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Compare Italy (2002) - Solomon Islands (2006)

Compare Italy (2002) z Solomon Islands (2006)

 Italy (2002)Solomon Islands (2006)
 ItalySolomon Islands
Administrative divisions 20 regions (regioni, singular - regione); Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Age structure 0-14 years: 14.1% (male 4,198,569; female 3,954,159)


15-64 years: 67.3% (male 19,334,208; female 19,492,048)


65 years and over: 18.6% (male 4,436,073; female 6,300,568) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 41.3% (male 116,370/female 111,834)


15-64 years: 55.4% (male 154,793/female 151,308)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,696/female 9,437) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish
Airports 135 (2001) 35 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 96


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 34


1,524 to 2,437 m: 15


914 to 1,523 m: 30


under 914 m: 12 (2002)
total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 38


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 18


under 914 m: 18 (2002)
total: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 23 (2006)
Area total: 301,230 sq km


land: 294,020 sq km


water: 7,210 sq km


note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
total: 28,450 sq km


land: 27,540 sq km


water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Arizona slightly smaller than Maryland
Background Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the European Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, the ravages of organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north. 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, 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 8.93 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 30.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $504 billion


expenditures: $517 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues: $49.7 million


expenditures: $75.1 million; including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
Capital Rome name: Honiara


geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E


time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline 7,600 km 5,313 km
Constitution 1 January 1948 7 July 1978
Country name conventional long form: Italian Republic


conventional short form: Italy


local long form: Repubblica Italiana


local short form: Italia


former: Kingdom of Italy
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Solomon Islands


local long form: none


local short form: Solomon Islands


former: British Solomon Islands
Currency euro (EUR); Italian lira (ITL)


note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
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Death rate 10.13 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 3.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $NA $166 million (2004)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Melvin SEMBLER


embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome


mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624


telephone: [39] (06) 46741


FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356


consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples
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 Ferdinando SALLEO


chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400


FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco


consulate(s): Detroit
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 Croatia and Italy are still trying to resolve bilateral property and ethnic minority rights dating from World War II 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
Economic aid - donor ODA, $1 billion (2002 est.) -
Economic aid - recipient - $122 million annually, mainly from Australia (2004 est.)
Economy - overview Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with 20% unemployment. Most raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported. Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a tight fiscal policy in order to meet the requirements of the Economic and Monetary Unions and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates. The current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term growth. Rome has moved slowly, however, on implementing needed structural reforms, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor market and over-generous pension system, because of the current economic slowdown and opposition from labor unions. 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 has enabled a return to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
Electricity - consumption 283.74 billion kWh (2000) 51.15 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 484 million kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 44.831 billion kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 257.41 billion kWh (2000) 55 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 80%


hydro: 17%


nuclear: 0%


other: 3% (2000)
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Elevation extremes lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc)
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Environment - current issues air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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 Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south) Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Italian lire per US dollar - 1,688.7 (January 1999), 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997) Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13 May 1999)


head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the president of the Council of Ministers) Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 10 June 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president


elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a seven-year term; election last held 13 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2006); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by Parliament


election results: Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 70%


note: a five-party government coalition includes Forza Italia, National Alliance, Northern League, Democratic Christian Center, United Christian Democrats
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


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 $259.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals and nonferrous metals timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners EU 53.8% (Germany 14.5%, France 12.2%, UK 6.7%, Spain 6.1%), US 9.7% (2001) China 40.7%, South Korea 13.2%, Thailand 6.9%, Japan 6.3%, Philippines 4.5%, Italy 4.1% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green


note: inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797
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 - $1.438 trillion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2%


industry: 30%


services: 68% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 42%


industry: 11%


services: 47% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 0.4% (2002 est.) 4.4% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 42 50 N, 12 50 E 8 00 S, 159 00 E
Geography - note strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
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, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003; by 2006, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) 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 addtional 220 troops and 70 police officers to help restore order
Heliports 4 (2002) -
Highways total: 668,669 km


paved: 668,669 km (including 6,460 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (2001)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 27% (2000)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling -
Imports $238.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages and tobacco food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners EU 56.5% (Germany 17.7%, France 11.1%, Netherlands 6.2%, UK 5.1%), US 4.9% (2001) Australia 25.8%, Singapore 25.3%, NZ 4.6%, Fiji 4.2%, Papua New Guinea 4.1% (2005)
Independence 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870) 7 July 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate -2.8% (2002) NA%
Industries tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics fish (tuna), mining, timber
Infant mortality rate 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 20.63 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 23.54 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.4% (2002) 6.6% (2005 est.)
International organization participation AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC 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) 93 (Italy and Holy See) (2000) -
Irrigated land 26,980 sq km (1998 est.) NA
Judicial branch Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by Parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts) Court of Appeal
Labor force 23.6 million (2001 est.) 249,200 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation services 63%, industry 32%, agriculture 5% (2001) agriculture: 75%


