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 and the Guadalcanal Campaign (August 1942-February 1943) proved a turning point in the Pacific War, since after the operation the Japanese lost their strategic initiative and remained on the defensive until thier final defeat in 1945. Self-government for the Solomon Islands came 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), which ended in June 2017, was generally effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S, 159 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 28,896 km²
Land: 27,986 km²
Water: 910 km²
Rank: 143
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 5,313 km

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

Climate: tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes

Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevation
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% (2011 est.)
Forest: 78.9% (2011 est.)
Other: 17.2% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km²
Note: NA (2012)

Natural hazards: tropical cyclones, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamisvolcanism: Tinakula (851 m) 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

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: 685,097 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 167
Growth rate: 1.84% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 55
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: Solomon Islander(s)
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%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.99% (male 116,397/female 109,604)
15-24 years: 19.82% (male 69,914/female 65,874)
25-54 years: 37.64% (male 131,201/female 126,681)
55-64 years: 5.04% (male 17,844/female 16,704)
65 years and over: 4.51% (male 14,461/female 16,417) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 77.6
Youth dependency ratio: 71.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.5
Potential support ratio: 15.3 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 23.5 years
Male: 23.2 years
Female: 23.7 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 176

Population growth rate: 1.84% (2020 est.)
Rank: 55

Birth rate: 23.6 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 52

Death rate: 3.8 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 216

Net migration rate: -1.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 156

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: 24.7% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.91% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 82,000 HONIARA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying; effects of climate change and rising sea levels
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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.6 years (2015 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.4 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 15.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.4 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 101

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.2 years
Male: 73.5 years
Female: 79 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 103

Total fertility rate: 2.97 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 51

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 29.3% (2015)

Drinking water source
Urban: 5% of population
Rural: 32.9% of population
Total: 26.4% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 4.7% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.19 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 1.4 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 4.4% of population
Rural: 78% of population
Total: 60.9% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.5% (2016)
Rank: 76

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.2% (2015)
Rank: 37

Education expenditures: 9.9% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 3

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 under a constitutional monarchy; 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): etymology: the name derives from 'nagho ni ara,' which in one of the Guadalcanal languages roughly translates as 'facing the eastern wind'

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

Independence: 7 July 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution
History: adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978; note - in late 2017, provincial leaders agreed to adopt a new federal constitution, with passage expected in 2018, but it has been postponed indefinitely
Amendments: proposed by the National Parliament; passage of constitutional sections, including those on fundamental rights and freedoms, the legal system, Parliament, alteration of the constitution and the ombudsman, requires three-fourths majority vote by Parliament and assent of the governor general; passage of other amendments requires two-thirds majority vote and assent of the governor general; amended several times, last in 2014

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 (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General David VUNAGI (since 8 July 2019)
Head of government: Prime Minister Rick HOU (since 16 November 2017)
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 (eligible for a second term); 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 (independent) defeated in no-confidence vote on 6 November 2017; Rick HOU elected prime minister on 15 November 2017

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 19 November 2014 (next to be held 3 April 2019)
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; composition - men 49, women 1, percent of women 2%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and ex officio members including the High Court chief justice and its puisne judges); 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 and includes 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges serve until retirement at age 60
Subordinate courts: Magistrates Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court; local courts

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Steve ABANA]Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KPSI [Peter BOYERS]People's Alliance Party or PAP [Nathaniel WAENA]Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP [Dr. Jimmie RODGERS]Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Manasseh MAELANGA]United Democratic Party or UDP [Sir Thomas Ko CHAN]
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 (vacant); Charge dAffaires Janice MOSE
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 colors: blue, yellow, green, white

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

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 86

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 187

Gross national saving:
Rank: 145

Gdp composition by end use
Exports of goods and services: 25.8% (2011 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -49.6% (2011 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 34.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 7.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 58.1% (2017 est.)

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

Industries: fish (tuna), mining, timber

Industrial production growth rate: 3.6% (2017 est.)
Rank: 83

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

Unemployment rate: NA

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Budget
Revenues: 532.5 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 570.5 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 130

Taxes and other revenues: 41% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 33

Public debt:
Rank: 198

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 44

Current account balance:
Rank: 82

Exports:
Rank: 176
Partners: China 64.5%, Italy 6.2%, Switzerland 4.6%, Philippines 4.4% (2017)
Commodities: timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa, coconut oil

Imports:
Rank: 200
Commodities: food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Partners: China 21.9%, Australia 19.6%, Singapore 10.7%, Vietnam 7.5%, NZ 6.2%, Papua New Guinea 5%, South Korea 4.7% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 194

Debt external:
Rank: 171

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 66.7% (2018)
Access electrification urban areas: 76.7% (2018)
Access electrification rural areas: 63.5% (2018)
Production: 103 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 200
Consumption: 95.79 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 202
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 199
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 201
Installed generating capacity: 38,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 197
Generation sources fossil fuels: 92% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 51
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 184
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 201
Generation sources other renewable sources: 8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 90

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 201
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 195
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 197
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 197

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 203
Products consumption: 1600 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 198
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 203
Products imports: 1577 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 194

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 197
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 198
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 185
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 189
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 195

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 233,500 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 195

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 7,130
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.06 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 198
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 480,124
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 71.38 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 173

Broadcast media: Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) does not broadcast television; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; there are 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite feed (since 2009) (2019)

Internet
Country code: .sb
Users total: 78,686
Users percent of population: 11.92% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 181

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1488 (2018 est.)
Rank: 192

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2019)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 427,806 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3.84 million
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: H4 (2016)

Airports: 36 (2013)
Rank: 109
With paved runways total: 1 (2019)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 35 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 24 (2013)

Heliports: 3 (2013)

Roadways
Total: 1390 km (2011)
Paved: 34 km (2011)
Unpaved: 1356 km (2011)
Note: includes 920 km of private plantation roads
Rank: 175

Merchant marine
Total: 23
By type: general cargo 7, oil tanker 1, other 15 (2019)
Rank: 141

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

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