Airports [time series]

29 total, 27 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

no major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km sealed, 290 km gravel, 980 km earth, 800 private logging and plantation roads of varied construction

Ports [time series]

Honiara, Ringi Cove

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

3,000 telephones; stations--4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

NA

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

NA

Military manpower [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 75% 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)

Aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1985), $16.1 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $139.0 million; expenditures $154.4 million, including capital expenditures of $113.4 million (1987)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Solomon Islands dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents

Electricity [time series]

15,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1--2.4067 (January 1990), 2.3090 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033 (1987), 1.7415 (1986), 1.4808 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$80.1 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%; partners--Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$128 million (1988 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$156 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 4.3% (1988)

Imports [time series]

$101.7 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%; partners--Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia 4%, Hong Kong 4%, China 3% (1985)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 0% (1987)

Industries [time series]

copra, fish (tuna)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

11.2% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry contribute about 75% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to GDP. Manufacturing activity is negligible. 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 which caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Climate [time series]

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Coastline [time series]

5,313 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Maryland

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to typhoons, which are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

1% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 1% meadows and pastures; 93% forest and woodland; 4% other

Maritime claims [time series]

(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);

Natural resources [time series]

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates

Note [time series]

located just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

Terrain [time series]

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

28,450 km2; land area: 27,540 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western

Capital [time series]

Honiara

Constitution [time series]

7 July 1978

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador (vacant) resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands); US--the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands; Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara (mailing address is American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara); telephone (677) 23488

Executive branch [time series]

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

7 July 1978 (from UK; formerly British Solomon Islands)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General George LEPPING (since 27 June 1989, previously acted as governor general since 7 July 1988); Head of Government--Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 28 March 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Danny PHILIP (since 31 March 1989) People's Alliance Party (PAP), Solomon Mamaloni; United Party (UP), Sir Peter Kenilorea; Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew Ulufa'alu; Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew Nori; Labor Party (LP), Joses Tuhanuku

Legal system [time series]

common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Parliament

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, SPF, UN, UPU, WHO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 21 National Parliament--last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held February 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9

Government type (Type) [time series]

independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth

Birth rate [time series]

41 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

93.0% Melanesian, 4.0% Polynesian, 1.5% Micronesian, 0.8% European, 0.3% Chinese, 0.4% other

Infant mortality rate [time series]

40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

23,448 economically active; 32.4% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 25% services, 7.0% construction, manufacturing, and mining; 4.7% commerce, transport, and finance (1984)

Languages (Language) [time series]

120 indigenous languages; Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English spoken by 1-2% of population

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

67 years male, 72 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

60%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Solomon Islander(s); adjective--Solomon Islander

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

NA, but most of the cash-economy workers have trade union representation

Population [time series]

335,082 (July 1990), growth rate 3.5% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

almost all at least nominally Christian; Anglican, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic Churches dominant

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.3 children born/woman (1990)