Airports [time series]

total: 30 usable: 29 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 3

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km paved, 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; broadcast stations - 4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 70% 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)

Budget [time series]

revenues $48 million; expenditures $107 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1991 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $250 million

Electricity [time series]

21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.1211 (January 1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$74.2 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) 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

Imports [time series]

$87.1 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.) 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); accounts for 5% of GDP

Industries [time series]

copra, fish (tuna)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

14.3% (1991)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $200 million (1990 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$600 (1990 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

6% (1990 est.)

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 70% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to GDP. 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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total area: 28,450 km2 land area: 27,540 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Climate [time series]

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Coastline [time series]

5,313 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

Oceania, just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

Map references [time series]

Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Honiara

Constitution [time series]

7 July 1978

Digraph [time series]

BP

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

chief of mission: (vacant); ambassador traditionally resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

National Parliament: last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held 26 May 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9

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)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir 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 Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since NA October 1990)

Legal system [time series]

common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Parliament

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND embassy: Mud Alley, Honiara mailing address: American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara telephone: (677) 23890 FAX: (677) 23488

Birth rate [time series]

39.37 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

4.76 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

29 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

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 [time series]

total population: 70.13 years male: 67.73 years female: 72.65 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

372,746 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.46% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.88 children born/woman (1993 est.)