Montserrat (2002) | Solomon Islands (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter | 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul (Lauru), Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell/Bellona, Temotu, Western |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 23.6% (male 1,001; female 986)
15-64 years: 65% (male 2,624; female 2,864) 65 years and over: 11.4% (male 508; female 454) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 43.4% (male 109,339; female 105,170)
15-64 years: 53.5% (male 134,125; female 130,804) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,467; female 7,881) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products | cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish |
Airports | none; only airport was destroyed by volcanic activity; a helicopter service to Antigua is used | 31 (2001) |
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: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Maryland |
Background | Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on 18 July 1995. | The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter 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 | 17.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 33.26 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million |
revenues: $38 million (2001)
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001) |
Capital | Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat) | Honiara |
Climate | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather |
Coastline | 40 km | 5,313 km |
Constitution | present constitution came into force 19 December 1989 | 7 July 1978 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands |
Currency | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) | Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) |
Death rate | 7.47 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 4.19 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $8.9 million (1997) (1997) | $137 million (2001 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | - |
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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jeremiah MANELE
chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance | $28 million mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ (2001 est.) |
Economy - overview | Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcano and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade. | 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 | 4.65 million kWh (2000) | 29.76 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 5 million kWh (2000) | 32 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m |
Environment - current issues | land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation | 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 | black, white | Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% |
Exchange rates | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) | Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.3728 (December 2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Anthony LONGRIGG (since NA May 2001)
head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE (since 5 April 2001) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister |
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 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 | $1.5 million (1998) | $165 million f.o.b. (1999 est.) |
Exports - commodities | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle | timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa |
Exports - partners | US, Antigua and Barbuda (1993) | Japan 22%, China 15%, Philippines 13%, South Korea 12%, UK 12%, Thailand 5% (2000) |
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 Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross | 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 - $31 million (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5%
industry: 14% services: 81% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 42%
industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,400 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | -1.5% (1999 est.) | -10% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 16 45 N, 62 12 W | 8 00 S, 159 00 E |
Geography - note | the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes | strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea |
Highways | total: 269 km
paved: 203 km unpaved: 66 km (1995) |
total: 1,360 km
paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 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 South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe | - |
Imports | $26 million (1998) | $152 million f.o.b. (1999 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials | plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals |
Imports - partners | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1993) | Australia 27%, Singapore 25%, NZ 5.5%, Japan 5.3%, US 5.1% (2000) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 7 July 1978 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances | fish (tuna), mining, timber |
Infant mortality rate | 7.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 23.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5% (1998) (1998) | 7.9% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, WCL | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, 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) | 17 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court) | Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 4,521 (1992); note - lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity | 26,842 |
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: 0% other: 80% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 1.5%
permanent crops: 0.64% other: 97.86% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English | 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 and statutory law | English common law, which is widely disregarded |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members elections: last held NA April 2001 (next to be held by November 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2 note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council |
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 by 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: 78.2 years
male: 76.1 years female: 80.4 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 71.82 years
male: 69.38 years female: 74.39 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast 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
continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force | 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 | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) | Independence Day, 7 July (1978) |
Nationality | noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander |
Natural hazards | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1996) | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel |
Net migration rate | 74.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] | 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 | 8,437
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2002 est.) |
494,786 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 8.43% (2002 est.) | 2.91% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay | Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 7,000 (1997) | 57,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km (2003) | 0 km |
Religions | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations | 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 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: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: NA |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 4,000 (1997) | 8,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 70 (1994) | 658 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland | mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls |
Total fertility rate | 1.81 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 4.5 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6% (1998 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | none | none |