ARCHIVE // SB // 1998

Solomon Islands

1998 Edition — sovereign

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Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]
cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Budget [time series]
revenues: $147 million expenditures: $168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]
$100 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: ODA, $8.625 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $3.3 million from NZ (FY95/96)
Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]
The bulk of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. In recent years the government has poorly managed the country's finances. The new prime minister has vowed to cut expenditures and to promote the private sector to boost economic growth.
Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]
12,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]
75 kWh (1995)
Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]
30 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates [time series]
Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1-3.7580 (November 1997), 3.5664 (1997), 3.4059 (1995), 3.2914 (1994), 3.1877 (1993)
Exports [time series]
total value: $168 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra partners: Japan 39%, UK 23%, Thailand 9%, Australia 5%, US 2% (1991)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year Communications
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$1.27 billion (1997 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]
purchasing power parity-$3,000 (1997 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]
3.5% (1997 est.)
Imports [time series]
total value: $152 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.) 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]
NA%
Industries [time series]
copra, fish (tuna)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]
11.8% (1996)
Labor force [time series]
total: 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.)
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
Televisions [time series]
2,000 (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
NA%
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]
slightly smaller than Maryland
Climate [time series]
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline [time series]
5,313 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]
deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates [time series]
8 00 S, 159 00 E
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 88% other: 9% (1993 est.)
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 hazards [time series]
typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Natural resources [time series]
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Terrain [time series]
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
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
Constitution [time series]
7 July 1978
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands
Data code [time series]
BP
Diplomatic representation from the US [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
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen Rex HOROI (represents the country as both the Permanent Representative to the UN and the ambassador to the US) chancery: Permanent Mission of the Solomon Islands to the UN, 820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6193
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Moses PITAKAKA (since 10 June 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU (since 27 August 1997); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since 27 August 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
Flag (Flag description) [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
Government type [time series]
parliamentary democracy
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, WTrO
Judicial branch [time series]
Court of Appeal
Legal system [time series]
English common law
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3
Capital (National capital) [time series]
Honiara
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
characterized by fluid coalitions; Liberal Party, Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU; Solomon Islands National Unity, Reconciliation, and Progressive Party (SINURP), Danny PHILIP (leader of opposition); People's Alliance Party (PAP), leader NA; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation (GNUR), leader NA; National Action Party of Solomon Islands (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; National Party, leader NA
Suffrage [time series]
21 years of age; universal
Military
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]
$NA
Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]
NA%
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 45% (male 101,338; female 97,584) 15-64 years: 52% (male 116,045; female 112,840) 65 years and over: 3% (male 6,571; female 6,661) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
36.62 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate [time series]
4.21 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
23.93 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 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: 71.77 years male: 69.26 years female: 74.41 years (1998 est.)
Literacy [time series]
NA
Nationality [time series]
noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population [time series]
441,039 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
3.24% (1998 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: 0.99 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
5.12 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]
none SOMALIA
Transportation
Airports [time series]
32 (1997 est.)
Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]
total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]
total: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 20 (1997 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
Merchant marine [time series]
none
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Railways [time series]
0 km