2019 Edition

CIA World Factbook 2019 Archive (Wayback Machine)

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Countries

267

Data Records

66,981

Solomon Islands

2019 Edition · 272 data fields

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Introduction

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 and the Guadalcanal Campaign (August 1942-February 1943) proved a turning point in the Pacific War, since after the operation the Japanese lost their strategic initiative and remained on the defensive until thier final defeat in 1945. Self-government for the Solomon Islands came 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), which ended in June 2017, was generally effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.

Geography

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

Highest Point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,335 m
Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment Current Issues

deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying; effects of climate change and rising sea levels

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

Irrigated Land

0 sq km NA (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land: 3.9% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Arable Land: 0.7% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Permanent Crops: 2.9% (2011 est.)
Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture: 0.3% (2011 est.)
Forest: 78.9% (2011 est.)
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

Continental Shelf: 200 nm
Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 nm
Territorial Sea: 12 nm

Natural Hazards

tropical cyclones, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamisvolcanism: Tinakula (851 m) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal

Natural Resources

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

Population Distribution

most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas, and of these some two-thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

People and Society

Age Structure

0 14 Years: 34.05% (male 115,734 /female 109,009)
15 24 Years: 19.95% (male 67,794 /female 63,925)
25 54 Years: 36.89% (male 123,930 /female 119,577)
55 64 Years: 4.77% (male 16,112 /female 15,389)
65 Years And Over: 4.34% (male 13,515 /female 15,136) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

24.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

16.2% (2015)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

29.3% (2015)

Current Health Expenditure

5.2% (2016)

Death Rate

3.8 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio: 6 (2015 est.)
Potential Support Ratio: 16.6 (2015 est.)
Total Dependency Ratio: 75.4 (2015 est.)
Youth Dependency Ratio: 69.4 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural: 77.2% of population
Improved Total: 80.8% of population
Improved Urban: 93.2% of population
Unimproved Rural: 22.8% of population
Unimproved Total: 19.2% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Urban: 6.8% of population

Education Expenditures

9.9% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic Groups

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

Hospital Bed Density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 14.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

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: 78.6 years
Male: 73.1 years
Total Population: 75.8 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Female: 79.2% (2009)
Male: 88.9%
Total Population: 84.1%

Major Urban Areas Population

82,000 HONIARA (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

104 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female: 23.1 years
Male: 22.6 years
Total: 22.8 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

22.6 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

Adjective: Solomon Islander
Noun: Solomon Islander(s)

Net Migration Rate

-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

22.5% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

660,121 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.9% (2018 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%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural: 15% of population (2015 est.)
Improved Total: 29.8% of population (2015 est.)
Improved Urban: 81.4% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Rural: 85% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Total: 70.2% of population (2015 est.)
Unimproved Urban: 18.6% of population (2015 est.)

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: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 Years And Over: 0.89 male(s)/female
At Birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Total Population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

3.09 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female: 1.6% (2013)
Male: 1%
Total: 1.3%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization: 3.91% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Urban Population: 24.2% of total population (2019)

Government

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

Amendments: proposed by the National Parliament; passage of constitutional sections, including those on fundamental rights and freedoms, the legal system, Parliament, alteration of the constitution and the ombudsman, requires three-fourths majority vote by Parliament and assent of the governor general; passage of other amendments requires two-thirds majority vote and assent of the governor general; amended several times, last in 2014 (2018)
History: adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978; note - in late 2017, provincial leaders agreed to adopt a new federal constitution, with passage expected in 2018, but it has been postponed indefinitely

Country Name

Conventional Long Form: none
Conventional Short Form: Solomon Islands
Etymology: Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA named the isles in 1568 after the wealthy biblical King SOLOMON in the mistaken belief that the islands contained great riches
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 Robert SISILO (since 21 July 2017)
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 David VUNAGI (since 8 July 2019)
Election Results: Manasseh SOGAVARE (independent) defeated in no-confidence vote on 6 November 2017; Rick HOU elected prime minister on 15 November 2017
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 Rick HOU (since 16 November 2017)

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 under a constitutional monarchy; 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 Courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and ex officio members including 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 and includes 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges serve until retirement at age 60
Subordinate Courts: Magistrates' Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court; local courts

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 - UDP 10.7%, DAP 7.8%, PAP 4.4%, other 20.8%, independent 56.3%; seats by party - DAP 7, UDP 5, PAP 3, KPSI 1, SIPFP 1, SIPRA 1, independent 32; composition - men 49, women 1, percent of women 2%
Elections: last held on 19 November 2014 (next to be held 3 April 2019)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music: Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA
Name: God Save Our Solomon Islands

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 [Peter BOYERS] People's Alliance Party or PAP [Nathaniel WAENA] Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP [Dr. Jimmie RODGERS] Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Manasseh MAELANGA] United Democratic Party or UDP [Sir Thomas Ko CHAN]

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Economy

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures: 570.5 million (2017 est.)
Revenues: 532.5 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016: 10.1%
31 December 2017: 10.7%

Current Account Balance

2016: -$49 million
2017: -$54 million

Debt External

31 December 2016: $643 million
31 December 2017: $757 million

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 closure of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI's efforts, which concluded in Jun 2017, to restore law and order and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.

