Solomon Islands source: CIA World Factbook 1998 |
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S, 159 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
water: 910 sq km
Areacomparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 5,313 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 88%
other: 9% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Environmentcurrent issues: deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environmentinternational agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Population: 441,039 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 101,338; female 97,584)
15-64 years: 52% (male 116,045; female 112,840)
65 years and over: 3% (male 6,571; female 6,661) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.24% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 36.62 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 4.21 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23.93 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.77 years
male: 69.26 years
female: 74.41 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.12 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups: Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Religions: Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, traditional beliefs 4%
Languages: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English
spoken by 1%-2% of population
note: 120 indigenous languages
Literacy: NA
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands
Data code: BP
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Honiara
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal,
Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
note: there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and
the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: English common law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor General Moses PITAKAKA (since 10 June 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU (since 27 August 1997);
Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since 27 August 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime
minister from among the members of Parliament
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by
the queen on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; 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 branch: unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected
from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001)
election results: percent of vote by partyNA; seats by partyGNUR 21,
PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: characterized by fluid coalitions; Liberal Party, Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU; Solomon Islands National Unity, Reconciliation, and Progressive Party (SINURP), Danny PHILIP (leader of opposition); People's Alliance Party (PAP), leader NA; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation (GNUR), leader NA; National Action Party of Solomon Islands (NAPSI), leader NA; Solomon Islands Labor Party (SILP), leader NA; United Party (UP), leader NA; Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU; Christian Fellowship, leader NA; National Party, leader NA
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen Rex HOROI (represents the country as both the
Permanent Representative to the UN and the ambassador to the US)
chancery: Permanent Mission of the Solomon Islands to the UN, 820 Second Avenue,
Suite 800, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6193
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
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
Economyoverview: The bulk of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their 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. In recent years the government has poorly managed the country's finances. The new prime minister has vowed to cut expenditures and to promote the private sector to boost economic growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity$1.27 billion (1997 est.)
GDPreal growth rate: 3.5% (1997 est.)
GDPper capita: purchasing power parity$3,000 (1997 est.)
GDPcomposition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rateconsumer price index: 11.8% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 26,842
by occupation: services 41.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 23.7%, commerce,
transport, and finance 21.7%, construction, manufacturing, and mining 13.1% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $147 million
expenditures: $168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricitycapacity: 12,000 kW (1995)
Electricityproduction: 30 million kWh (1995)
Electricityconsumption per capita: 75 kWh (1995)
Agricultureproducts: cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Exports:
total value: $168 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra
partners: Japan 39%, UK 23%, Thailand 9%, Australia 5%, US 2% (1991)
Imports:
total value: $152 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.)
commodities: plant and machinery, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuel
partners: Australia 34%, Japan 16%, Singapore 14%, NZ 9%
Debtexternal: $100 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $8.625 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $3.3 million from NZ
(FY95/96)
Currency: 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$13.7580 (November 1997), 3.5664 (1997), 3.4059 (1995), 3.2914 (1994), 3.1877 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones: 5,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 38,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: 2,000 (1992 est.)
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 1,360 km
paved: 34 km
unpaved: 1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 32 (1997 est.)
Airportswith paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airportswith unpaved runways:
total: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 20 (1997 est.)
Military branches: no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expendituresdollar figure: $NA
Military expenditurespercent of GDP: NA%
Disputesinternational: none
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