Solomon Islands

parliamentary democracyIndependence 7 July 1978 (from UK)

Solomon Islands as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 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
LocationOceania, just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
1993

Every edition of Solomon Islands

Populationas each edition published it
372,746 people July 1993 est. · 335,082 in 1990
Population growth% a year
3.46% 1993 est. · 1.62% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 18.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
70.13 years 1993 est. · 77.2 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.88 children per woman 1993 est. · 6.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
29 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 40 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$600 1990 est. · $2,500 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
6% 1990 est. · 2.5% in 2025

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 28,450 km2

meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 93%other 4%arable land 1% in all · permanent crops 1% in all
Area
28,450km2
land area: 27,540 km2comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Coastline
5,313km
land boundaries: 0 kmMaritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselinesexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

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

Map references

Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

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
372,746
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
39.37Death
4.76Net migration
0

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

Anglican 34%Roman Catholic 19%Baptist 17%United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%Seventh-Day Adventist 10%other Protestant 5%
Labor force
23,448economically active
by occupation: agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%, services 25%, construction, manufacturing, and mining 7.0%, commerce, transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)

Infant mortality rate

29 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
70.13 years
male:
67.73 years
female:
72.65 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.88 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Solomon Islander(s)
adjective:
Solomon Islander

Languages

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

Literacy

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy

20 fields

Names

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

Type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Honiara

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

7 July 1978 (from UK)

Constitution

7 July 1978

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

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

21 years of age; universal

Elections

National Parliament:
  • last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held 26 May 1993);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9

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)

Member of

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

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: (vacant); ambassador traditionally resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)

US diplomatic representation

Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND

embassy:
Mud Alley, Honiara
mailing address:
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.

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GDP per capita, PPP
$600
(1990 est.)
Real growth rate
6%
(1990 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 0% (1987); accounts for 5% of GDP
External debt
$128million
(1988 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$48 millionExpenditures
$107 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1991 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.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $200 million (1990 est.)

Exports

$74.2 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

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

$87.1 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)

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)

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

1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.1211 (January 1993), 2.9281 (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

4 fields

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

Airports

total:
30
usable:
29
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
3

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 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/solomon-islands/1993.

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