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Compare British Virgin Islands (2003) - Solomon Islands (2007)
Compare British Virgin Islands (2003) z Solomon Islands (2007)
| British Virgin Islands (2003) | Solomon Islands (2007) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 21.9% (male 2,401; female 2,358)
15-64 years: 73.1% (male 8,181; female 7,709) 65 years and over: 5% (male 578; female 503) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 117,739/female 113,125)
15-64 years: 55.9% (male 160,310/female 156,773) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 9,036/female 9,859) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish | cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish |
| Airports | 3 (2002) | 35 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 23 (2007) |
| Area | total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Background | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. | The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. 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, then 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 generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions. |
| Birth rate | 15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 29.27 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
revenues: $49.7 million
expenditures: $75.1 million (2003) |
| Capital | Road Town | name: Honiara
geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather |
| Coastline | 80 km | 5,313 km |
| Constitution | 1 June 1977 | 7 July 1978 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands local long form: none local short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | - |
| Death rate | 4.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 3.87 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Debt - external | $36.1 million (1997) | $166 million (2004) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 | since 2003, Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security |
| Economic aid - recipient | NA% | $198.2 million annually, mainly from Australia (2005 est.) |
| Economy - overview | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. | The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of its 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's efforts to restore law and order and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds. |
| Electricity - consumption | 35.43 million kWh (2001) | 55.8 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production | 38.1 million kWh (2001) | 60 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) | 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 |
| Ethnic groups | black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed | Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census) |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.3447 (2006), 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Orlando SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
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 Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 4 May 2006); note - Prime Minister Snyder RINI, elected on 18 April 2006 and sworn in on 20 April 2006, resigned on 26 April prior to no confidence vote in parliament; SOGAVARE elected on 4 May 2006 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 (eligible for a second term); 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 | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand | timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa |
| Exports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | China 48%, South Korea 9.5%, Japan 8.9%, Thailand 4.7%, Italy 4.4%, Philippines 4.2% (2006) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
| Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) | 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 - $320 million (2002 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 42%
industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2002 est.) | 4.4% (2005 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 30 N, 64 30 W | 8 00 S, 159 00 E |
| Geography - note | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico | 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 |
| Government - note | - | by 2006, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) - originally made up of troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga - had been scaled back to 259 police officers and 20 military, in addition to civilian technical advisers; in response to rioting that broke out in mid-April 2006, Australia dispatched an additional 220 troops and 70 police officers to help restore order |
| Heliports | - | 3 (2007) |
| Highways | total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center | - |
| Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery | food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals |
| Imports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | Australia 25.5%, Singapore 23.5%, Japan 7.8%, NZ 5.1%, Fiji 4.2%, Papua New Guinea 4.1% (2006) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 7 July 1978 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
| Industries | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center | fish (tuna), mining, timber |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 19.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2002) | 6.6% (2005 est.) |
| International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 16 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA |
| Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction | Court of Appeal |
| Labor force | 4,911 (1980) | 249,200 (1999) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% | agriculture: 75%
industry: 5% services: 20% (2000 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops: 2.04% other: 97.34% (2005) |
| Languages | English (official) | Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official; but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indigenous languages |
| Legal system | English law | English common law, which is widely disregarded |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5 |
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%, PAP 6.3%, SIPRA 6.3%, Liberal 5%, Democratic 4.9%, SOCRED 4.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4, SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2, independents 30 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.06 years
male: 75.07 years female: 77.1 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 73.16 years
male: 70.64 years female: 75.81 years (2007 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
| Location | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | 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 fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/28,864 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.) |
- |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
| Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 3% (2006) |
| National holiday | Territory Day, 1 July | Independence Day, 7 July (1978) |
| Nationality | noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander |
| Natural hazards | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis |
| Natural resources | NEGL | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel |
| Net migration rate | 10.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] | Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; 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 |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | 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 |
| Population | 21,730 (July 2003 est.) | 566,842 (July 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.1% (2003 est.) | 2.54% (2007 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Road Town | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004) |
| Railways | 0 km | - |
| Religions | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) | Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.023 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.917 male(s)/female total population: 1.026 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (1996) | 7,400 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 6,000 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) | - |
| Terrain | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly | mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls |
| Total fertility rate | 1.72 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 3.78 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3% (1995) | NA% |
| Waterways | none | - |
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