Solomon Islands
parliamentary democracyIndependence 7 July 1978 (from UK)
Solomon Islands as the 2005 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 107 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, Prime Minister Sir Allen 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 been very effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Geography
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
18 fieldsLand useshare of 28,450 sq km
Natural hazards
- typhoons, but rarely destructive;
- geologically active region with frequent earth tremors;
- volcanic activity
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
People
19 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2005 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2005 est.)
Male · female(2005 est.)
Ethnic groups(1999 census)
Religions(1999 census)
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:
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Languages
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population note: 120 indigenous languages
Government
Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004); Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001)
19 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Parliament, 50 seats, elected 5 December 2001one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Solomon Islands
- former:
- British Solomon Islands
Administrative divisions
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December 2001)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet consists of 20 members 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
Legislative branch
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than December 2005)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP 20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents 18
Political parties and leaders
- Association of Independents [Snyder RINI];
- People's Alliance Party or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA];
- People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE];
- Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU];
- Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
International organization participation
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, 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 Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the 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
Government - note
June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003. By the end of 2004 the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 302 police officers and 120 military in addition to civilian technical advisors.
Economy
The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood.
34 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2000 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
Agriculture - products
- cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit;
- cattle, pigs;
- timber;
- fish
Exchange rates
Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000)
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- NA
- domestic:
- NA
- international:
- country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Transportation
5 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Military
No regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
3 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Solomon Islands.” The World Factbook 2005. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/solomon-islands/2005.