Map of Solomon Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location: Oceania, just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 28,450 km²
Land: 27,540 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 5,313 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevation

Natural 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 land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 372,746 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Solomon Islander(s)
Adjective: Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

Religions: Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 39.37 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 4.76 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current 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 pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.13 years
Male: 67.73 years
Female: 72.65 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.88 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Solomon Islands
Former: British Solomon Islands

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Honiara

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution: 7 July 1978

Legal system: common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament

Judicial branch: High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us: chief of mission: (vacant; ambassador traditionally resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND
From the us embassy: Mud Alley, Honiara
From the us mailing address: American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara
From the us telephone: (677) 23,890
From the us fax: (677) 23,488

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (1990 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products:

Industries: copra, fish (tuna)

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 0% (1987; accounts for 5% of GDP

Labor force: 23,448 economically active
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 32.4%
By occupation services: 25%
By occupation construction andmining: 7.0%
By occupation commerce transport andfinance: 4.7% (1984)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $48 million; expenditures $107 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1991 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $74.2 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
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: $87.1 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.1211 (January 1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 30
Usable: 29
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 0
With runways 1220-2439 m: 3

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs