ARCHIVE // SB // 2016

Solomon Islands

2016 Edition — sovereign

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Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the sole TV broadcaster with 1 station; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite feed (2009)
Internet country code [time series]
.sb
Internet users [time series]
total: 62,000 | percent of population: 10% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: mobile-cellular telephone density is about 65 per 100 persons | international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2015)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 7,438 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total: 425,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 68 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 174
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, fruit; cattle, pigs; fish; timber
Budget [time series]
revenues: $411.9 million | expenditures: $433.6 million (2015 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-1.9% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
10.48% (31 December 2015 est.) | 10.91% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78
Current account balance [time series]
-$30 million (2015 est.) | -$50 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58
Debt - external [time series]
$491.5 million (31 December 2013 est.) | $187.3 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of its 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. Prior to the arrival of The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closure of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI's efforts to restore law and order and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
Exchange rates [time series]
Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar - | 7.9147 (2015 est.) | 7.3754 (2014 est.) | 7.3754 (2013 est.) | 7.36 (2012 est.) | 7.6413 (2011 est.)
Exports [time series]
$419.9 million (2015 est.) | $455.1 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176
Exports - commodities [time series]
timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners [time series]
China 61.7%, India 5.9%, Italy 5.9% (2015)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$1.147 billion (2015 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$1.146 billion (2015 est.) | $1.11 billion (2014 est.) | $1.088 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 203
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 53.2% | industry: 8% | services: 38.8% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$1,900 (2015 est.) | $1,900 (2014 est.) | $1,900 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 204
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
3.3% (2015 est.) | 2% (2014 est.) | 3% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89
Gross national saving [time series]
17.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | 14.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | 21.6% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$425.7 million (2015 est.) | $460.2 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195
Imports - commodities [time series]
food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners [time series]
Australia 24.7%, China 18.4%, Malaysia 6.3%, Singapore 5.8%, Fiji 4.7%, NZ 4.6%, Papua New Guinea 4.6% (2015)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
4.6% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45
Industries [time series]
fish (tuna), mining, timber
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
-0.6% (2015 est.) 5.2% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83
Labor force [time series]
202,500 (2007 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 75% | industry: 5% | services: 20% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Stock of broad money [time series]
$452.1 million (31 December 2014 est.) | $467.9 million (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]
$50.1 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $48.2 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]
$522.1 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $781.8 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$84.69 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $45.12 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$405.7 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $360.5 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
35.9% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55
Unemployment rate [time series]
NA%
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
300,000 Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194
Crude oil - exports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103
Crude oil - imports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 165
Crude oil - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 111
Electricity - consumption [time series]
79.05 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 202
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 112
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
37,000 kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196
Electricity - production [time series]
85 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203
Electricity access [time series]
population without electricity: 495,321 | electrification - total population: 23% | electrification - urban areas: 62% | electrification - rural areas: 13% (2012)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 69
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 168
Natural gas - production [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 117
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
1,600 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
1,554 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 28,896 sq km | land: 27,986 sq km | water: 910 sq km | country comparison to the world: 144
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly smaller than Maryland
Climate [time series]
tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes
Coastline [time series]
5,313 km
Elevation [time series]
mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,310 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, 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
Geography - note [time series]
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara; the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit
Irrigated land [time series]
0 sq km NA (2012)
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 3.9% | arable land 0.7%; permanent crops 2.9%; permanent pasture 0.3% | forest: 78.9% | other: 17.2% (2011 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 | territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis | volcanism: Tinakula (elev. 851 m) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (elev. 485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal
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]
9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Capital [time series]
name: Honiara | geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E | time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Citizenship [time series]
citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Solomon Islands | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Constitution [time series]
adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978; new constitution drafted in 2014 (2016)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Solomon Islands | local long form: none | local short form: Solomon Islands | former: British Solomon Islands | etymology: Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA named the isles in 1568 after the wealthy biblical King SOLOMON in the mistaken belief that the islands contained great riches
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK (since 31 March 2004) | 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 Frank KABUI (since 7 July 2009) | head of government: Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 9 December 2014) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Parliament for up to 5 years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the National Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Parliament | election results: Manasseh SOGAVARE (independent) elected prime minister; National Parliament vote - 31 to 19
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; blue represents the ocean; green the land; and yellow sunshine; the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands
Government type [time series]
parliamentary democracy (National Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Independence [time series]
