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Compare Solomon Islands (2004) - Finland (2004)

Compare Solomon Islands (2004) z Finland (2004)

 Solomon Islands (2004)Finland (2004)
 Solomon IslandsFinland
Administrative divisions 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani
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: 17.5% (male 466,036; female 448,339)


15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,760,472; female 1,719,917)


65 years and over: 15.7% (male 323,082; female 496,666) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish
Airports 33 (2003 est.) 148 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 75


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 27


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.)
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: 73


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 69 (2004 est.)
Area total: 28,450 sq km


land: 27,540 sq km


water: 910 sq km
total: 338,145 sq km


land: 304,473 sq km


water: 33,672 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly smaller than Montana
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. Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.
Birth rate 31.6 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 10.56 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $38 million


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001)
revenues: $87.03 billion


expenditures: $81.62 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital Honiara Helsinki
Climate tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
Coastline 5,313 km 1,250 km
Constitution 7 July 1978 1 March 2000
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Solomon Islands


former: British Solomon Islands
conventional long form: Republic of Finland


conventional short form: Finland


local long form: Suomen Tasavalta


local short form: Suomi
Currency Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) euro (EUR)


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
Death rate 4.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 9.69 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $162.5 million (2001 est.) $30 billion (December 1993)
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 chief of mission: Ambassador Earle I. MACK


embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki


mailing address: APO AE 09723


telephone: [358] (9) 616250


FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka Robert VALTASAARI


chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800


FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
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 none
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $379 million (2001)
Economic aid - recipient $28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2001 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. Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling one-third of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2003 was held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2004 provided the world economy suffers no further blows.
Electricity - consumption 29.76 million kWh (2001) 76.18 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 1.81 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 11.77 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 32 million kWh (2001) 71.2 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Halti 1,328 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
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: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Ethnic groups Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1%
Exchange rates Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999) euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)
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 Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June 2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Antti KALLIOMAKI (since 17 April 2003); note - former Prime Minister Anneli JAATTEENMAKI resigned


cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 16 January 2000 and 6 February 2000 (next to be held February 2006); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after Parliamentary elections and the Parliament must approve the appointment


election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4%


note: government coalition - KESK, SDP, and SFP
Exports NA (2001) 101,000 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp (1999)
Exports - partners China 25.2%, South Korea 17.6%, Japan 13.4%, Philippines 8.4%, Singapore 5.9%, Thailand 5.9% (2003) Germany 11.8%, Sweden 9.9%, US 8.2%, UK 8%, Russia 7.5%, Netherlands 4.8% (2003)
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 white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
GDP purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $142.2 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 42%


industry: 11%


services: 47% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 4.3%


industry: 32.7%


services: 62.9% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $27,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -10% (2001 est.) 1.9% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 159 00 E 64 00 N, 26 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
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: 78,137 km


paved: 50,398 km (including 750 km of expressways)


unpaved: 27,739 km (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 4.2%


highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)
Imports NA (2001) 318,300 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains (1999)
Imports - partners Australia 29.7%, Singapore 21.9%, Fiji 4.7%, New Zealand 4.7% (2003) Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 11.7%, Netherlands 6.3%, Denmark 5.7%, UK 5.3%, France 4.3% (2003)
Independence 7 July 1978 (from UK) 6 December 1917 (from Russia)
Industrial production growth rate NA 0.8% (2003 est.)
Industries fish (tuna), mining, timber metal products, electronics, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
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.)
total: 3.59 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 3.91 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 3.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 9% (2002 est.) 0.9% (2003 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 AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land NA sq km 640 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Court of Appeal Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)
Labor force 26,840 (1999) 2.599 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.) agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, transport and communications 8%, public services 32%
Land boundaries 0 km total: 2,690 km


border countries: Norway 736 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km
Land use arable land: 0.64%


permanent crops: 2%


other: 97.36% (2001)
arable land: 7.19%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 92.78% (2001)
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
Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities
Legal system English common law, which is widely disregarded civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%, Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party - Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, others 4
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.38 years


male: 69.9 years


female: 74.98 years (2004 est.)
total population: 78.24 years


male: 74.73 years


female: 81.89 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


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


total population: 100% (2000 est.)


male: NA


female: NA
Location Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Map references Oceania Europe
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden
Merchant marine none total: 90 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,152,175 GRT/1,053,906 DWT


by type: bulk 9, cargo 26, chemical tanker 5, container 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 9, roll on/roll off 28, short-sea/passenger 10


foreign-owned: Estonia 1


registered in other countries: 39 (2004 est.)
Military branches no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA $1.8 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 2% (FY98/99)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 1,226,890 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,013,961 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 32,058 (2004 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 7 July (1978) Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Nationality noun: Solomon Islander(s)


adjective: Solomon Islander
noun: Finn(s)


adjective: Finnish
Natural hazards typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity NA
Natural resources fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - gas 694 km (2004)
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
Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Left Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA -
Population 523,617 (July 2004 est.) 5,214,512 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA
Population growth rate 2.76% (2004 est.) 0.18% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways - total: 5,851 km


broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2003)
Religions Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
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: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
general assessment: modern system with excellent service


domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive cellular network provide domestic needs


international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable (Finland Estonia Connection); satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
Telephones - main lines in use 6,600 (2002) 2.548 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,000 (2002) 4.7 million (2003)
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Total fertility rate 4.19 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.73 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate NA 9% (2003 est.)
Waterways - 7,842 km


note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2004)
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