Solomon Islands

• 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

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

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

• 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

noun:

Solomon Islander(s)

adjective:

Solomon Islander

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.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Solomon Islands

local long form:

none

local short form:

Solomon Islands

former:

British Solomon Islands

name:

Honiara

geographic coordinates:

9 26 S, 159 57 E

time difference:

UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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 Gordon Darcy LILO (since 16 November 2011)

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 theWorld 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;
• Gordon Darcy LILO elected on 16 November 2011

• 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

• 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

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

• 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

name:

"God Save Our Solomon Islands"

lyrics/music:

Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA

note: adopted 1978

agriculture:

75%

industry:

5%

services:

20% (2000 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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

general assessment:

NA

domestic:

mobile-cellular telephone density is about 5 telephones per 100 persons

international:

country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

• Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the sole TV broadcaster with 1 station;
• multi-channel pay-TV is available;
• SIBC, the public service broadcaster, operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations;
• 2 local commercial radio stations operating;
• Radio Australia is obtainable via satellite feed (2009)

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)

males age 16-49:

118,921

females age 16-49:

118,164 (2010 est.)

male:

6,483

female:

6,098 (2010 est.)

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)