Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. 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, Prime Minister Sir Allen 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 been very effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
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Location:
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Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 S, 159 00 E
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Map references:
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Oceania
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Area:
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total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
water: 910 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maryland
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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5,313 km
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Maritime claims:
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measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
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Climate:
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tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
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Terrain:
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mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
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Natural resources:
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fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
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Land use:
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arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops: 2.04%
other: 97.34% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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NA
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Natural hazards:
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typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
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Population:
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552,438 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 41.3% (male 116,370/female 111,834)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 154,793/female 151,308)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,696/female 9,437) (2006 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 18.9 years
male: 18.7 years
female: 19 years (2006 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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2.61% (2006 est.)
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Birth rate:
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30.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Death rate:
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3.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 20.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 23.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 72.91 years
male: 70.4 years
female: 75.55 years (2006 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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3.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
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Ethnic groups:
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Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)
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Religions:
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Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)
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Languages:
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Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population
note: 120 indigenous languages
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy
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Capital:
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Honiara
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Administrative divisions:
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9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
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Independence:
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7 July 1978 (from UK)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
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Constitution:
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7 July 1978
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Legal system:
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English common law, which is widely disregarded
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Suffrage:
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21 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 4 May 2006); note - Prime Minister Snyder RINI, elected on 18 April 2006 and sworn in on 20 April 2006, resigned on 26 April prior to no confidence vote in parliament; SOGAVARE elected on 4 May
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: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is 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
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Appeal
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Political parties and leaders:
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Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; LAFARI Party; National Party [Francis HILLY]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
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Flag description:
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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
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Government - note:
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June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003; by 2006, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 259 police officers and 20 military, in addition to civilian technical advisors; in response to rioting that broke out in mid-April 2006, Australia dispatched an addtional 220 troops and 70 police officers to help restore order
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Economy - overview:
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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 closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$800 million (2002 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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NA
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.8% (2003 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$1,700 (2002 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 42%
industry: 11%
services: 47% (2000 est.)
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Labor force:
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26,840 (1999)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 75%
industry: 5%
services: 20% (2000 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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NA%
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Population below poverty line:
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NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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10% (2003 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $49.7 million
expenditures: $75.1 million; including capital expenditures of $0 (2003)
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Agriculture - products:
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cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish
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Industries:
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fish (tuna), mining, timber
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Electricity - production:
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55 million kWh (2003)
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Electricity - consumption:
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51.15 million kWh (2003)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2003)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2003)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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1,270 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA bbl/day
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2003 est.)
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Exports:
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$171 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
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Exports - partners:
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China 25.9%, South Korea 15.9%, Thailand 14.7%, Japan 9%, Philippines 4.5% (2004)
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Imports:
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$159 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
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Imports - partners:
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Australia 24.2%, Singapore 22.7%, NZ 7.6%, Fiji 4.7%, Papua New Guinea 4.6% (2004)
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Debt - external:
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$180.4 million (2002)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2003 est.)
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Currency (code):
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Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
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Exchange rates:
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Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Airports:
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34 (2005)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 22 (2005)
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Roadways:
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total: 1,360 km
paved: 34 km
unpaved: 1,326 km (1999)
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Ports and terminals:
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Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor, Yandina
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Disputes - international:
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Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security
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This page was last updated on 16 May, 2006
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