* βeta
Solomon Islands
Background :
The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter 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, then Prime Minister Sir Allan 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 generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Location :
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic Coordinates Center :
8 00 S, 159 00 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | 155.51 |
| North | -6.59 |
| East | 166.98 |
| South | -11.85 |
Map references :
Oceania
Area :
| total | 28 896 | square km |
| land | 27 986 | square km |
| water | 910 | square km |
Coastline :
5313.00 km
Climate :
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain :
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 2 447 | metres |
Natural resources :
| bauxite | fish |
| forests | gold |
| lead | nickel |
| phosphates | zinc |
Land use :
| arable land | 0.62 | % |
| permanent crops | 2.04 | % |
| other | 97.34 | % |
Total renewable water resources :
44 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| frequent earthquakes | tsunamis |
| typhoons | volcanic activity |
current issues :
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Environmental Modification | Law of the Sea |
| Marine Dumping | Marine Life Conservation |
| Ozone Layer Protection | Whaling |
Population :
595 613
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 2.39 | % |
| Birth rate | 27.69 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 3.52 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 3.77 | deaths/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 39.50 | % |
| 15-64 years | 57.10 | % |
| 65 years and over | 3.50 | % |
Median age :
| total | 19.70 | years |
| male | 19.50 | years |
| female | 19.80 | years |
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 | 0.90 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 1.02 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 19.03 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 73.69 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 71.14 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 76.37 | years |
Religions :
| Church of Melanesia | 32.80 | % |
| Roman Catholic | 19.00 | % |
| South Seas Evangelical | 17.00 | % |
| Seventh-Day Adventist | 11.20 | % |
| United Church | 10.30 | % |
| Christian Fellowship Church | 2.40 | % |
| other Christian | 4.40 | % |
| other | 2.40 | % |
| unspecified | 0.30 | % |
| none | 0.20 | % |
Languages :
| Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca | |
| English |
Country name :
| conventional short form | Solomon Islands |
| local short form | Solomon Islands |
| former | British Solomon Islands |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | SB |
| ISO Numeric | 90 |
| ISO3 | SLB |
| FIPS | BP |
| ccTLD | sb |
| English | Solomon Islands |
Administrative divisions :
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Capital :
| name | Honiara |
| geographic coordinates | 9 26 S, 159 57 E |
| time difference | 11.00 |
International organization participation :
| ACP | ADB |
| AOSIS | C |
| ESCAP | FAO |
| G-77 | IBRD |
| ICAO | ICCt (signatory) |
| ICRM | IDA |
| IFAD | IFC |
| IFRCS | ILO |
| IMF | IMO |
| IOC | ITU |
| MIGA | OPCW |
| PIF | SPC |
| Sparteca | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UPU | WHO |
| WMO | WTO |
Independence :
1978-07-07
National holiday :
Independence Day
1978-07-07
Executive branch :
| Prime Minister Derek SIKUA | Queen ELIZABETH II |
Legislative branch :
| National Party | 6.90 | % |
| PAP | 6.30 | % |
| SIPRA | 6.30 | % |
| Liberal | 5.00 | % |
| Democratic | 4.90 | % |
| SOCRED | 4.30 | % |
| LAFARI | 2.80 | % |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 1 565 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 668 000 000 | |
| PPP - per capita | 2 600 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 42.00 | % |
| industry | 11.00 | % |
| services | 47.00 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 75.00 | % |
| industry | 5.00 | % |
| services | 20.00 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.30 | % |
| Current account balance | - 143 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 166 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 3.00 | % of GDP |
Budget :
| revenues | 49 700 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 75 100 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| cattle | cocoa beans |
| coconuts | fish |
| fruits | palm kernels |
| pigs | potatoes |
| rice | timber |
| vegetables |
Industries :
| fish | mining |
| timber |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 71 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 66 030 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 2 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 1 323 | bbl/day |
Value :
237 000 000 $
Partners :
| China (cn) | 51.40 | % |
| Thailand (th) | 7.20 | % |
| Spain (es) | 5.80 | % |
| South Korea | 5.50 | % |
| Philippines (ph) | 5.00 | % |
Commodities :
| cocoa | copra |
| fish | palm oil |
| timber |
Value :
256 000 000 $
Partners :
| Singapore (sg) | 28.50 | % |
| Australia (au) | 19.30 | % |
| Fiji (fj) | 4.70 | % |
| Malaysia (my) | 4.70 | % |
| Papua New Guinea (pg) | 4.60 | % |
| NZ | 4.30 | % |
Commodities :
| chemicals | food |
| fuels | manufactured products |
| plant and equipment |
Currency-code :
SBD
Currency-name :
Solomon Islands dollar
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 8 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 14 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 1 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | sb | |
| Internet Hosts | 4 067 | |
| Internet Users | 10 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 2 | |
| Heliports | 3 | |
| Roadways - total | 1 360 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 33 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 1 327 | km |
Flag
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