SOLOMON ISLANDS
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
SOLOMON ISLANDS
@Solomon Islands:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east
of Papua New Guinea
Map references: Oceania
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SOLOMON ISLANDS - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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HONIARA 30,000 9.28S,159.57E 677- GMT+11
Kira Kira N/A 10.27S,161.56E 677- GMT+11
Auki N/A 8.45S,160.42E 677- GMT+11
Tangarare N/A 9.35S,159.39E 677- GMT+11
Gizo N/A 8.06S,156.51E 677- GMT+11
Gatere N/A 7.50S,159.08E 677- GMT+11
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Area:
total area: 28,450 sq km
land area: 27,540 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger 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
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead,
zinc, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 1%
forest and woodland: 93%
other: 4%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding
coral reefs are dead or dying
natural hazards: typhoons, but they are rarely destructive;
geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic
activity
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of
the Sea
@Solomon Islands:People
Population: 399,206 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (female 90,293; male 93,695)
15-64 years: 51% (female 100,183; male 103,374)
65 years and over: 3% (female 5,738; male 5,923) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.4% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 38.48 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 4.51 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.84 years
male: 68.38 years
female: 73.41 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.59 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic divisions: 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%
Labor force: NA
by occupation: agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%, services 25%,
construction, manufacturing, and mining 7.0%, commerce, transport, and
finance 4.7% (1984)
@Solomon Islands:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands
Digraph: BP
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Honiara
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central,
Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: common law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Moses PITAKAKA (since 10 June 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 7 November
1994); Deputy Prime Minister Dennis LULEI (since 10 November 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the
prime minister from members of parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Parliament: elections last held NA November 1994 (next to be
held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47
total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch: High Court
Political parties and leaders: People's Alliance Party (PAP); United
Party (UP), leader NA; Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP),
Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU; Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew
NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU; National Action Party, leader
NA; Christian Fellowship, leader NA; National Unity Group, Solomon
MAMALONI
Member of: 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
Diplomatic representation in US: ambassador traditionally resides in
Honiara (Solomon Islands)
US diplomatic representation: embassy closed July 1993; the ambassador
to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Flag: 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
Economy
Overview: 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. The economy suffered from a severe
cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage to the
infrastructure. In 1993, the government was working with the IMF to
develop a structural adjustment program to address the country's
fiscal deficit.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1992
est.)
National product real growth rate: 8% (1992)
National product per capita: $2,590 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $48 million
expenditures: $107 million, including capital expenditures of $45
million (1991 est.)
Exports: $84 million (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities: fish 46%, timber 31%, palm oil 5%, cocoa, copra
partners: Japan 39%, UK 23%, Thailand 9%, Australia 5%, US 2% (1991)
Imports: $110 million (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities: plant and machinery, manufactured goods, food and live
animals, fuel
partners: Australia 34%, Japan 16%, Singapore 14%, NZ 9%
External debt: $128 million (1988 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -3.8% (1991 est.); accounts for 5%
of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 21,000 kW
production: 30 million kWh
consumption per capita: 80 kWh (1993)
Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for 31% of GDP;
mostly subsistence farming; cash crops - cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm
kernels, timber; other products - rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit,
cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total
fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)
Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1980-89), $250 million
Currency: 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.3113
(September 1994), 3.1877 (1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288
(1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Solomon Islands:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 1,300 km
paved: 30 km
unpaved: gravel 290 km; earth 980 km
note: in addition, there are 800 km of private logging and plantation
roads of varied construction (1982)
Ports: Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Merchant marine: none
Airports:
total: 31
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 19
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 9
@Solomon Islands:Communications
Telephone system: 3,000 telephones
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 0
televisions: NA
@Solomon Islands:Defense Forces
Branches: no military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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