Statistical information Solomon Islands 1992

Solomon Islands in the World
top of pageBackground: In 1893, Britain made the southern Solomon Islands a protectorate. Other islands were added to the group, including some ceded to Britain by Germany. The Solomon Islands were occupied by the Japanese during World War II. Following the war, internal self-government was established in 1976, and independence from the UK came two years later. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 28,450 km²
Land: 27,540 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 5,313 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: none
Climate: tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
ElevationNatural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates
Land use: arable land: 1%; permanent crops: 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 93%; other 4%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 360,010 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Solomon Islander(s; adjective - Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 93.0%, Polynesian 4.0%, Micronesian 1.5%,
European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Languages: 120 indigenous languages; Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English spoken by 1-2% of population
Religions:
almost all at least nominally Christian; Anglican 34%, Roman
Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 40 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: subject to typhoons, which are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors
Current issues note: located just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 6.0 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: none
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Honiara
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal,
Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
Dependent areasIndependence: 7 July 1978 (from UK; formerly British Solomon Islands)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: common law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 21
National Parliament:last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held NA
February 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (38 total)
PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister,
Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament
Judicial branch: High Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant) resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)
US:the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon
Islands; Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara (mailing address is American Embassy,
P. O. Box 561, Honiara); telephone (677) 23,890; FAX (677) 23,488
Diplomatic representationFlag 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry contribute about 70% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to GDP. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $200 million, per capita $600; real growth rate 6.0% (1990 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products:
including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 70% of
GDP; mostly subsistence farming; cash crops - cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, timber; other products - rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)
Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 0% (1987; accounts for 5% of GDP
Labor force: 23,448 economically active; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%; services 25%; construction, manufacturing, and mining 7.0%; commerce, transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)
Organized labor: NA, but most of the cash-economy workers have trade union representation
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $44 million; expenditures $45 million, including capital expenditures of $22 million (1989 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $67.3 million (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodoties: fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%
Partners:Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%,
US 2% (1985)
Imports: $86.0 million (c.i.f., 1990)
Commodoties: plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%
Partners:Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia 4%,
Hong Kong 4%, China 3% (1985)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 2.8740 (March 1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
33 total, 30 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 2,439 m; 3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs