2015 Edition

Background

The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, endemic crime, and a narrow economic base 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 temperature and weather extremes

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 0.7%; permanent crops 2.9%; permanent pasture 0.3%

agricultural land

3.9%

forest

78.9%

other

17.2% (2011 est.)

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) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (elev. 485 m) 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 (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

35.68% (male 114,349/female 107,750)

15-24 years

20.01% (male 64,036/female 60,512)

25-54 years

35.73% (male 113,306/female 109,133)

55-64 years

4.45% (male 13,863/female 13,820)

65 years and over

4.13% (male 12,315/female 13,385) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

25.77 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.5% (2007)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

34.6% (2006/07)

Death rate

3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.9%

potential support ratio

16.8% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

75.1%

youth dependency ratio

69.1%

Drinking water source

urban: 93.2% of population

rural: 77.2% of population

total: 80.8% of population

urban: 6.8% of population

rural: 22.8% of population

total: 19.2% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

9.9% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)

Health expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

13.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

17.84 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.65 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

77.88 years (2015 est.)

male

72.49 years

total population

75.12 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

79.2% (2009 est.)

male

88.9%

total population

84.1%

Major urban areas - population

HONIARA (capital) 73,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

114 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

22.1 years (2015 est.)

male

21.7 years

total

21.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Solomon Islander

noun

Solomon Islander(s)

Net migration rate

-1.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25% (2014)

Physicians density

0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

622,469 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.02% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, none 0.03%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 81.4% of population

rural: 15% of population

total: 29.8% of population

urban: 18.6% of population

rural: 85% of population

total: 70.2% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

9 years (2007)

male

10 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.06 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.92 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.28 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.25% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

22.3% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, 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)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Solomon Islands

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978; amended several times, last in 2010 (2015)

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 (since 31 March 2004)

FAX

[1] (212) 661-8925

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6192, 6193

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

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

election results

Manasseh SOGAVARE (independent) elected prime minister; National Parliament vote - 31 to 19

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Parliament for up to 5 years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the National Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 9 December 2014)

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 type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

7 July 1978 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), 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

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, and ex officio members to include the High Court chief justice and its puisne judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges as prescribed by the National Parliament)

judge selection and term of office

Court of Appeal and High Court president, chief justices, and puisne judges appointed by the governor-general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, chaired by the chief justice to include 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges appointed until retirement at age 60

subordinate courts

Magistrates' Courts; local courts; Customary Land Appeal Court

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 32, DAP 7, UDP 5, PAP 3, KPSI 1, SIPFP 1, SIPRA 1

elections

last held on 19 November 2014 (next to be held in 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA

name

"God Save Our Solomon Islands"

note

adopted 1978

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

National symbol(s)

national colors: blue, yellow, green, white

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Steve ABANA]

Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KPSI [Alfred LEGUA]

People's Alliance Party or PAP [Nathaniel WAENA]

Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP [Jimmie RODGERS]

Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Manasseh MAELANGA]

United Democratic Party [Thomas Ko CHAN]

note

in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders

Isatabu Freedom Movement or IFM

Malaita Eagle Force or 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, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, fruit; cattle, pigs; fish; timber

Budget

expenditures

$447.4 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$433.9 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.91% (31 December 2014 est.)

10.77% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$57 million (2014 est.)

-$47 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$491.5 million (31 December 2013 est.)

$228.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)

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 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's efforts to restore law and order, government machinery, and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -

7.3754 (2014 est.)

7.3754 (2013 est.)

7.36 (2012 est.)

7.6413 (2011 est.)

8.0645 (2010 est.)

Exports

$493.1 million (2012 est.)

$448.1 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

Exports - partners

China 62.9%, Italy 5.8%, Australia 5.4% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

51.6%

industry

10.1%

services

38.2% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,900 (2014 est.)

$1,900 (2013 est.)

$1,800 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.5% (2014 est.)

3% (2013 est.)

4.7% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.155 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.094 billion (2014 est.)

$1.078 billion (2013 est.)

$1.046 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

6.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

10.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

18.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$446 million (2012 est.)

$464.5 million (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Australia 26%, Singapore 16.4%, China 10.3%, Malaysia 5.8%, NZ 5.1%, Indonesia 4.2%, Fiji 4.2%, Papua New Guinea 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

1.4% (2014 est.)

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.2% (2014 est.) 5.4% (2013 est.)

Labor force

202,500 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

75%

industry

5%

services

20% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Stock of broad money

$452.1 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$467.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$47.3 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$47.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$799 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$751.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$45.12 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$24.46 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$360.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$366.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

37.6% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

266,000 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

79.05 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

36,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

85 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,491 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.sb

Internet users

percent of population

7.6% (2014 est.)

total

46,400

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)

Telephone system

domestic

mobile-cellular telephone density is about 50 per 100 persons

international

country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

7,500

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

62 (2014 est.)

total

376,700

Airports

36 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Airports - with unpaved runways

24 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

10

total

35

Heliports

3 (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi

Roadways

note

includes 920 km of private plantation roads (2011)

paved

34 km

total

1,390 km

unpaved

1,356 km

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

142,913 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

118,164 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

118,921

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

6,098 (2010 est.)

male

6,483

Military branches

no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2013)

Disputes - international

since 2003, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, 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

Trafficking in persons

current situation

The Solomon Islands is a source and destination country for local adults and children and Southeast Asian men and women subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution; women from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines are recruited for legitimate work and upon arrival are forced into prostitution; men from Indonesia and Malaysia recruited to work in the Solomon Islands’ mining and logging industries may be subjected to forced labor; local children are forced into prostitution near foreign logging camps, on fishing vessels, and at hotel and other entertainment venues; some local children are also sold by their parents for marriage to foreign workers or put up for “informal adoption” and then find themselves forced into domestic servitude or forced prostitution

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – The Solomon Islands does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2013, the government passed but did not gazette implementing regulations for 2012 legislation prohibiting all forms of human trafficking; authorities investigated an unspecified number of labor trafficking cases in the fishing industry but did not prosecute or convict any suspected offenders or actively assist victims; the government did not allocate funding for national anti-trafficking efforts in 2013; the country lacks systematic procedures for identifying trafficking victims among high-risk groups and a formal mechanism for referring victims to care; civil society and religious organizations provide limited services to victims; no anti-trafficking awareness-raising campaigns were conducted in 2013 (2014)