Airports [time series]

total: 31 usable: 30 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: 4

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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 [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]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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)

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]

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

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 21,000 kW production: 39 million kWh consumption per capita: 115 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.2383 (November 1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989)

Exports [time series]

$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)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$128 million (1988 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$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%

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

growth rate -3.8% (1991 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP

Industries [time series]

copra, fish (tuna)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

13% (1992 est.)

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

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $900 million (1991 est.)

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

$2,500 (1991 est.)

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

1.8% (1991 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

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

current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; limited arable land natural hazards: subject to typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors international agreements: party to - Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

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, Melanesia, 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, lead, zinc, nickel

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, Western

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 [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 Francis Billy HILLY (since June 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Francis SAEMALA (since June 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister from members of parliament

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

Legal system [time series]

common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (National Parliament) [time series]

elections last held NA May 1993 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) National Unity Group 21, PAP 8, National Action Party 6, LP 4, UP 3, Christian Fellowship 2, NFP 1, independents 2

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; National Action Party, leader NA; Christian Fellowship, leader NA; National Unity Group, Solomon MAMALONI

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]

embassy closed July 1993; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands

Birth rate [time series]

38.93 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

4.63 deaths/1,000 population (1994 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]

27.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 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: 70.48 years male: 68.05 years female: 73.03 years (1994 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 (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

385,811 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.43% (1994 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]

5.73 children born/woman (1994 est.)