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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

38,000 (1993 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

5,000 (1991 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

0 (1987 est.)

Televisions [time series]

2,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish

Budget [time series]

revenues: $81.3 million expenditures: $101.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic 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 government of the Solomon Islands is nearing financial insolvency. In mid-1995 the central bank suspended interest and principal payments on government bonds and treasury bills held by financial institutions and the general public. The government has taken no steps to restrain expenditure or address the deficit, which is expected to be considerably higher than the $20 million forecasted in the 1996 budget.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 21,000 kW production: 30 million kWh consumption per capita: 80 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.3713 (2d quarter 1995), 3.2914 (1994), 3.1877 (1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991)

Exports [time series]

$94 million (f.o.b., 1993) 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

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

purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1992 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

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

$2,590 (1992 est.)

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

8% (1992 est.)

Imports [time series]

$101 million (c.i.f., 1993) commodities: plant and machinery, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuel partners: Australia 34%, Japan 16%, Singapore 14%, NZ 9%

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-3.8% (1991 est.)

Industries [time series]

copra, fish (tuna)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

13% (1994)

Labor force [time series]

26,842 by occupation: services 41.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 23.7%, commerce, transport, and finance 21.7%, construction, manufacturing, and mining 13.1% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

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; 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 - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates [time series]

8 00 S, 159 00 E

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, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Terrain [time series]

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western note: there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished

Capital [time series]

Honiara

Constitution [time series]

7 July 1978

Data code [time series]

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

Solomon Islands do not have an embassy in the US; the ambassador to the US traditionally resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch, represented by Governor General Moses PITAKAKA (since 10 June 1994) who was appointed for up to five years by the queen on the advice of Parliament head of government: Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 7 November 1994) was elected by and from Parliament; Deputy Prime Minister Danny PHILIP (since NA October 1995) was appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the 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)

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court

Legal system [time series]

common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (National Parliament) [time series]

elections last held 26 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

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

National Unity and Reconciliation Group (GNUR), Solomon MAMALONI; People's Alliance Party (PAP); National Action Party (NAPSI), leader NA; Solomon Islands Labor Party (SILP), leader NA; United Party (UP), leader NA; Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU; Christian Fellowship, leader NA

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

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

the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 46% (male 96,241; female 92,722) 15-64 years: 51% (male 107,482; female 104,293) 65 years and over: 3% (male 6,129; female 6,035) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

37.91 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

4.41 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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]

25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

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: 71.14 years male: 68.67 years female: 73.74 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

Nationality [time series]

noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

412,902 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.35% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, traditional beliefs 4%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female all ages: 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.43 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 30 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: 18 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 9 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,300 km paved: 30 km unpaved: 1,270 km note: in addition, there are 800 km of private logging and plantation roads of varied surface (1982 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports [time series]

Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina

Railways [time series]

0 km