7 July 1978 (from the UK)
International law organization participation [time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation [time series]
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch [time series]
highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, and ex officio members to include the High Court chief justice and its puisne judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges as prescribed by the National Parliament) | judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court president, chief justices, and puisne judges appointed by the governor-general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, chaired by the chief justice to include 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges appointed until retirement at age 60 | subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court; local courts
Legal system [time series]
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
Legislative branch [time series]
description: unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 19 November 2014 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 32, DAP 7, UDP 5, PAP 3, KPSI 1, SIPFP 1, SIPRA 1
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "God Save Our Solomon Islands" | lyrics/music: Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA | note: adopted 1978
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
National symbol(s) [time series]
national colors: blue, yellow, green, white
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Steve ABANA] | Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KPSI [Alfred LEGUA] | People's Alliance Party or PAP [Nathaniel WAENA] | Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP [Jimmie RODGERS] | Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Manasseh MAELANGA] | United Democratic Party [Thomas Ko CHAN] | note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
Isatabu Freedom Movement or IFM | Malaita Eagle Force or MEF | note: these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003
Suffrage [time series]
21 years of age; universal
Introduction
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 this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, endemic crime, and a narrow economic base have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Military and Security
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2013)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 35.13% (male 114,871/female 108,229) | 15-24 years: 20.01% (male 65,349/female 61,702) | 25-54 years: 36.12% (male 116,795/female 112,564) | 55-64 years: 4.55% (male 14,565/female 14,302) | 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 12,701/female 13,949) (2016 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
25.3 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
11.5% (2007) | country comparison to the world: 65
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
34.6% (2006/07)
Death rate [time series]
3.8 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 212
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 75.1% | youth dependency ratio: 69.1% | elderly dependency ratio: 5.9% | potential support ratio: 16.8% (2015 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
urban: 93.2% of population | rural: 77.2% of population | total: 80.8% of population | urban: 6.8% of population | rural: 22.8% of population | total: 19.2% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
10% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 18
Ethnic groups [time series]
Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]
5.1% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 59
Hospital bed density [time series]
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 15.2 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 17.3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 12.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102
Languages [time series]
Melanesian pidgin (in much of the country is lingua franca), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 75.3 years | male: 72.7 years | female: 78.1 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 84.1% | male: 88.9% | female: 79.2% (2009 est.)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
HONIARA (capital) 73,000 (2014)
Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]
114 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77
Median age [time series]
total: 22.2 years | male: 22 years | female: 22.4 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178
Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]
21.6 | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2006/07 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Solomon Islander(s) | adjective: Solomon Islander
Net migration rate [time series]
-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
25% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 27
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2009)
Population [time series]
635,027 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 169
Population growth rate [time series]
1.98% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 50
Religions [time series]
Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, none 0.03%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)
Sanitation facility access [time series]
urban: 81.4% of population | rural: 15% of population | total: 29.8% of population | urban: 18.6% of population | rural: 85% of population | total: 70.2% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 9 years | male: 10 years | female: 9 years (2007)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female | total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.22 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 22.3% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 4.25% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
since 2003, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn from 15 countries, has assisted in reestablishing and maintaining civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and security
Trafficking in persons [time series]
current situation: the Solomon Islands is a source and destination country for local adults and children and Southeast Asian men and women subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution; women from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines are recruited for legitimate work and upon arrival are forced into prostitution; men from Indonesia and Malaysia recruited to work in the Solomon Islands’ mining and logging industries may be subjected to forced labor; local children are forced into prostitution near foreign logging camps, on fishing vessels, at hotels, and entertainment venues; some local children are also sold by their parents for marriage to foreign workers or put up for “informal adoption” to pay off debts and then find themselves forced into domestic servitude or forced prostitution | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – the Solomon Islands does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, the Solomon Islands was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; the government gazetted implementing regulations for the 2012 immigration act prohibiting transnational trafficking, but the penalties are not sufficiently stringent because they allow the option of paying a fine; a new draft law to address these weaknesses awaits parliamentary review; no new trafficking investigations were conducted, even after labor inspections at logging and fishing companies, no existing cases led to prosecutions or convictions, and no funding was allocated for national anti-trafficking efforts; authorities did not identify or protect any victims and lack any procedures or shelters to do so; civil society and religious organizations provide most of the limited services available; a lack of understanding of the crime of trafficking remains a serious challenge (2015)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
36 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 109
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 35 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 10 | under 914 m: 24 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
H4 (2016)
Heliports [time series]
3 (2013)
National air transport system [time series]
number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 373,738 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3,691,584 mt-km (2015)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi
Roadways [time series]
total: 1,390 km | paved: 34 km | unpaved: 1,356 km | note: includes 920 km of private plantation roads (2011) | country comparison to the world: 179