2010 Edition

Background

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.

Area

land

27,986 sq km

total

28,896 sq km

water

910 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Coastline

5,313 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Popomanaseu 2,310 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

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; 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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0.62%

other

97.34% (2005)

permanent crops

2.04%

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 hazards

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

volcanism

Tinakula (elev. 851 m, 2,792 ft) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (elev. 485 m, 1,591 ft) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Total renewable water resources

44.7 cu km (1987)

Age structure

0-14 years: 39.5% (male 119,875/female 115,127) 15-64 years: 57.1% (male 171,792/female 168,023) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 9,849/female 10,947) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

28.6 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

3.96 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

2.2% of GDP (1999)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

15.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

20.95 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.41 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.63 years (2010 est.)

male

71.37 years

total population

73.94 years

Literacy

NA

Median age

female

20.8 years (2010 est.)

male

20.4 years

total

20.6 years

Nationality

adjective

Solomon Islander

noun

Solomon Islander(s)

Net migration rate

-1.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Population

559,198 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

2.27% (2010 est.)

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)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

9 years (2006)

male

9 years

total

9 years

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: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.67 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

18% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

9 26 S, 159 57 E

name

Honiara

time difference

UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

7 July 1978

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Solomon Islands

former

British Solomon Islands

local long form

none

local short form

Solomon Islands

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US 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

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 (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Frank KABUI (since 7 July 2009)

elections

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of parliament for up to five years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition 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 Danny PHILIP (since 25 August 2010)

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; blue represents the ocean; green the land; and yellow sunshine; the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands

Government - note

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

7 July 1978 (from the UK)

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, 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

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal

Legal system

English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 - NA; seats by party - Solomon Islands Democratic Party 13, Our Party 3, Reformed Democratic Party 3, Independent Democratic Party 2, PAP 2, SIPRA 2, Peoples Congress Party 1, Peoples Federation Party 1, Rural Development Party 1, Rural and Urban Political Party 1, Solomon Islands Liberal Party 1, Solomon Islands National Party 1, independents 19

elections

last held on 4 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA note: adopted 1978

name

"God Save Our Solomon Islands"

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Political parties and leaders

Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA] note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Commercial bank prime lending rate

15.26% (31 December 2009 est.) 14.44% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$143 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$166 million (2004)

Economy - overview

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.

Electricity - consumption

66.03 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

71 million kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 7.3447 (2006), 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003)

Exports

$237 million (2006)

Exports - commodities

timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

Exports - partners

China 54.07%, South Korea 6.19%, Philippines 6.04%, Spain 4.87% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

42%

industry

11%

services

47% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,800 (2010 est.) $2,800 (2009 est.) $2,900 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.8% (2010 est.) -2.3% (2009 est.) 7.4% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$674 million (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.559 billion (2010 est.) $1.517 billion (2009 est.) $1.553 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$256 million (2006)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Singapore 24.69%, Australia 23.06%, NZ 5.2%, Fiji 4.47%, Papua New Guinea 4.34%, Malaysia 3.98% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force

202,500 (2007)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

75%

industry

5%

services

20% (2000 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

1,323 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Stock of broad money

$227.1 million (31 December 2009) $195.9 million (31 December 2008)

Stock of domestic credit

$221.9 million (31 December 2008 est.) $183.8 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$139.9 million (31 December 2009) $124.4 million (31 December 2008)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Broadcast media

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the sole TV broadcaster with 1 station; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC, the public service broadcaster, operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations operating; Radio Australia is obtainable via satellite feed (2009)

Internet country code

.sb

Internet hosts

4,065 (2010)

Internet users

10,000 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

mobile-cellular telephone density is about 5 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

NA

international

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

Telephones - main lines in use

8,200 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

30,000 (2009)

Airports

36 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 25 (2010)

Heliports

3 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi

Roadways

paved

33 km

total

1,360 km

unpaved

1,327 km note: includes 800 km of private plantation roads (2002)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 150,987 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 125,928 females age 16-49: 126,999 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

6,995 (2010 est.)

male

7,256

Military branches

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

Military expenditures

3% of GDP (2006)

Disputes - international

since 2003, RAMSI, 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

5,400 (displaced by tsunami on 2 April 2007) (2007) page last updated on January 11, 2011 ======================================================================