Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Bahamas, The (2002) - Solomon Islands (2004)

Compare Bahamas, The (2002) z Solomon Islands (2004)

 Bahamas, The (2002)Solomon Islands (2004)
 Bahamas, TheSolomon Islands
Administrative divisions 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Age structure 0-14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female 43,250)


15-64 years: 64.7% (male 95,508; female 98,859)


65 years and over: 6.3% (male 7,948; female 11,000) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 113,183; female 108,816)


15-64 years: 54.4% (male 144,157; female 140,769)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 8,058; female 8,634) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products citrus, vegetables; poultry cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Airports 67 (2001) 33 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 30


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 12


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 34 35


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 3 23 (2002)
total: 31


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
Area total: 13,940 sq km


land: 10,070 sq km


water: 3,870 sq km
total: 28,450 sq km


land: 27,540 sq km


water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Connecticut slightly smaller than Maryland
Background Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. 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.
Birth rate 18.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 31.6 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $918.5 million


expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00)
revenues: $38 million


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001)
Capital Nassau Honiara
Climate tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline 3,542 km 5,313 km
Constitution 10 July 1973 7 July 1978
Country name conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas


conventional short form: The Bahamas
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Solomon Islands


former: British Solomon Islands
Currency Bahamian dollar (BSD) Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
Death rate 7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 4.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $381.9 million (2000) $162.5 million (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador J. Richard BLANKENSHIP


embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau


mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; stateside address: American Embassy Nassau, P. O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370


telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206


FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222
the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador Robert W. FITTS, is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS


chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660


FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668


consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
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
Disputes - international none Australian defense personnel are dispatched at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to restore law and order on the islands and reinforce regional security
Economic aid - recipient $9.8 million (1995) $28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2001 est.)
Economy - overview The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs almost half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of the majority of tourist visitors. 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. The disintegration of law and order left the economy in tatters by mid-2003, and on 24 July 2003 more than 2000 Australian soldiers entered the Solomon Islands to restore order and to facilitate the restoration of basic services.
Electricity - consumption 1.432 billion kWh (2000) 29.76 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 1.54 billion kWh (2000) 32 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Environment - current issues coral reef decay; solid waste disposal 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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Exchange rates Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar) Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
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
Exports $535.8 million (2000) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables (1999) timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners US 28.2%, France 16.5%, Germany 14.1%, UK 12.4% (2000) China 25.2%, South Korea 17.6%, Japan 13.4%, Philippines 8.4%, Singapore 5.9%, Thailand 5.9% (2003)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side 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 - $5 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3%


industry: 7%


services: 90% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 42%


industry: 11%


services: 47% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.5% (2001) -10% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 15 N, 76 00 W 8 00 S, 159 00 E
Geography - note strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
Government - note - June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allen 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
Heliports 1 (2002) -
Highways total: 2,693 km


paved: 1,546 km


unpaved: 1,147 km (1997)
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%
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center -
Imports $1.88 billion (2000) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals (1999) food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners US 31.6%, South Korea 18.2%, Italy 17.4%, Japan 5.8% (2000) Australia 29.7%, Singapore 21.9%, Fiji 4.7%, New Zealand 4.7% (2003)
Independence 10 July 1973 (from UK) 7 July 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA
Industries tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe fish (tuna), mining, timber
Infant mortality rate 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 22.09 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 25.15 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 18.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.5% (2001 est.) 9% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) 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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 19 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts Court of Appeal
Labor force 156,000 (1999) 26,840 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.) agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 0.6%


permanent crops: 0.4%


other: 99% (1998 est.)
arable land: 0.64%


permanent crops: 2%


other: 97.36% (2001)
Languages English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants) 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 based on English common law English common law, which is widely disregarded
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4
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: 69.87 years


male: 66.32 years


female: 73.49 years (2002 est.)
total population: 72.38 years


male: 69.9 years


female: 74.98 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98.2%


male: 98.5%


female: 98% (1995 est.)
definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Location Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Oceania
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 1,076 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,309,187 GRT/45,859,485 DWT


ships by type: bulk 159, cargo 246, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 13, combination ore/oil 22, container 80, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 8, passenger 88, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 178, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 120, roll on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 16, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 22


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 4, Belgium 18, Bermuda 1, Canada 5, Chile 1, China 3, Croatia 2, Cuba 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 27, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2, Finland 9, France 15, Germany 26, Greece 173, Hong Kong 6, India 2, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 9, Jamaica 1, Japan 32, Kenya 3, Malaysia 10, Malta 2, Monaco 67, Netherlands 32, New Zealand 2, Norway 237, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, South Korea 2, Spain 7, Sweden 12, Switzerland 8, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Turkey 2, Ukraine 2, United Arab Emirates 10, United Kingdom 107, United States 159, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.)
none
Military branches Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $20 million (FY95/96) NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.7% (FY99) NA
National holiday Independence Day, 10 July (1973) Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Nationality noun: Bahamian(s)


adjective: Bahamian
noun: Solomon Islander(s)


adjective: Solomon Islander
Natural hazards hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Natural resources salt, aragonite, timber, arable land fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Net migration rate -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] 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 NA
Population 300,529


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
523,617 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA
Population growth rate 0.86% (2002 est.) 2.76% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 215,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% 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: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
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 (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern facilities


domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed


international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)
general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 96,000 (1997) 6,600 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 6,152 (1997) 1,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 0 (1997)
Terrain long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Total fertility rate 2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.) 4.19 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 6.9% (2001 est.) NA
Waterways none -
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.