from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Solomon Islands
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.
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
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean,
east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic 8 00 S, 159 00 E
coordinates:
Map Oceania
references:
Area: total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
water: 910 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Maryland
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 5,313 km
Maritime measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
Climate: tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and
weather
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Natural fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc,
resources: nickel
Land use: arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops: 2.04%
other: 97.34% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active
hazards: region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Environment - deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding
current coral reefs are dead or dying
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental
agreements: Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - strategic location on sea routes between the South
note: Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
People
Population: 552,438 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.3% (male 116,370/female 111,834)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 154,793/female 151,308)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,696/female 9,437) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 18.9 years
male: 18.7 years
female: 19 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.61% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 30.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 3.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 20.63 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 23.54 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 17.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 72.91 years
expectancy at male: 70.4 years
birth: female: 75.55 years (2006 est.)
Total 3.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups: Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%,
other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)
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)
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
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands
Government parliamentary democracy
type:
Capital: name: Honiara
geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
Administrative 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central,
divisions: Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira,
Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK)
National Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
holiday:
Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: English common law, which is widely disregarded
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
branch: 1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA
(since 7 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE
(since 4 May 2006); note - Prime Minister Snyder RINI,
elected on 18 April 2006 and sworn in on 20 April 2006,
resigned on 26 April prior to no confidence vote in
parliament; SOGAVARE elected on 4 May
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by
the governor general on the advice of the prime
minister from among the members of Parliament
elections: none; the monarch 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 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
Legislative unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members
branch: elected from single-member constituencies by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 April 2006 (next to be held in
2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - National
Party 6.9%, SIPRA 6.3%, Democratic 4.9%, PAP 6.3%,
LAFARI 2.8%, Liberal 5%, SOCRED 4.3%, independents
60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4, SIPRA 4,
Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2,
independents 30
Judicial Court of Appeal
branch:
Political Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas
parties and CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI
leaders: [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 Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force
pressure (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions
groups and crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from
leaders: 1999 to 2003
International ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
organization (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
participation: IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
representation chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY
in the US: 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
Diplomatic the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands
representation (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New
from the US: Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Flag divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the
description: 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
Government - June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the
note: intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order;
parliament approved the request for intervention in
July 2003; troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New
Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003; by 2006, the
Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands
(RAMSI) had been scaled back to 259 police officers and
20 military, in addition to civilian technical
advisers; in response to rioting that broke out in
mid-April 2006, Australia dispatched an addtional 220
troops and 70 police officers to help restore order
Economy
Economy - The bulk of the population depends on agriculture,
overview: 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 has enabled a return to law and order,
a new period of economic stability, and modest growth
as the economy rebuilds.
GDP $800 million (2002 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $286 million
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 4.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 42%
composition by industry: 11%
sector: services: 47% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 249,200 (1999)
Labor force - agriculture: 75%
by occupation: industry: 5%
services: 20% (2000 est.)
Unemployment NA%
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 6.6% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $49.7 million
expenditures: $75.1 million; including capital
expenditures of NA (2003)
Agriculture - cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes,
products: vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish
Industries: fish (tuna), mining, timber
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 55 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 51.15 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 1,270 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $171 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
commodities:
Exports - China 40.7%, South Korea 13.2%, Thailand 6.9%, Japan
partners: 6.3%, Philippines 4.5%, Italy 4.1% (2005)
Imports: $159 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels,
commodities: chemicals
Imports - Australia 25.8%, Singapore 25.3%, NZ 4.6%, Fiji 4.2%,
partners: Papua New Guinea 4.1% (2005)
Debt - $166 million (2004)
external:
Economic aid - $122 million annually, mainly from Australia (2004
recipient: est.)
Currency Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
(code):
Currency code: SBD
Exchange Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.5299 (2005),
rates: 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278
(2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 7,400 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 6,000 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: domestic: NA
international: country code - 677; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 57,000 (1997)
Televisions: 3,000 (1997)
Internet .sb
country code:
Internet 2,658 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 8,400 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 35 (2006)
Airports - total: 2
with paved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 33
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 23 (2006)
Roadways: total: 1,360 km
paved: 34 km
unpaved: 1,326 km (1999)
Ports and Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor,
terminals: Yandina
Military
Military no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands
branches: Police (RSIP)
Manpower males age 18-49: 114,253 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 92,796 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 6,033 (2005 est.)
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance
international: Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the
invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to
maintain civil and political order and reinforce
regional security