industry: 5%


services: 20% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,932.2 km


border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 28.07%


permanent crops: 9.25%


other: 62.68% (1998 est.)
arable land: 0.62%


permanent crops: 2.04%


other: 97.34% (2005)
Languages Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area) 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 civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction English common law, which is widely disregarded
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats elected by popular vote of which 232 are directly elected and 83 are elected by regional proportional representation; in addition, there are a small number of senators-for-life including former presidents of the republic; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 475 are directly elected, 155 by regional proportional representation; members serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 13 May 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); Chamber of Deputies - last held 13 May 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - House of Liberties 177 (Forza Italia 82, National Alliance 46, CCD-CDU 29, Northern League 17, others 3), Olive Tree 128 (Democrats of the Left 62, Daisy Alliance 42, Sunflower Alliance 16, Italian Communist Party 3, independents 5), non-affiliated with either coalition 10, senators for life 9; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - House of Liberties 367 (Forza Italia 189, National Alliance 96, CCD-CDU 40, Northern League 30, others 12), Olive Tree 248 (Democrats of the Left 138, Daisy Alliance 76, Sunflower Alliance 18, Italian Communist Party 9, independents 7), non-affiliated with either coalition 15
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%, SIPRA 6.3%, Democratic 4.9%, PAP 6.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, Liberal 5%, SOCRED 4.3%, 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: 79.25 years


male: 76.08 years


female: 82.63 years (2002 est.)
total population: 72.91 years


male: 70.4 years


female: 75.55 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98% (1998)


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Location Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Map references Europe Oceania
Maritime claims continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


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: 467 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,499,248 GRT/10,383,988 DWT


ships by type: bulk 45, cargo 41, chemical tanker 91, combination ore/oil 4, container 24, liquefied gas 37, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 15, petroleum tanker 80, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 70, short-sea passenger 27, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 16


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Denmark 4, France 1, Greece 3, Man, Isle of 1, Monaco 7, Netherlands 6, Norway 1, Panama 2, Spain 1, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 15, Turkey 1, United Kingdom 6, United States 12 (2002 est.)
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Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $20.2 billion (2002) NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.64% (2002) NA
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 14,184,307 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 12,157,753 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 304,369 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Republic Day, 2 June (1946) Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Nationality noun: Italian(s)


adjective: Italian
noun: Solomon Islander(s)


adjective: Solomon Islander
Natural hazards regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Natural resources mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal, arable land fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Net migration rate 1.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 1,703 km; petroleum products 2,148 km; natural gas 19,400 km -
Political parties and leaders Center-Left Olive Tree Coalition [Francesco RUTELLI] - Democrats of the Left, Daisy Alliance (including Italian Popular Party, Italian Renewal, Union of Democrats for Europe, The Democrats), Sunflower Alliance (including Green Federation, Italian Democratic Socialists), Italian Communist Party; Center-Right Freedom House Coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI] (formerly House of Liberties and Freedom Alliance) - Forza Italia, National Alliance, The Whiteflower Alliance (includes Christian Democratic Center, United Christian Democrats), Northern League; Christian Democratic Center or CCD [Marco FOLLINI]; Communist Party or PdCI [Oliviero DILIBERTO]; Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO]; Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Green Federation [Alfonso Pecoraro SCANIO]; Italian Communist Party or PdCI [Oliviero DILIBERTO]; Italian Popular Party or PPI [Pierluigi CASTAGNETTI]; Italian Renewal or RI [Lamberto DINI]; Italian Social Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI]; Socialist Movement-Tricolor Flame or MS-Fiamma [Pino RAUTI]; National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Northern League or NL [Umberto BOSSI]; Southern Tyrols People's Party or SVP (German speakers) [Siegfried BRUGGER]; Sunflower Alliance (includes Green Federation, Italian Social Democrats); The Daisy Alliance (includes Italian Popular Party, Italian Renewal, Union of Democrats for Europe, The Democrats); The Democrats [Arturo PARISI]; The Radicals (formerly Pannella Reformers and Autonomous List) [Marco PANNELLA]; The Whiteflower Alliance (includes Christian Democratic Center, United Christian Democrats); Union of Democrats for Europe or UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA]; United Christian Democrats or CDU [Rocco BUTTIGLIONE] 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 Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura); Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Sergio COFFERATI] which is left wing, Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Savino PEZZOTTA] which is Roman Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Pietro LARIZZA] which is lay centrist) 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 57,715,625 (July 2002 est.) 552,438 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 0.05% (2002 est.) 2.61% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Augusta (Sicily), Bagnoli, Bari, Brindisi, Gela, Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Milazzo, Naples, Porto Foxi, Porto Torres (Sardinia), Salerno, Savona, Taranto, Trieste, Venice (2001) -
Radio broadcast stations AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)
Radios 50.5 million (1997) -
Railways total: 19,786 km


standard gauge: 18,761 km 1.435-m gauge (11,251 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 113 km 1.000-m gauge (113 km electrified); 912 km 0.950-m gauge (192 km electrified) (2001)
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Religions predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community 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: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 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: 0.92 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25) 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services


domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks


international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine cables
general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 25 million (1999) 7,400 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 20.5 million (1999) 6,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations 358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995) -
Terrain mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Total fertility rate 1.19 children born/woman (2002 est.) 3.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 9.1% (2002 est.) NA%
Waterways 2,400 km


note: serves various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value (2002)
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