1996 Edition

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

Location

8 00 S, 159 00 E -- Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

land area

27,540 sq km

total area

28,450 sq km

Climate

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Coastline

5,313 km

Environment

current issues

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

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

natural hazards

typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 159 00 E

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

1%

forest and woodland

93%

meadows and pastures

1%

other

4%

permanent crops

1%

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

highest point

Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 46% (male 96,241; female 92,722) 15-64 years: 51% (male 107,482; female 104,293) 65 years and over: 3% (male 6,129; female 6,035) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

37.91 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

4.41 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%

Infant mortality rate

25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population

note

120 indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.74 years (1996 est.)

male

68.67 years

total population

71.14 years

Literacy

NA

Nationality

adjective

Solomon Islander

noun

Solomon Islander(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

412,902 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

3.35% (1996 est.)

Religions

Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, traditional beliefs 4%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

5.43 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western

note

there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished

Capital

Honiara

Constitution

7 July 1978

Data code

BP

Diplomatic representation in US

Solomon Islands do not have an embassy in the US; the ambassador to the US traditionally resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch, represented by Governor General Moses PITAKAKA (since 10 June 1994) who was appointed for up to five years by the queen on the advice of Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 7 November 1994) was elected by and from Parliament; Deputy Prime Minister Danny PHILIP (since NA October 1995) was appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament

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)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

High Court

Legal system

common law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Solomon Islands

former

British Solomon Islands

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

National Parliament

elections last held 26 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6

Political parties and leaders

National Unity and Reconciliation Group (GNUR), Solomon MAMALONI; People's Alliance Party (PAP); National Action Party (NAPSI), leader NA; Solomon Islands Labor Party (SILP), leader NA; United Party (UP), leader NA; Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU; Christian Fellowship, leader NA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type of government

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

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

Agriculture

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

Budget

expenditures

$101.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

revenues

$81.3 million

Currency

1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

The bulk of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their 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. The government of the Solomon Islands is nearing financial insolvency. In mid-1995 the central bank suspended interest and principal payments on government bonds and treasury bills held by financial institutions and the general public. The government has taken no steps to restrain expenditure or address the deficit, which is expected to be considerably higher than the $20 million forecasted in the 1996 budget.

Electricity

capacity

21,000 kW

consumption per capita

80 kWh (1993)

production

30 million kWh

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.3713 (2d quarter 1995), 3.2914 (1994), 3.1877 (1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991)

Exports

$94 million (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

fish 46%, timber 31%, palm oil 5%, cocoa, copra

partners

Japan 39%, UK 23%, Thailand 9%, Australia 5%, US 2% (1991)

External debt

$128 million (1988 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1992 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$2,590 (1992 est.)

GDP real growth rate

8% (1992 est.)

Imports

$101 million (c.i.f., 1993)

commodities

plant and machinery, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuel

partners

Australia 34%, Japan 16%, Singapore 14%, NZ 9%

Industrial production growth rate

-3.8% (1991 est.)

Industries

copra, fish (tuna)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

13% (1994)

Labor force

26,842

by occupation

services 41.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 23.7%, commerce, transport, and finance 21.7%, construction, manufacturing, and mining 13.1% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

NA

males fit for military service

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

38,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

5,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1987 est.)

Televisions

2,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

30

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

18

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

9 (1995 est.)

Highways

note

in addition, there are 800 km of private logging and plantation roads of varied surface (1982 est.)

paved

30 km

total

1,300 km

unpaved

1,270 km

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina

Railways

0 km