1981 Edition

Aid

Australia (1980-83), $14.4 million

Area

About 29,785 km2

About 14,763 km*

0.438 km2

Coastline

about 5,313 km

about 2,528 km •

Electric power

10,000 kW capacity (1981); 17 million kWh produced (1981), 162 kWh per capita

Exports

$32.2 million (1977); 24% copra, 59% frozen fish, meat

Imports

$40.1 million (1977); 18% food

Land boundaries

3 km

Limits of territorial waters

12 nm (fishing 200 nm)

12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)

Monetary conversion rate

1 pound=US$5.12 (official currency, 1979), Australian $0.89=US$1, 75 Colonial Franc Pacifique (CFP)=US$1 (1978/79)

NOTE

This archipelagic nation, independent since 7 July 1978, includes southern Solomon Islands, primarily Guadalcanal, Malaita, San Cristobal, Santa Isabel, Choiseul. Northern Solomon Islands constitute part of Papua New Guinea.

Ethnic divisions

93.0% Melanesians, 4.0% Polynesians, 1.5% Micronesians, 0.8% Europeans, 0.3% Chinese, 0.4% others

90% indigenous Melanesian, 8% French, remainder Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders

primarily Italians but also many other nationalities

Labor force

approx. 700; Vatican City employees divided into three categories — executives, officeworkers, and salaried employees

Language

Italian, Latin, and various modern languages

Literacy

60%

probably 10%-20%

virtually complete

Nationality

noun — Solomon Islander(s); adjective — Solomon Islander

noun — Vanuatuan(s); adjective — Vanuatuan

Organized labor

none

Population

245,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 3.4%

123,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.7%

1,000 (July 1980), average annual growth rate 0.0%

Religion

almost all at least nominally Christian; Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Methodist churches dominant

most at least nominally Christian

Roman Catholic

Branches

executive authority in Governor General; a Legislative Assembly of 38 members

Parliament of 39 members, elected November

the Pope possesses full executive, legislative, and judicial powers; he delegates these powers to the governor of Vatican City, w,ho is subject to pontifical appointment and recall; high Vatican offices include the Secretariat of State, the College of Cardinals (chief papal advisers), the Roman Curia (which carries on the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church), the Presidence of the Prefecture for the Economy, and the synod of bishops (created in 1965) VENEZUELA

Capital

Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal

PortVila

Vatican City

Elections

every four yeats, latest August 1980 Political parties and leaders: United Party, Peter Kenilorea; People's Alliance Party, Solomon Mamaloni, National Democratic Party, Bartholemew Ulufa'alu

Government leader

Prime Minister Father Walter LINI Political parties and leaders: National Party (Vanuaaku Pati), chairman Walter Lini

Government leaders

Governor General Baddeley DEVESI, Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI

Legal system

a High Court plus Magistrates Courts, also a system of native courts throughout the islands

unified system being created from former dual French and British systems

Canon law; constitutional laws of 1929 serve some of the functions of a constitution

Member of

ADB, GATT (de facto), IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IMF, UN, UPU

South Pacific Forum, UN

National holiday

30 June

Official name

Solomon Islands

Republic of Vanuatu

State of the Vatican City

Political subdivisions

4 administrative districts

4 administrative districts

Vatican City includes St. Peter's, the Vatican Palace and Museum, and neighboring buildings covering more than 13 acres; 13 buildings in Rome, although outside the boundaries, enjoy extraterritorial rights

Suffrage

universal age 21 and over

Type

independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth

republic, formerly Anglo-French condominium of New Hebrides, independent 30 July 1980

monarchical-sacerdotal state

Agriculture

largely dominated by coconut production with subsistence crops of yams, taro, bananas; self-sufficient in rice

export crops of copra, cocoa, coffee, some livestock and fish production; subsistence crops of copra, taro, yams

Aid

economic commitments from Western (non-US) countries, ODA (1979), $13.3 million

Budget

(1977) $24.2 million

Electric power

12,000 kW capacity (1981); 26 million kWh produced (1981), 113 kWh per capita

Exports

$41.0 million (1977); 39% copra, 27% timber, 23% fish

GDP

$71.2 million (1977), $320 per capita

Imports

$32.5 million (1977); 12% energy fuels

Major trade partners

exports — EEC excluding UK 42%, Japan 29%; imports— Australia 34%, UK 14%, Japan 13% (1975)

Monetary conversion rate

1 Australian dollar= US$1.1532 (September 1978)

Airfields

25 total, 23 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

31 total, 29 usable; 2 with -permanent-surf ace runways, 2 runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

no major transport aircraft-

Highways

834 km total; 241 km sealed or all-weather

at least 240 km sealed or all-weather roads

Inland waterways

none

none

Personnel

no military forces maintained; however, the French and British maintain constabularies of about 100 men each

Ports

5 minor

2 minor

Railroad

none

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

4 AM broadcast, no FM, and no TV stations; 1,726 telephones, no TV sets; one ground satellite station

2 AM broadcast stations; 2,400 telephones (2.4 per 100 popl.); 1 ground satellite station under construction DEFENSE FORCES