Solomon Islands (2003)

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Solomon Islands 2003 year


Administrative divisions	9 provinces and 1 capital territory; Central, Choiseul (Lauru), Guadalcanal, Honiara, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell/Bellona, Temotu, Western
Age structure	0-14 years: 42.9% (male 111,333; female 107,062) 15-64 years: 54% (male 139,072; female 135,721) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,754; female 8,248) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Airports	32 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 20 (2002)
Area	total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland
Background	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.
Birth rate	32.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $38 million expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Capital	Honiara
Climate	tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline	5,313 km
Constitution	7 July 1978
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands
Currency	Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
Death rate	4.12 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$137 million (2001 est.)
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
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Colin BECK chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
Disputes - international	none
Economic aid - recipient	$28 million mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ (2001 est.)
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. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country.
Electricity - consumption	29.76 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	32 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups	Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Exchange rates	Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2002), NA (2001), 5.09 (2000), 4.84 (1999), 4.82 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir John LAPLI (since NA 1999) 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
Exports	0 kWh (2001)
Exports	$47 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners	Japan 21.2%, China 18.8%, South Korea 16.3%, Philippines 8.9%, Thailand 7.6%, Singapore 4.1% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year
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
GDP	purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 42% industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-10% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	8 00 S, 159 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
Highways	total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	0 kWh (2001)
Imports	$82 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners	Australia 31.3%, Singapore 19.7%, New Zealand 5.1%, Fiji 4.6%, Papua New Guinea 4.5% (2002)
Independence	7 July 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%
Industries	fish (tuna), mining, timber
Infant mortality rate	total: 22.88 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.03 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.8% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Court of Appeal
Labor force	26,842
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km
Land use	arable land: 1.5% permanent crops: 0.64% other: 97.86% (1998 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
Legal system	English common law, which is widely disregarded
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
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 72.1 years male: 69.64 years female: 74.68 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Map references	Oceania
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)
Military branches	no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA%
National holiday	Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Nationality	noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander
Natural hazards	typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Natural resources	fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA
Population	509,190 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%
Population growth rate	2.83% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	0 km
Religions	Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4%
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: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	8,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	658 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	0 (1997)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Total fertility rate	4.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%
Waterways	none

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