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Compare Solomon Islands (2001) - Saudi Arabia (2005)

Compare Solomon Islands (2001) z Saudi Arabia (2005)

 Solomon Islands (2001)Saudi Arabia (2005)
 Solomon IslandsSaudi Arabia
Administrative divisions 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western; note - there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
Age structure 0-14 years:
43.79% (male 107,229; female 103,162)

15-64 years:
53.15% (male 129,315; female 126,021)

65 years and over:
3.06% (male 7,190; female 7,525) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,149,960/female 4,952,138)


15-64 years: 59.4% (male 8,992,348/female 6,698,633)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 334,694/female 289,826) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk
Airports 31 (2000 est.) 201 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total: 72


over 3,047 m: 32


2,438 to 3,047 m: 13


1,524 to 2,437 m: 23


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
29

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
18 (2000 est.)
total: 129


over 3047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 72


914 to 1,523 m: 39


under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.)
Area total:
28,450 sq km

land:
27,540 sq km

water:
910 sq km
total: 1,960,582 sq km


land: 1,960,582 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
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. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control. In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.
Birth rate 34.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 29.56 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues:
$147 million

expenditures:
$168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
revenues: $104.8 billion


expenditures: $78.66 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital Honiara Riyadh
Climate tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Coastline 5,313 km 2,640 km
Constitution 7 July 1978 governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Solomon Islands

former:
British Solomon Islands
conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia


conventional short form: Saudi Arabia


local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah


local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah
Currency Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) -
Death rate 4.27 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $152.4 million (1998) $34.35 billion (2004 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 chief of mission: Ambassador James Curtis OBERWETTER


embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh


mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693


telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800


FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989


consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Jeremiah MANELE

chancery:
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017

telephone:
[1] (212) 599-6192, 6193

FAX:
[1] (212) 661-8925
chief of mission: Ambassador Turki al-Faysal bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud


chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800


consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York
Disputes - international none despite resistance from nomadic groups, the demarcation of the Saudi Arabia-Yemen boundary established under the 2000 Jeddah Treaty is almost complete; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown
Economic aid - donor - pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq
Economic aid - recipient $47 million (1999 est.), mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ -
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 a continuing economic downslide. Deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) by tankers have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country. This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia possesses 25% of the world's proven petroleum reserves, ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism.
Electricity - consumption 27.9 million kWh (1999) 128.5 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 30 million kWh (1999) 138.2 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Exchange rates Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.0968 (November 2000), 5.0864 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997), 3.5664 (1996) Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2004), 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999)

head of government:
Prime Minister Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE (since 1 July 2000); Assistant Prime Minister Nathaniel WAENA (since 1 July 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Allan KEMAKEZA (since 1 July 2000); note - Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU was forced to resign his position in June 2000 following the armed takeover of the capital by elements supporting the opposition parties; Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE, who had been opposition leader, was then elected prime minister at a sitting of National Parliament on 30 June 2000

cabinet:
Cabinet 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
chief of state: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: King and Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 1 August 2005); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SULTAN bin Abd al- Aziz Al Saud (half brother of the monarch, born 5 January 1928) note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members


elections: note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
Exports $165 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 7.92 million bbl/day (2003)
Exports - commodities timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra petroleum and petroleum products 90%
Exports - partners Japan 35.5%, other Asian countries 47.3% (1999) US 18.2%, Japan 14.9%, South Korea 9.5%, China 6.1%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 March - 28 February
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 green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932
GDP purchasing power parity - $900 million (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
50%

industry:
3.5%

services:
46.5% (1995)
agriculture: 4.2%


industry: 67.2%


services: 28.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1% (2000 est.) 5% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 159 00 E 25 00 N, 45 00 E
Geography - note - extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
Heliports - 5 (2004 est.)
Highways total:
1,360 km

paved:
34 km

unpaved:
1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
total: 152,044 km


paved: 45,461 km


unpaved: 106,583 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs - death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation
Imports $152 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 0 bbl/day (2003)
Imports - commodities plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles
Imports - partners Australia 38.5%, Singapore 15%, Japan 10.6%, NZ 6.2% (1999) US 15.3%, Japan 9.8%, Germany 8.1%, China 6.6%, UK 5.7% (2004)
Independence 7 July 1978 (from UK) 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 2.8% (2004 est.)
Industries fish (tuna), mining, timber crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair
Infant mortality rate 24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 13.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.19 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (1999 est.) 0.8% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 16,200 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Court of Appeal Supreme Council of Justice
Labor force 26,842 6.62 million


note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 4,431 km


border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Land use arable land:
1%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
1%

forests and woodland:
88%

other:
9% (1993 est.)
arable land: 1.67%


permanent crops: 0.09%


other: 98.24% (2001)
Languages Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population

note:
120 indigenous languages
Arabic
Legal system English common law based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms)
Life expectancy at birth total population:
71.55 years

male:
69.12 years

female:
74.1 years (2001 est.)
total population: 75.46 years


male: 73.46 years


female: 77.55 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 78.8%


male: 84.7%


female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
Location Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen
Map references Oceania Middle East
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

continental shelf:
200 NM

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 18 nm


continental shelf: not specified
Merchant marine none (2000 est.) total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT


by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 12, container 4, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 9


foreign-owned: 14 (Egypt 2, Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 5, Singapore 1, Sudan 1, UAE 1, United Kingdom 3)


registered in other countries: 54 (2005)
Military branches no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $18 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 10% (2002)
National holiday Independence Day, 7 July (1978) Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932)
Nationality noun:
Solomon Islander(s)

adjective:
Solomon Islander
noun: Saudi(s)


adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Natural hazards typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity frequent sand and dust storms
Natural resources fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines - condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders there are two main coalitions - Coalition for National Unity, Reconciliation, and Peace or CNURP and Alliance for Change; the CNURP took power on 30 June 2000, it comprises members of the Liberal Party, People's Alliance Party, and the United Party, as well as a number of independents; the Alliance for Change, represents the former government and now is the opposition; in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR [leader NA]; Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI [Francis SAEMALA]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [George LEPPING]; People's Progressive Party [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; United Party or UP [leader NA] none
Political pressure groups and leaders NA none
Population 480,442 (July 2001 est.) 26,417,599


note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA
Population growth rate 2.98% (2001 est.) 2.31% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios 57,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km total: 1,392 km


standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2004)
Religions Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% Muslim 100%
Sex ratio 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:
0.96 male(s)/female

total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.34 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.16 male(s)/female


total population: 1.21 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal adult male citizens age 21 or older


note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005
Telephone system general assessment:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
general assessment: modern system


domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems


international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 8,000 (1997) 3,502,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 658 (1997) 7,238,200 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 117 (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Total fertility rate 4.65 children born/woman (2001 est.) 4.05 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 25% (unofficial estimate) (2004 est.)
Waterways none -
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