Solomon Islands

Internet country code

.sb

Internet hosts

398 (2003)

Internet users

2,200 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

6,600 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,000 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $38 million expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001)

Currency

Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)

Currency code

SBD

Debt - external

$162.5 million (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2001 est.)

Economy - overview

The bulk of the population depends 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. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country. The disintegration of law and order left the economy in tatters by mid-2003, and on 24 July 2003 more than 2000 Australian soldiers entered the Solomon Islands to restore order and to facilitate the restoration of basic services.

Electricity - consumption

29.76 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

32 million kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999)

Exports

$90 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

Exports - partners

China 25.2%, South Korea 17.6%, Japan 13.4%, Philippines 8.4%, Singapore 5.9%, Thailand 5.9% (2003)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 42% industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-10% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$100 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Australia 29.7%, Singapore 21.9%, Fiji 4.7%, New Zealand 4.7% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9% (2002 est.)

Labor force

26,840 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,250 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

NA

Area

total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 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

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

Environment - current issues

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

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

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0.64% permanent crops: 2% other: 97.36% (2001)

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 territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm

Natural hazards

typhoons, but 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

Administrative divisions

9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western

Capital

Honiara

Constitution

7 July 1978

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands

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, Ambassador Robert W. FITTS, is accredited to the Solomon Islands

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December 2001) 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; 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

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 - note

June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003

Government type

parliamentary democracy tending toward anarchy

Independence

7 July 1978 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal

Legal system

English common law, which is widely disregarded

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than December 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP 20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents 18

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Political parties and leaders

Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU] note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

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. 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.

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.4% (male 113,183; female 108,816) 15-64 years: 54.4% (male 144,157; female 140,769) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 8,058; female 8,634) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

31.6 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

4.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 22.09 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.38 years male: 69.9 years female: 74.98 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Median age

total: 18.4 years male: 18.3 years female: 18.5 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

523,617 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

2.76% (2004 est.)

Religions

Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, 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: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.19 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

Australian defense personnel are dispatched at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to restore law and order on the islands and reinforce regional security

Airports

33 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

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