Map of Solomon Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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, Melanesia, just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total 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, lead, zinc, nickel

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: subject to typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors

Geography
Note: located just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean


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Population: 385,811 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 3.43% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Solomon Islander(s)

Ethnic groups: Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%

Languages: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population
Note: 120 indigenous 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: 3.43% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 38.93 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 4.63 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; limited arable land

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 27.8 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.48 years
Male: 68.05 years
Female: 73.03 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.73 children born/woman (1994 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
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Honiara

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western

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
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir George LEPPING (since 27 June 1989, previously acted as governor general since 7 July 1988)
Head of government: Prime Minister Francis Billy HILLY (since June 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Francis SAEMALA (since June 1993)

Legislative branch: Police Force
National Parliament: elections last held NA May 1993 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) National Unity Group 21, PAP 8, National Action Party 6, LP 4, UP 3, Christian Fellowship 2, NFP 1, independents 2

Judicial branch: High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
From the us:

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: The bulk of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their 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. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure. In 1993, the government was working with the IMF to develop a structural adjustment program to address the country's fiscal deficit.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.8% (1991 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,500 (1991 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 31% 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: -3.8% (1991 est.), 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

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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: $84 million (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodities: fish 46%, timber 31%, palm oil 5%, cocoa, copra
Partners: Japan 39%, UK 23%, Thailand 9%, Australia 5%, US 2% (1991)

Imports: $110 million (c.i.f., 1991)
Commodities: plant and machinery manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuel
Partners: Australia 34%, Japan 16%, Singapore 14%, NZ 9%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $128 million (1988 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.2383 (November 1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 21,000 kW
Production: 39 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 115 kWh (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $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: 31
Usable: 30
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 0
With runways 1220-2439 m: 4

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs