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 bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence government malfeasance endemic crime and a narrow economic base 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
Land: 27,986 km²
Water: 910 km²
Rank: 144
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 temperature and weather extremes

Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevation
Mean elevation: NA
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m: highest point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,335 m

Natural resources: fish forests gold bauxite phosphates lead zinc nickel

Land use
Agricultural land: 3.9%
Forest: 78.9%
Other: 17.2%

Irrigated land: 0 km² NA (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: tropical cyclones but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes tremors and volcanic activity; tsunamis
Volcanism: Tinakula has frequent eruption activity while an eruption of Savo (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
Distribution: most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas and of these some two-thirds reside in Honiara the largest town and chief port: 647,581 (July 2017 est.)
Rank: 167
Growth rate: 1.94% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 53
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Solomon Islander
Adjective: Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups: Melanesian 95.3% Polynesian 3.1% Micronesian 1.2% other 0.3% (2009 est.)

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 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9% South Sea Evangelical 17.1% Seventh Day Adventist 11.7% United Church 10.1% Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%) Roman Catholic 19.6% other Christian 2.9% other 4% none 0.03% unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 34.59%
15-24 years: 19.99%
25-54 years: 36.5%
55-64 years: 4.65%
65 years and over: 4.27% (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 75.4
Youth dependency ratio: 69.4
Elderly dependency ratio: 6
Potential support ratio: 16.6

Median age
Total: 22.5 years
Male: 22.3 years
Female: 22.8 years
Rank: 178

Population growth rate: 1.94% (2017 est.)
Rank: 53

Birth rate: 24.9 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 49

Death rate: 3.8 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 213

Net migration rate: -1.7 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 153

Population distribution: most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas and of these some two-thirds reside in Honiara the largest town and chief port

Urbanization
Urban population: 23.2% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.79% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: HONIARA (capital) 73,000 (2014)

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
0-14 years: 1.06 male/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male/female
55-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male/female
Total population: 1.04 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 21.6 years
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 14.7 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 16.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.5 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 102

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.6 years
Male: 72.9 years
Female: 78.3 years
Rank: 103

Total fertility rate: 3.16 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 50

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.2 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

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

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.5% (2016)
Rank: 75

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11.5% (2007)
Rank: 65

Education expenditures: 10% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 18

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 84.1%
Male: 88.9%
Female: 79.2%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 9 years

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
Etymology: Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA named the isles in 1568 after the wealthy biblical King SOLOMON in the mistaken belief that the islands contained great riches

Government type: parliamentary democracy (National Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Name: Honiara
Geographic coordinates: 9 26 S 159 57 E
Time difference: UTC+11

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces and 1 city*; Central Choiseul Guadalcanal Honiara* Isabel Makira and Ulawa Malaita Rennell and Bellona Temotu Western

Dependent areas

Independence: 7 July 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 7 July (1978)

Constitution: adopted 31 May 1978 effective 7 July 1978; new constitution drafted in 2014 (2016)

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Solomon Islands
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

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: acting Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Parliament for up to 5 years ; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the National Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Parliament
Election results: Manasseh SOGAVARE defeated in no-confidence vote on 6 November 2017; elections for a new prime minister will take place when parliament reconvenes

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Parliament
Elections: last held on 19 November 2014
Election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 10.7% DAP 7.8% PAP 4.4% other 20.8% independent 56.3%; seats by party - DAP 7 UDP 5 PAP 3 KPSI 1 SIPFP 1 SIPRA 1 independent 32

Judicial branch
Highest court: Court of Appeal ; High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges as prescribed by the National Parliament)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court president chief justices and puisne judges appointed by the governor-general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission chaired by the chief justice to include 5 members mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges appointed until retirement at age 60
Subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court; local courts

Political parties and leaders:
Note: in general Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions

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
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert SISILO
In the us chancery: 800 Second Avenue Suite 400L New York NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] 599-6,192 6,193
In the us FAX: [1] 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 colors: blue yellow green white

National anthem
Name: 'God Save Our Solomon Islands'
Lyrics and music: 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 The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) severe ethnic violence the closure 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:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 202

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 90

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 205

Gross national saving:
Rank: 77

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 34.4%
Industry: 7.6%
Services: 58%

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

Industries: fish (tuna) mining timber

Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (2016 est.)
Rank: 73

Labor force: 202,500 (2007 est.)
Rank: 170
By occupation agriculture: 75%
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation services: 20%

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: $428.2 million
Expenditures: $453.4 million
Surplus or deficit: -2.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 92

Taxes and other revenues: 36.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 53

Public debt:
Rank: 197

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 91

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 81

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 168

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 186

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 186

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 62

Exports:
Rank: 177
Commodities: timber fish copra palm oil cocoa
Partners: China 62.4% Italy 7% UK 4.4% (2016)

Imports: $425.7 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 193
Commodities: food plant and equipment manufactured goods fuels chemicals
Partners: China 25.3% Australia 15.5% Singapore 9.6% Malaysia 9.5% Japan 5.2% South Korea 5% NZ 5% Papua New Guinea 4.4% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
Rank: 178

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 121

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 107

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 495,321
Access electrification total population: 23%
Access electrification urban areas: 62%
Access electrification rural areas: 13%
Production: 90 million kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 200
Consumption: 83.7 million kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 201
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 112
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 128
Installed generating capacity: 37,000 kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 199
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97.3% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 41
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 57
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 165
Generation sources other renewable sources: 5.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 93

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 114
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 99
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 103
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 113

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 122
Products consumption: 1600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 198
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 136
Products imports: 1554 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 193

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 113
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 161
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 74
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 97
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 119

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 300,000 Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 190

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 7,405
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1
Fixed lines rank: 201
Mobile cellular total: 416,572
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 66
Mobile cellular rank: 174

Telephone system
Domestic: mobile-cellular telephone density is about 65 per 100 persons
International: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2016)

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
Users total: 69,859
Users percent of population: 11.0%
Users rank: 187

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 373,738
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3,691,584 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: H4 (2016)

Airports: 36 (2013)
Rank: 109
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 35
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 24

Heliports: 3 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 1390 km
Paved: 34 km
Unpaved: 1356 km
Note: includes 920 km of private plantation roads
Rank: 179

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Honiara Malloco Bay Viru Harbor Tulaghi


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Disputes international: since 2003 the 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
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons