Solomon Islands

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet country code

.sb

Internet users

3,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

57,000 (1997)

Telephone system

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

Telephones - main lines in use

8,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

658 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1997)

Televisions

3,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $147 million expenditures: $168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Currency

Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)

Currency code

SBD

Debt - external

$152.4 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$47 million (1999 est.), mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ

Economy - overview

The bulk of the population depends 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. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to a continuing economic downslide. Deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) by tankers have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country.

Electricity - consumption

27.9 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

30 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.0968 (November 2000), 5.0864 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997), 3.5664 (1996)

Exports

$165 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra

Exports - partners

Japan 35.5%, other Asian countries 47.3% (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $900 million (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$152 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners

Australia 38.5%, Singapore 15%, Japan 10.6%, NZ 6.2% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10% (1999 est.)

Labor force

26,842

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

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

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Coastline

5,313 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Environment - international agreements

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

8 00 S, 159 00 E

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 88% other: 9% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Administrative divisions

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

Honiara

Constitution

7 July 1978

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Jeremiah MANELE chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193

Executive branch

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 Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE (since 1 July 2000); Assistant Prime Minister Nathaniel WAENA (since 1 July 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Allan KEMAKEZA (since 1 July 2000); note - Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU was forced to resign his position in June 2000 following the armed takeover of the capital by elements supporting the opposition parties; Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE, who had been opposition leader, was then elected prime minister at a sitting of National Parliament on 30 June 2000 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

FAX

[1] (212) 661-8925

Flag description

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

parliamentary democracy

Independence

7 July 1978 (from UK)

International organization participation

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

Court of Appeal

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

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

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Political parties and leaders

there are two main coalitions - Coalition for National Unity, Reconciliation, and Peace or CNURP and Alliance for Change; the CNURP took power on 30 June 2000, it comprises members of the Liberal Party, People's Alliance Party, and the United Party, as well as a number of independents; the Alliance for Change, represents the former government and now is the opposition; in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR [leader NA]; Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI [Francis SAEMALA]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [George LEPPING]; People's Progressive Party [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; United Party or UP [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Background

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 branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Age structure

0-14 years: 43.79% (male 107,229; female 103,162) 15-64 years: 53.15% (male 129,315; female 126,021) 65 years and over: 3.06% (male 7,190; female 7,525) (2001 est.)

Birth rate

34.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate

4.27 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages

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

total population: 71.55 years male: 69.12 years female: 74.1 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

480,442 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

2.98% (2001 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

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: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.65 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

31 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 18 (2000 est.)

Highways

total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none (2000 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

0 km

Waterways

none