Map of Solomon Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter 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.


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Location: Oceania group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean east of Papua New Guinea

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S 159 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 28,896 km²
Rank: 144
Land: 27,986 km²
Water: 910 km²
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
Extremes highest point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,310 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

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 44.7 km³ (1987)

Natural hazards: typhoons but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes tremors and volcanic activity; tsunamis
Volcanism: Tinakula (elev. 851 m) has frequent eruption activity while an eruption of Savo (elev. 485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal

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


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Population: 571,890 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 169
Growth rate: 2.22% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 38
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Solomon Islander
Adjective: Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups: Melanesian 94.5% Polynesian 3% Micronesian 1.2% other 1.1% unspecified 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

Religions: Protestant 73.7% (Church of Melanesia 32.8% South Seas Evangelical 17% Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2% United Church 10.3% Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%) Roman Catholic 19% other Christian 4.4% other 2.4% unspecified 0.3% none 0.2% (1999 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 37.8%
15-64 years: 58.3% (male 169,873/female 163,621)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 10,879/female 11,356) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 20.9 years
Male: 20.7 years
Female: 21.1 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.22% (2011 est.)
Rank: 38

Birth rate: 28.03 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 45

Death rate: 3.93 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 206

Net migration rate: -1.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 162

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 19% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 17.82 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 102
Male: 20.29 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 15.23 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.18 years
Rank: 106
Male: 71.6 years
Female: 76.89 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.59 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 45

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.186 physicians/1000 population (2005)
Rank: 152

Hospital bed density: 1.4 beds/1000 population (2005)
Rank: 126

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11.5% (2007)
Rank: 62

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 9 years
Female: 9 years (2007)

Youth unemployment


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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 and a Commonwealth realm

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 7 July 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 7 July (1978)

Constitution: 7 July 1978

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; represented by Governor General Frank KABUI (since 7 July 2009)
Head of government: Prime Minister Gordon Darcy LILO (since 16 November 2011)
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 monarchy 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 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; Gordon Darcy LILO elected on 16 November 2011

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 4 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SIDP 14 OUR 4 SIPRA 3 RDP 3 IDP 2 DDP 2 PCP 1 PFP 1 RUPP 1 SILP 1 SINP 1 independents 17

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: Direct Development Party or DDP [Dick HA'AMORI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [James MEKAB]; People's Congress Party or PCP [Fred FONO]; People's Federation Party or PFP [Rudolf DORA]; Ownership Unity and Responsibility Party or OUR [Manasseh SOGAVARE]; Reform Democratic Party or RDP [Danny PHILIP]; Rural and Urban Political Party or RUPP [Samuel MANETOALI]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party or SIDP [Steve ABANA]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party or SILP [Derek SIKUA]; Solomon Islands National Party or SINP [Francis HILLY]; 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

International organization participation: ACP ADB AOSIS C ESCAP FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IOC ITU MIGA OPCW PIF Sparteca SPC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UPU WFTU WHO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
In the us chancery: 800 Second Avenue Suite 400L New York NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 599-6,192 6,193
In the us fax: [1] (212) 661-8,925
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US 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; blue represents the ocean; green the land; and yellow sunshine; the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'God Save Our Solomon Islands'
Lyricsmusic: Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA
Note: adopted 1978

National heritage


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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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 191
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 60

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 170
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 31.1%
Industry: 6.9%
Services: 62% (2010 est.)

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%

Labor force: 202,500 (2007)
Rank: 169
By occupation agriculture: 75%
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation services: 20% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $223.2 million
Expenditures: $198.4 million (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 3.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 17

Taxes and other revenues: 31.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 88

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 37

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15.3% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 48

Stock of narrow money: $127.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 177

Stock of broad money: $227.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 183

Stock of domestic credit: $111.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 181

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$207.9 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 87

Exports: $163.4 million (2006)
Rank: 182
Commodities: timber fish copra palm oil cocoa
Partners: China 63.7% (2010)

Imports: $239.2 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 197
Commodities: food plant and equipment manufactured goods fuels chemicals
Partners: Australia 29% Singapore 21.7% China 7.9% NZ 6.1% Fiji 4.3% Papua New Guinea 4.2% Malaysia 4.1% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $146 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 158

Debt external: $166 million (2004)
Rank: 180

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 78 million kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 198
Consumption: 72.54 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 198
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 159
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 129
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 65
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 92
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 115

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 8,400 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 204
Mobile cellular: 30,000 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 202

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: mobile-cellular telephone density is about 5 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media: Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the sole TV broadcaster with 1 station; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC the public service broadcaster operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations operating; Radio Australia is obtainable via satellite feed (2009)

Internet
Country code: .sb
Hosts: 4,065 (2010)
Hosts rank: 141
Users: 10,000 (2009)
Users rank: 200

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 3% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 46

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: 36 (2010)
Rank: 108
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 34
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 25 (2010)

Heliports: 3 (2010)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 1360 km
Rank: 177
Paved: 33 km
Unpaved: 1327 km
Note: includes 800 km of private plantation roads (2002)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Honiara Malloco Bay Viru Harbor Tulaghi


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Disputes international: since 2003 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 (2007)

Illicit drugs