1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline
5,313 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Maryland
Environment
subject to typhoons, which are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
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);
Natural resources
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates
Note
located just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
Terrain
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
28,450 km2; land area: 27,540 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
41 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
93.0% Melanesian, 4.0% Polynesian, 1.5% Micronesian, 0.8% European, 0.3% Chinese, 0.4% other
Infant mortality rate
40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
23,448 economically active; 32.4% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 25% services, 7.0% construction, manufacturing, and mining; 4.7% commerce, transport, and finance (1984)
Language
120 indigenous languages; Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English spoken by 1-2% of population
Life expectancy at birth
67 years male, 72 years female (1990)
Literacy
60%
Nationality
noun--Solomon Islander(s); adjective--Solomon Islander
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
NA, but most of the cash-economy workers have trade union representation
Population
335,082 (July 1990), growth rate 3.5% (1990)
Religion
almost all at least nominally Christian; Anglican, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic Churches dominant
Total fertility rate
6.3 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
Capital
Honiara
Constitution
7 July 1978
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador (vacant) resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands); US--the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands; Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara (mailing address is American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara); telephone (677) 23488
Elections
National Parliament--last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held February 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
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
Independence
7 July 1978 (from UK; formerly British Solomon Islands)
Judicial branch
High Court
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General George LEPPING (since 27 June 1989, previously acted as governor general since 7 July 1988); Head of Government--Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 28 March 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Danny PHILIP (since 31 March 1989)
Legal system
common law
Legislative branch
unicameral National Parliament
Long-form name
none
Member of
ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, SPF, UN, UPU, WHO
National holiday
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Political parties and leaders
People's Alliance Party (PAP), Solomon Mamaloni; United Party (UP), Sir Peter Kenilorea; Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew Ulufa'alu; Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew Nori; Labor Party (LP), Joses Tuhanuku
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth
Economy
Agriculture
including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 75% of GDP; mostly subsistence farming; cash crops--cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, timber; other products--rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)
Aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1985), $16.1 million
Budget
revenues $139.0 million; expenditures $154.4 million, including capital expenditures of $113.4 million (1987)
Currency
Solomon Islands dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
Electricity
15,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1--2.4067 (January 1990), 2.3090 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033 (1987), 1.7415 (1986), 1.4808 (1985)
Exports
$80.1 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%; partners--Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)
External debt
$128 million (1988 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$156 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 4.3% (1988)
Imports
$101.7 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%; partners--Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia 4%, Hong Kong 4%, China 3% (1985)
Industrial production
growth rate 0% (1987)
Industries
copra, fish (tuna)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
11.2% (1988)
Overview
About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry contribute about 75% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to GDP. Manufacturing activity is negligible. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 which caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
29 total, 27 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
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
Honiara, Ringi Cove
Telecommunications
3,000 telephones; stations--4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
NA
Defense expenditures
NA
Military manpower
NA