: | 35 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Heliports: | 3 (2007)
Roadways: | total: 1,360 km paved: 33 km unpaved: 1,327 km note: includes 800 km of private plantation roads (2002)
Ports and terminals: | Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor

Military | Solomon Islands

Military branches: | no regular military forces; Solomon Islands Police Force (2008)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 141,051 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 116,891 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: | male: 6,924 female: 6,679 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures: | 3% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues | Solomon Islands

Disputes - international: | since 2003, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn from 15 countries, has assisted in reestablishing and maintaining civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and security
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | IDPs: 5,400 (displaced by tsunami on 2 April 2007) (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008