Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Introduction

Background

The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime 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.

Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 159 00 E

Map references

Oceania

Area

total: 28,896 sq km
country comparison to the world: 144 land:27,986 sq km
water:910 sq km

Area – comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

5,313 km

Maritime claims

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

Climate

tropical monsoon

few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:Mount Popomanaseu 2,310 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops:2.04%
other:97.34% (2005)

Irrigated land

NA

Total renewable water resources

44.7 cu km (1987)

Natural hazards

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

Environment – current issues

deforestation

soil erosion

many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Environment – international agreements

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

Geography – note

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

People and Society

Nationality

noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective:Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)

Languages

Melanesian pidgin (in much of the country is lingua franca), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages

Religions

Protestant 73.7% (Church of Melanesia 32.8%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%), Roman Catholic 19%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)

Population

571,890 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169

Age structure

0-14 years: 37.8% (male 111,265/female 104,896)
15-64 years:58.3% (male 169,873/female 163,621)
65 years and over:3.9% (male 10,879/female 11,356) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 20.9 years
male:20.7 years
female:21.1 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

2.22% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38

Birth rate

28.03 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45

Death rate

3.93 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206

Net migration rate

-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Urbanization

urban population: 19% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:4.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

HONIARA (capital) 72,000 (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.89 male(s)/female
total population:1.02 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

100 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 68

Infant mortality rate

total: 17.82 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 102 male:20.29 deaths/1,000 live births
female:15.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.18 years
country comparison to the world: 106 male:71.6 years
female:76.89 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.59 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45

Health expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 130

Physicians density

0.186 physicians/1,000 population (2005)
country comparison to the world: 152

Hospital bed density

1.4 beds/1,000 population (2005)
country comparison to the world: 126

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 94% of population
rural: 65% of population
total: 70% of population
unimproved:
urban: 6% of population
rural: 35% of population
total: 31% of population (2000)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
urban: 98% of population
rural: 18% of population
total: 31% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2% of population
rural: 82% of population
total: 69% of population (2000)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS – deaths

NA

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.5% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 62

Education expenditures

NA

Literacy

NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years
male:9 years
female:9 years (2007)

Government

Country name

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital

name: Honiara
geographic coordinates:9 26 S, 159 57 E
time difference:UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces and 1 capital territory*

Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western

Independence

7 July 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution

7 July 1978

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration

non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage

21 years of age

universal

Executive branch

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 Danny PHILIP (since 25 August 2010)
cabinet:Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of parliament
(For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections:the monarchy is hereditary

governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of parliament for up to five years (eligible for a second term)

following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition 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

Danny PHILIP resigns as prime minister on 11 November 2011, but remains in a care-taker capacity pending election of a new prime minister by parliament

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament (50 seats

members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections:last held on 4 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
election results:percent of vote by party – NA

seats by party – SIDP 14, OUR 4, SIPRA 3, RDP 3, IDP 2, DDP 2, PCP 1, PFP 1, RUPP 1, SILP 1, SINP 1, independents 17

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

Direct Development Party or DDP [Dick HA'AMORI]

People’s Alliance Party or PAP [James MEKAB]

People’s Congress Party or PCP [Fred FONO]

People’s Federation Party or PFP [Rudolf DORA]

Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Party or OUR [Manasseh SOGAVARE]

Reform Democratic Party or RDP [Danny PHILIP]

Rural and Urban Political Party or RUPP [Samuel MANETOALI]

Solomon Islands Democratic Party or SIDP [Steve ABANA]

Solomon Islands Liberal Party or SILP [Derek SIKUA]

Solomon Islands National Party or SINP [Francis HILLY]

Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]

United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]
note:in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders

Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM)

Malaita Eagle Force (MEF)

note – these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK
chancery:800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017
telephone:[1] (212) 599-6192, 6193
FAX:[1] (212) 661-8925

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands

the US ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands

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

blue represents the ocean

green the land

and yellow sunshine

the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands

National anthem

name: “God Save Our Solomon Islands”
lyrics/music:Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA
note:adopted 1978

Government – note

by the end of 2007, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) – originally made up of police and troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga – had been scaled back to 303 police officers, 197 civilian technical advisers, and 72 military advisers from 15 countries across the region

Economy

Economy – overview

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 RAMSI, severe ethnic violence, the closing 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.627 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191 $1.542 billion (2009 est.)
$1.562 billion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$712 million (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

5.6% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60 -1.3% (2009 est.)
7.3% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$2,900 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170 $2,800 (2009 est.)
$2,900 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 31.1%
industry:6.9%
services:62% (2010 est.)

Labor force

202,500 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 169

Labor force – by occupation

agriculture: 75%
industry:5%
services:20% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Budget

revenues: $223.2 million
expenditures:$198.4 million (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

31.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

3.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37 7.1% (2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.4% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48 15.3% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$161.2 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177 $127.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$264.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183 $227.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$148.1 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181 $111.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Agriculture – products

cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit

timber

cattle, pigs

fish

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Electricity – production

78 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198

Electricity – consumption

72.54 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198

Electricity – exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156

Oil – consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189

Oil – exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

Oil – imports

1,485 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187

Oil – proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110

Natural gas – production

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159

Natural gas – consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

Natural gas – exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65

Natural gas – imports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92

Natural gas – proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Current account balance

-$207.9 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87 -$207.9 million (2007 est.)

Exports

$163.4 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182 $163.4 million (2006)

Exports – commodities

timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

Exports – partners

China 63.7% (2010)

Imports

$256 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 197 $239.2 million (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

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

Imports – partners

Australia 29%, Singapore 21.7%, China 7.9%, NZ 6.1%, Fiji 4.3%, Papua New Guinea 4.2%, Malaysia 4.1% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$265.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158 $146 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$166 million (2004)
country comparison to the world: 180

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -
NA (2007)
7.3447 (2006)
7.5299 (2005)
7.4847 (2004)
7.5059 (2003)

Transportation

Airports

36 (2010)
country comparison to the world:107

Airports – with paved runways

total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m:1
914 to 1,523 m:1 (2010)

Airports – with unpaved runways

total: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m:1
914 to 1,523 m:8
under 914 m:25 (2010)

Heliports

3 (2010)

Roadways

total: 1,360 km
country comparison to the world: 177 paved:33 km
unpaved:1,327 km
note:includes 800 km of private plantation roads (2002)

Ports and terminals

Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi

Military

Military branches

no regular military forces

Solomon Islands Police Force (2009)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 142,913 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 118,921
females age 16-49:118,164 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 6,483
female:6,098 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

3% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 46

Transnational Issues

Disputes – international

since 2003, RAMSI, 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 5,400 (displaced by tsunami on 2 April 2007) (2007)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: the Solomon Islands is a destination country for local and Southeast Asian men and women subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution

local children are subjected to sex trafficking, particularly near foreign logging camps and on foreign and local commercial fishing vessels, but also at hotels and entertainment establishments

some girls are hired under the guise of domestic labor in logging and fishing areas, but subsequently coerced into commercial sex

some Asian women from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines may have been recruited from their home countries for legitimate work and upon arrival, forced into prostitution

men from Indonesia and Malaysia are recruited to work in the Solomon Islands’ logging and mining industries, and may be subsequently subjected to forced labor in industrial camps

the Solomon Islands is a destination country for child sex tourists
tier rating:Tier 2 Watch List – the government failed to report any efforts to investigate or prosecute any trafficking offenders, or identify or assist any trafficking victims

the government did not conduct any public awareness campaigns on trafficking (2011)