2000 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 these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control.

Area

land

27,540 sq km

total

28,450 sq km

water

910 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Coastline

5,313 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 159 00 E

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

1%

forests and woodland

88%

other

9% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

1%

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 they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Age structure

0-14 years: 44% (male 105,024; female 101,065) 15-64 years: 53% (male 124,627; female 121,358) 65 years and over: 3% (male 6,935; female 7,185) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

34.79 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

4.35 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%

Infant mortality rate

25.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population

note

120 indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.81 years (2000 est.)

male

68.86 years

total population

71.28 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

NA%

Nationality

adjective

Solomon Islander

noun

Solomon Islander(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

466,194 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

3.04% (2000 est.)

Religions

Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4%

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: 0.97 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Honiara

Constitution

7 July 1978

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Solomon Islands

former

British Solomon Islands

Data code

BP

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Stephen Rex HOROI (represents the country as both the permanent representative to the UN and the ambassador to the US)

telephone

(212) 599-6192, 6193

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch 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

head of government

Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU (since 27 August 1997); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since 27 August 1997)

FAX

(212) 661-8925

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

7 July 1978 (from UK)

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

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3

elections

last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Political parties and leaders

characterized by fluid coalitions; Christian Fellowship ; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR ; Labor Party or LP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Liberal Party ; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI ; National Party [leader NA]; Nationalist Front for Progress or NFP ; People's Alliance Party or PAP ; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP ; Solomon Islands National Unity, Reconciliation, and Progressive Party or SINURP (leader of opposition); United Party or UP

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

revenues

$147 million

Currency

1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$135 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient

$46.4 million (1995)

Economy - overview

The bulk of the population depend on 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. Economic troubles in Southeast Asia led to a steep downturn in the timber industry, and economic output declined by about 10% in 1998. The government instituted public service pay cuts and other retrenchments. The economy partially recovered in 1999 on the strength of rising international gold prices and the first full year of the Gold Ridge mining operation. However, the closure of the country's major palm oil plantation in mid-year cast a shadow over future prospects.

Electricity - consumption

28 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

30 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 5.0745 (January 2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.5664 (1997), 3.4059 (1995)

Exports

$142 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities

timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra

Exports - partners

Japan 50%, Spain 16%, UK, Thailand 5% (1996)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.21 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

50%

industry

3.5%

services

46.5% (1995)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,650 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$160 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuel

Imports - partners

Australia 42%, Japan 10%, Singapore 9%, NZ 8%, US 5% (1996)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10% (1999 est.)

Labor force

26,842

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

57,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

7,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

230 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1997)

Televisions

3,000 (1997)

Airports

33 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 21 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

34 km

total

1,360 km

unpaved

1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina

Railways

0 km

Military branches

no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Disputes - international

none

SOMALIA