2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.9% (male 114,860/female 110,404) 15-64 years: 54.9% (male 149,400/female 145,970) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 8,371/female 9,027) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

33 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.) Military Solomon Islands

Area

land

27,540 sq km

total

28,450 sq km

water

910 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Background

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. Geography Solomon Islands

Birth rate

30.74 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$75.1 million, including capital expenditures of $0 (2003)

revenues

$49.7 million

Capital

Honiara

Climate

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Coastline

5,313 km

Constitution

7 July 1978

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Solomon Islands

former

British Solomon Islands

Currency (code)

Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)

Currency code

SBD

Death rate

3.98 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$180.4 million (2002)

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Collin David BECK

FAX

[1] (212) 661-8925

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6192, 6193

Disputes - international

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 This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Economic aid - recipient

$28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2003 est.)

Economy - overview

The bulk of the population depends on 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. 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.

Electricity - consumption

29.76 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

32 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet consists of 20 members 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), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)

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

head of government

Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December 2001)

Exports

$74 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

Exports - partners

China 27.8%, South Korea 17.1%, Thailand 15.7%, Japan 9.7%, Philippines 4.8% (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Solomon Islands

Flag 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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

42%

industry

11%

services

47% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.8% (2003 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$800 million (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 159 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea People Solomon Islands

Government - note

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, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003. By the end of 2004 the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 302 police officers and 120 military in addition to civilian technical advisors. Economy Solomon Islands

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Highways

paved

34 km

total

1,360 km

unpaved

1,326 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$67 million f.o.b. (2003)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Australia 24.6%, Singapore 23.1%, New Zealand 7.7%, Fiji 4.8%, Papua New Guinea 4.7% (2004)

Independence

7 July 1978 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Infant mortality rate

female

18.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

24.27 deaths/1,000 live births

total

21.29 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10% (2003 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.sb

Internet hosts

398 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

2,200 (2002) Transportation Solomon Islands

Irrigated land

NA

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal

Labor force

26,840 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0.64%

other

97.36% (2001)

permanent crops

2%

Languages

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

Legal system

English common law, which is widely disregarded

Legislative branch

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

election results

percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP 20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents 18

elections

last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than December 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.28 years (2005 est.)

male

70.16 years

total population

72.66 years

Literacy

definition: NA

female

NA% Government Solomon Islands

male

NA%

total population

NA%

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

Median age

female

18.76 years (2005 est.)

male

18.5 years

total

18.63 years

Military branches

no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA Transnational Issues Solomon Islands

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Nationality

adjective

Solomon Islander

noun

Solomon Islander(s)

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,250 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU] note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

538,032 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Population growth rate

2.68% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor, Yandina

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)

Radios

57,000 (1997)

Religions

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)

Sex ratio

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: 0.93 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

NA

international

country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

6,600 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,000 (2002)

Televisions

3,000 (1997)

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Total fertility rate

4.04 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%