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

Area
Rank: 144
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 5,313 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

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

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

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: 584,578 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 168
Growth rate: 2.17% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 43
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.17% (2012 est.)
Rank: 43

Birth rate: 27.46 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 47

Death rate: 3.91 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 207

Net migration rate: -1.86 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 161

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 102

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 106

Total fertility rate: 3.51 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 49

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.186 physicians/1000 population (2005)

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

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

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

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital

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

Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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]

International organization participation: ACP ADB AOSIS C EITI (candidate country) 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
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

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: 193

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 22

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 169

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cocoa coconuts palm kernels rice potatoes vegetables fruit; cattle pigs; fish; timber

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 202,500 (2007)
Rank: 169

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: 5.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 13

Taxes and other revenues: 32.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 82

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 114

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 13.17% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 65

Stock of narrow money: $254.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 174

Stock of broad money: $353.8 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 183

Stock of domestic credit: $49.2 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 189

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$372.6 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 78

Exports: $226.5 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 182
Commodities: timber fish copra palm oil cocoa
Partners: China 52.4% Australia 12.1% Thailand 4.5% (2011)

Imports: $360.3 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 193
Commodities: food plant and equipment manufactured goods fuels chemicals
Partners: Australia 27% Singapore 26.1% China 6.4% Malaysia 5.8% NZ 5% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $166 million (2004)
Rank: 186

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 82 million kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 202
Consumption: 76.26 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 201
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 169
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 165
Installed generating capacity: 14,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 197
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 9
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 56
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 161
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 114

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 114
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 88
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 163
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 111

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 128
Products consumption: 1728 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 193
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 157
Products imports: 1433 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 187

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 106
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 123
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 165
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 166
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 116

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 359,000 Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 184

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 8,400 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 203
Mobile cellular: 274,900 (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 174

Telephone system

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

Internet
Country code: .sb
Hosts: 4,370 (2012)
Hosts rank: 148
Users: 10,000 (2009)
Users rank: 201

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 3% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 44

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 (2012)
Rank: 111

Heliports: 3 (2012)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 177

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Honiara Malloco Bay Viru Harbor Tulaghi


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Disputes international: since 2003 Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands 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

Illicit drugs