Solomon Islands

parliamentary democracyIndependence 7 July 1978 (from UK

Solomon Islands as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalHoniara
Area28,450 km2
1992

Every edition of Solomon Islands

Populationas each edition published it
360,010 people July 1992 · 335,082 in 1990
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 3.46% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 18.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 70.13 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
6 children per woman 1992 · 6.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
30 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 40 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $600 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 6% in 1993

Geography

13 fields
Total area
28,450km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Coastline
5,313km
land boundaries: noneMaritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land area

27,540 km2

Climate

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Natural resources

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates

Land use

  • arable land 1%;
  • permanent crops 1%;
  • meadows and pastures 1%;
  • forest and woodland 93%;
  • other 4%

Environment

subject to typhoons, which are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors

Note

located just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

People

14 fields
Population
360,010
(July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth
40Death
5Net migration
0

Ethnic divisions

Melanesian 93.0%Polynesian 4.0%Micronesian 1.5%European 0.8%Chinese 0.3%other 0.4%
Labor force
23,448economically active
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%; services 25%; construction, manufacturing, and mining 7.0%; commerce, transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)

Infant mortality rate

30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth

67 years male, 72 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate

6.0 children born/woman (1992)

Nationality

noun - Solomon Islander(s); adjective - Solomon Islander

Religions

almost all at least nominally Christian; Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%

Languages

  • 120 indigenous languages;
  • Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca;
  • English spoken by 1-2% of population

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Organized labor

NA, but most of the cash-economy workers have trade union representation

Government

Parliamentary democracy

18 fields

Type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Honiara

Administrative divisions

7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western

Independence

7 July 1978 (from UK; formerly British Solomon Islands)

Constitution

7 July 1978

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament

Judicial branch

High Court

Leaders

Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir George LEPPING (since 27 June 1989, previously acted as governor general since 7 July 1988)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 28 March 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since NA October 1990)

Political parties and leaders

  • People's Alliance Party (PAP);
  • United Party (UP), leader NA;
  • Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU;
  • Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew NORI;
  • Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU

Suffrage

universal at age 21

Elections

National Parliament:
  • last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held NA February 1993);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9

Member of

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador (vacant) resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)

US:
  • the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands;
  • Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara (mailing address is American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara);
  • telephone (677) 23890;
  • FAX (677) 23488

Flag

  • 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

Economy

About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and | forestry for at least part of their livelihood.

16 fields
External debt
$128million
(1988 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$44 millionExpenditures
$45 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $22 million (1989 est.)

Overview

About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry contribute about 70% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to GDP. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported.

The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $200 million, per capita $600; real growth rate 6.0% (1990 est.)

Exports

$67.3 million (f.o.b., 1990)

commodities:
fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%
partners:
Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)

Imports

$86.0 million (c.i.f., 1990)

commodities:
plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%
partners:
Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia 4%, Hong Kong 4%, China 3% (1985)

Industrial production

growth rate 0% (1987); accounts for 5% of GDP

Electricity

21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

copra, fish (tuna)

Agriculture

  • including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 70% of GDP;
  • mostly subsistence farming;
  • cash crops - cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, timber;
  • other products - rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs;
  • not self-sufficient in food grains;
  • 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)

Economic aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $250 million

Currency

Solomon Islands dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 2.8740 (March 1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 33 total, 30 usable

permanent-surface runways
2runways | over 2,439 m
nonerunways 1,220-2,439 m
3

Highways

about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km paved, 290 km gravel, 980 km earth, 800 private logging and plantation roads of varied construction

Ports

Honiara, Ringi Cove

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • 3,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 4 AM, no FM, no TV;
  • 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Police Force

3 fields

Branches

Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Solomon Islands.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/solomon-islands/1992.

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