Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

NA

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios [time series]

57,000 (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

7,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

230 (1995)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

0 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

3,000 (1997)

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 [time series]

$135 million (1997)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$46.4 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

The bulk of the population depend on 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. Economic troubles in Southeast Asia led to a steep downturn in the timber industry, and economic output declined by about 10% in 1998. The government instituted public service pay cuts and other retrenchments. The economy partially recovered in 1999 on the strength of rising international gold prices and the first full year of the Gold Ridge mining operation. However, the closure of the country's major palm oil plantation in mid-year cast a shadow over future prospects.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

28 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production [time series]

30 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

Exchange rates [time series]

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 5.0745 (January 2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.5664 (1997), 3.4059 (1995)

Exports [time series]

$142 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra

Exports - partners [time series]

Japan 50%, Spain 16%, UK, Thailand 5% (1996)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $1.21 billion (1999 est.)

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

agriculture: 50% industry: 3.5% services: 46.5% (1995)

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

purchasing power parity - $2,650 (1999 est.)

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

3.5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$160 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuel

Imports - partners [time series]

Australia 42%, Japan 10%, Singapore 9%, NZ 8%, US 5% (1996)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

10% (1999 est.)

Labor force [time series]

26,842

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km

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 [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, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

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

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: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999) 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 monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch 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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

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

characterized by fluid coalitions; Christian Fellowship [leader NA]; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR [leader NA]; Labor Party or LP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI [leader NA]; National Party [leader NA]; Nationalist Front for Progress or NFP [Andrew NORI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [leader NA]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [leader NA]; Solomon Islands National Unity, Reconciliation, and Progressive Party or SINURP [Job Duddley TAUSINGA] (leader of opposition); United Party or UP [leader NA]

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control.

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 [time series]

$NA

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 44% (male 105,024; female 101,065) 15-64 years: 53% (male 124,627; female 121,358) 65 years and over: 3% (male 6,935; female 7,185) (2000 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

34.79 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate [time series]

4.35 deaths/1,000 population (2000 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]

25.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 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: 71.28 years male: 68.86 years female: 73.81 years (2000 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: NA 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 (2000 est.)

Population [time series]

466,194 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.04% (2000 est.)

Religions [time series]

Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous 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: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports [time series]

33 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 21 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

0 km