1987 Edition

Climate

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Coastline

5,313 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

Environment

subject to typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land use

1% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 93% forest and woodland; 4% other

Maritime claims

(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)

Special notes

none

Terrain

mostly ruggedly mountainous with some low coral atolls

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

400 km South Pacific os Ocean Choisaul oy, = = Santa Isabal ° : Gizo SY, wy s on atk a ow Malaita anaing CHO 1ARA Gusdsicanal 4 . Santa @ Cruz San Ge Cristobal tq islands , Coral Sea

28,450 km?; land area: 27,540 km?

Ethnic divisions

93.0% Melanesian, 4.0% Polynesian, 1.5% Micronesian, 0.8% European, 0.3% Chinese, 0.4% other

Infant mortality rate

46/1,000 (1980) Life expectancy; 54

Labor force

28,448 economically active (1984); 32.4% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 7.0% construction, manufacturing, and mining; 4.7% commerce, transport, and finance

Language

120 indigenous languages; Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English spoken by 1-2% of population

Literacy

60%

Nationality

noun—Solomon Islander(s); adjective—Solomon Islander

Organized labor

most of the cash economy workers have trade union representation

Population

301,180 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.62%

Religion

almost all at least nominally Christian; Anglican, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic churches dominant

Administrative divisions

7 administrative districts

Branches

executive authority in Governor General; unicameral legislature (38-member National Parliament)

Elections

at least every four years; last held October 1984 Political parties and leaders: United Party, Sir Peter Kenilorea; People’s Alliance Party, Solomon Mamaloni, National Democratic Party, Bartholemew Ulufa’alu

Government leaders

Sir Baddeley DEVESI, Governor General (since July 1978); Ezekiel Alabna, Prime Minister (since December 1986)

Legal system

a High Court plus Magistrates Courts; also a system of native courts throughout the islands

Member of

ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, SPF, UN, UPU, WHO

National day

7 July—Independence Day

Official name

Solomon Islands

Suffrage

universal adult at age 21

Type

independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth Capital; Honiara

Agriculture

dominated by coconut production with subsistence crops of yams, taro, bananas, rice

Aid

economic commitments from Australia and other Western donors, $16.1 million (1985)

Budget

(1985) million revenues, $37.4 million; expenditures, $51.0 million

Electric power

15,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 110 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$70.1 million (f.0.b., 1985); copra, timber, fish, palm oil, seashells and shell products

GDP

$137 million (1985), $640 per capita

Imports

$83.2 million (c.if., 1985)

Major trade partners

exports—Japan 87%, UK 11%, Australia 3%; imports— Australia 31%, Singapore 16%, Japan 15%, UK 9% (1981)

Monetary conversion rate

1.4808 Solomon Island dollars=US$1 (February 1986)

Natural resources

fish, forests, agricultural land, minerals (gold and bauxite)

Airfields

24 total, 22 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Highways

about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km sealed, 290 km gravel, 980 km earth, 800 private logging and plantation roads of varied construction

Ports

5 minor Civil] air: no major transport aircraft

Railroad

none

Telecommunications

3,000 telephones; 4 AM, no FM, no TV stations; 1 satellite ground station