Exchange Rates

2013: 7.3754
2014: 7.9147
2015: 7.94
2016: 7.94
2017: 7.9
Currency: Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -

Exports

2016: $419.9 million
2017: $468.6 million

Exports Commodities

timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa, coconut oil

Exports Partners

China 64.5%, Italy 6.2%, Switzerland 4.6%, Philippines 4.4% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services: 25.8% (2011 est.)
Imports Of Goods And Services: -49.6% (2011 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture: 34.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 7.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 58.1% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$1.298 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015: $2,100
2016: $2,100
2017: $2,200

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015: $1.242 billion
2016: $1.285 billion
2017: $1.33 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015: 2.5%
2016: 3.5%
2017: 3.5%

Gross National Saving

2015: 14.5% of GDP
2016: 15.2% of GDP
2017: 13.1% of GDP

Imports

2016: $419.3 million
2017: $462.1 million

Imports Commodities

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

Imports Partners

China 21.9%, Australia 19.6%, Singapore 10.7%, Vietnam 7.5%, NZ 6.2%, Papua New Guinea 5%, South Korea 4.7% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

3.6% (2017 est.)

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016: 0.5%
2017: 0.5%

Labor Force

202,500 (2007 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture: 75%
Industry: 5%
Services: 20% (2000 est.)

Public Debt

2016: 7.9% of GDP
2017: 9.4% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016: $421 million
31 December 2017: $0

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016: $429.5 million
31 December 2017: $499.8 million

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016: $50.1 million
31 December 2017: $59.2 million

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016: $571.2 million
31 December 2017: $594.8 million

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016: $149.6 million
31 December 2017: $152.6 million

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016: $429.5 million
31 December 2017: $499.8 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

41% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

Energy

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)
Total: 1,166

Broadcast Media

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) does not broadcast television; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; there are 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite feed (since 2009) (2019)

Internet Country Code

.sb

Internet Users

Percent Of Population: 11% (July 2016 est.)
Total: 69,859

Telephone System

Domestic: fixed-line is 1 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular telephone density is about 72 per 100 persons; domestic cable system to extend to key major islands (2018)
General Assessment: Internet penetration has reached 20%; 3G mobile networks expanding and even 4G LTE services launched in the capital; otherwise 2G and satellite services for communication and Internet access; increase in broadband subscriptions (2018)
International: country code - 677; landing points for the CSCS and ICNS2 submarine cables providing connectivity from Solomon Islands, to PNG, Vanuatu and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Total Subscriptions: 7,405

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants: 72 (2017 est.)
Total Subscriptions: 465,331

Transportation

Airports

36 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M: 1 (2013)
Total: 1 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M: 1 (2013)
914 To 1 523 M: 10 (2013)
Total: 35 (2013)
Under 914 M: 24 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

H4 (2016)

Heliports

3 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type: general cargo 6, other 17 (2018)
Total: 23

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers: 3,691,584 mt-km (2015)
Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers: 373,738 (2015)
Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers: 3 (2015)
Number Of Registered Air Carriers: 1 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi

Roadways

Paved: 34 km (2011)
Total: 1,390 km (2011)
Unpaved: 1,356 km (2011)

Military and Security

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2019)

Transnational Issues

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, at hotels, and entertainment venues; some local children are also sold by their parents for marriage to foreign workers or put up for "informal adoption" to pay off debts 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 2014, the Solomon Islands was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; the government gazetted implementing regulations for the 2012 immigration act prohibiting transnational trafficking, but the penalties are not sufficiently stringent because they allow the option of paying a fine; a new draft law to address these weaknesses awaits parliamentary review; no new trafficking investigations were conducted, even after labor inspections at logging and fishing companies, no existing cases led to prosecutions or convictions, and no funding was allocated for national anti-trafficking efforts; authorities did not identify or protect any victims and lack any procedures or shelters to do so; civil society and religious organizations provide most of the limited services available; a lack of understanding of the crime of trafficking remains a serious challenge (2015)