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.

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

slightly smaller than Maryland

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis

deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

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

Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)

Melanesian pidgin (in much of the country is lingua franca), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages

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)

584,578 (July 2012 est.)

27.46 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

3.91 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-1.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

HONIARA (capital) 72,000 (2009)

93 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

3.51 children born/woman (2012 est.)

0.186 physicians/1,000 population (2005)

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2005)

urban: 98% of population

rural: 18% of population

total: 31% of population

urban: 2% of population

rural: 82% of population

total: 69% of population

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western

7 July 1978 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

21 years of age; universal

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

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]

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

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

the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands

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

by the end of 2007, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) - originally made up of police and troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga - had been scaled back to 303 police officers, 197 civilian technical advisers, and 72 military advisers from 15 countries across the region

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.

$1.922 billion (2012 est.)

$1.79 billion (2011 est.)

$1.617 billion (2010 est.)

$1.039 billion (2012 est.)

32.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

5.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

11.3% (31 December 2012 est.)

13.17% (31 December 2011 est.)

$283.4 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$254.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$386.4 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$353.8 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$54.47 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$49.2 million (31 December 2011 est.)

cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; fish; timber

-$207.9 million (2009 est.)

-$372.6 million (2010 est.)

$226.5 million (2010 est.)

timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

China 52.4%, Australia 12.1%, Thailand 4.5% (2011)

$360.3 million (2010 est.)

food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals

Australia 27%, Singapore 26.1%, China 6.4%, Malaysia 5.8%, NZ 5% (2011)

Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -

82 million kWh (2009 est.)

76.26 million kWh (2009 est.)

14,000 kW (2009 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

1,728 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

1,433 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

359,000 Mt (2010 est.)

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)

Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi

no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2009)

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