Compare Solomon Islands (2004) - Cuba (2002)

Compare Solomon Islands (2004) z Cuba (2002)

	Solomon Islands (2004)	Cuba (2002)

Administrative divisions	9 provinces and 1 capital territory; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western	14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara
Age structure	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.)	0-14 years: 20.6% (male 1,188,125; female 1,125,743) 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 3,902,162; female 3,880,531) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 520,849; female 606,911) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish	sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports	33 (2003 est.)	172 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 78 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 36 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)	total: 94 914 to 1,523 m: 30 under 914 m: 64 (2002)
Area	total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km	total: 110,860 sq km land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
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. 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.	Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the country together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Havana portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, or falsified visas - is a continuing problem. Some 2,600 Cubans attempted the crossing of the Straits of Florida in 2001; the US Coast Guard apprehended only about 35% of the individuals.
Birth rate	31.6 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	12.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $38 million expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001)	revenues: $14.9 billion expenditures: $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.)
Capital	Honiara	Havana
Climate	tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather	tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline	5,313 km	3,735 km
Constitution	7 July 1978	24 February 1976, amended July 1992
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands	conventional long form: Republic of Cuba conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba
Currency	Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)	Cuban peso (CUP)
Death rate	4.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	7.35 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$162.5 million (2001 est.)	$12.3 billion (convertible currency, 2000 est.); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2001) (2002 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, Ambassador Robert W. FITTS, is accredited to the Solomon Islands	none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer James C. CASON; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado Seccion, Havana; telephone: 33-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: 33-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US	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	none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera (since August 2001); address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518
Disputes - international	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	US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease
Economic aid - recipient	$28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2001 est.)	$68.2 million (1997 est.)
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 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.	The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a concern for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms in recent years to stem excess liquidity, increase enterprise efficiency, and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services, but is unlikely to implement extensive changes. A major feature of the economy is the dichotomy between relatively efficient export enclaves and inefficient domestic sectors. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the severe economic depression of the early 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. High oil prices, recessions in key export markets, and damage from Hurricane Michelle hampered growth in 2001. Cuba paid high prices for oil imports in the face of slumping prices in the key sugar and nickel industries and suffered a slowdown in tourist arrivals following September 11. The government aimed for 3% growth in 2002, but growth was held back by hurricanes, depressed tourism, and faltering world economic conditions, including low world sugar prices and a shortage of external financing.
Electricity - consumption	29.76 million kWh (2001)	13.829 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	32 million kWh (2001)	14.87 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 95% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 5% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying	air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
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	party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%	mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates	Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999)	Cuban pesos per US dollar - 1.0000 (nonconvertible, official rate, for international transactions, pegged to the US dollar); convertible peso sold for domestic use at a rate of 1.00 US dollar per 27 pesos by the Government of Cuba (January 2002)
Executive branch	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	chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State, appointed by the National Assembly; note - there is also a Council of State whose members are elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%
Exports	NA (2001)	$1.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities	timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa	sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners	China 25.2%, South Korea 17.6%, Japan 13.4%, Philippines 8.4%, Singapore 5.9%, Thailand 5.9% (2003)	Netherlands 22.4%, Russia 13.3%, Canada 13.3%, Spain 7.3%, China 6.2% (2001)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
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	five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; design influenced by the US flag
GDP	purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $25.9 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 42% industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.)	agriculture: 8% industry: 35% services: 58%
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-10% (2001 est.)	0% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	8 00 S, 159 00 E	21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note	strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea	largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
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	-
Highways	total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)	total: 60,858 km paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway) unpaved: 31,038 km (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for cocaine and heroin bound for the US and Europe; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999
Imports	NA (2001)	$4.8 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities	food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals	petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners	Australia 29.7%, Singapore 21.9%, Fiji 4.7%, New Zealand 4.7% (2003)	Spain 12.7%, France 6.5%, Canada 5.7%, China 5.3%, Italy 5.0% (2001)
Independence	7 July 1978 (from UK)	20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	0.2% (2001 est.)
Industries	fish (tuna), mining, timber	sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, biotechnology
Infant mortality rate	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.)	7.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	9% (2002 est.)	7.1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	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	CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	5 (2001)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	870 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Court of Appeal	People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force	26,840 (1999)	4.3 million note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (1999) (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)	agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999) (1999)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 29 km border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba
Land use	arable land: 0.64% permanent crops: 2% other: 97.36% (2001)	arable land: 33.04% permanent crops: 7.61% other: 59.35% (1998 est.)
Languages	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	Spanish
Legal system	English common law, which is widely disregarded	based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; 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 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	unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 72.38 years male: 69.9 years female: 74.98 years (2004 est.)	total population: 76.6 years male: 74.2 years female: 79.15 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.7% male: 96.2% female: 95.3% (1995 est.)
Location	Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references	Oceania	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	none	total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,187 GRT/63,416 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 6, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3 (2002 est.)
Military - note	-	Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Military branches	no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)	Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) including Ground Forces, Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), and Youth Labor Army (EJT); note - the Border Guard Troops (TGF) are controlled by the Interior Ministry
Military expenditures - dollar figure	NA	$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	roughly 4% (FY95 est.)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 3,102,312 females age 15-49: 3,036,549 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 1,915,586 females age 15-49: 1,869,867 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 86,632 females: 79,562 (2002 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 7 July (1978)	Independence Day, 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898 is the date of independence from Spain, 20 May 1902 is the date of independence from US administration
Nationality	noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander	noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards	typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity	the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to October (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
Natural resources	fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel	cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-1.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
People - note	-	illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; some 3,000 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2001; the US Coast Guard interdicted about 25% of these migrants; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US; some 2,400 Cubans arrived overland via the southwest border and direct flights to Miami in 2000
Political parties and leaders	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	only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	523,617 (July 2004 est.)	11,224,321 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	2.76% (2004 est.)	0.35% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina	Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios	-	3.9 million (1997)
Railways	-	total: 4,807 km standard gauge: 4,807 km 1.435-m gauge, in public use (147 km electrified) note: in addition to the 4,807 km of standard-gauge track in public use, 7,162 km of track is in private use by sugar plantations; about 90% of the private use track is standard gauge and the rest is narrow gauge (2000 est.)
Religions	Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4%	nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Sex ratio	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.)	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal	16 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)	general assessment: NA domestic: principal trunk system, end to end of country, is coaxial cable; fiber-optic distribution in Havana and on Isla de la Juventud; 2 microwave radio relay installations (one is old, US-built; the other newer, built during the period of Soviet support); both analog and digital mobile cellular service established international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use	6,600 (2002)	473,031 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1,000 (2002)	2,994 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	0 (1997)	58 (1997)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls	mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate	4.19 children born/woman (2004 est.)	1.6 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA	4.1% (2001 est.)
Waterways	-	240 km

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