Solomon Islands (2004) | Martinique (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western | none (overseas department of France) |
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: 23% (male 49,261; female 47,843)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 140,616; female 141,460) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 19,274; female 23,823) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish | pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane |
Airports | 33 (2003 est.) | 2 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (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: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km |
total: 1,100 sq km
land: 1,060 sq km water: 40 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation. |
Birth rate | 31.6 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 15.37 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $38 million
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001) |
revenues: $900 million
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $140 million (1996) (1996) |
Capital | Honiara | Fort-de-France |
Climate | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather | tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid |
Coastline | 5,313 km | 350 km |
Constitution | 7 July 1978 | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands |
conventional long form: Department of Martinique
conventional short form: Martinique local long form: Departement de la Martinique local short form: Martinique |
Currency | Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) | euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) |
Death rate | 4.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $162.5 million (2001 est.) | $180 million (1994) (1994) |
Dependency status | - | overseas department of France |
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 (overseas department of France) |
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 (overseas department of France) |
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 - recipient | $28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2001 est.) | $NA; note - substantial annual aid from France |
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 economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism, which employs more than 11,000 people, has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration. |
Electricity - consumption | 29.76 million kWh (2001) | 1.046 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) | 1.125 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying | NA |
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 |
- |
Ethnic groups | Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% | African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Chinese less than 5% |
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 - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997) |
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 Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995); Prefect Michel CADOT (since 21 June 2000)
head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils |
Exports | NA (2001) | $250 million f.o.b. (1997) |
Exports - commodities | timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa | refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples |
Exports - partners | China 25.2%, South Korea 17.6%, Japan 13.4%, Philippines 8.4%, Singapore 5.9%, Thailand 5.9% (2003) | France 45%, Guadeloupe 28% (1997) |
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 | a light blue background is divided into four quadrants by a white cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white snake; the flag of France is used for official occasions |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4.39 billion (1997 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 42%
industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 11% services: 83% (1997 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1997 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | -10% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 8 00 S, 159 00 E | 14 40 N, 61 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea | the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000 inhabitants |
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: 2,105 km (2000)
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA (2001) | $2 billion c.i.f. (1997) |
Imports - commodities | food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals | petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods |
Imports - partners | Australia 29.7%, Singapore 21.9%, Fiji 4.7%, New Zealand 4.7% (2003) | France 62%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 4%, Italy 4%, US 3% (1997) |
Independence | 7 July 1978 (from UK) | none (overseas department of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | fish (tuna), mining, timber | construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism |
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.) |
7.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 9% (2002 est.) | 3.9% (1990) (1990) |
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 | FZ, WCL, WFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel |
Labor force | 26,840 (1999) | 170,000 (1997) (1997) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.) | agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1997) (1997) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.64%
permanent crops: 2% other: 97.36% (2001) |
arable land: 9.43%
permanent crops: 11.32% other: 79.25% (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 |
French, Creole patois |
Legal system | English common law, which is widely disregarded | French legal system |
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 General Council or Conseil General (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Assembly or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); Regional Assembly - last held on 15 March 1998 (next to be held by March 2004) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - left-wing candidates 13, PPM 11, RPR 6, right-wing candidates 5, PCM 3, UDF 3, PMS 2, independents 2; note - the PPM won a plurality; Regional Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR-UDF 14, MIM 13, PPM 7, left parties 4, PMS 3 note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 2001 (next to be held September 2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPM 2; Martinique also elects 4 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, PMS 1, MIM 1, left-wing candidate 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 72.38 years
male: 69.9 years female: 74.98 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 78.56 years
male: 79.19 years female: 77.92 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93% male: 92% female: 93% (1982 est.) |
Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
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 | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) | no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 7 July (1978) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander |
noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural)
adjective: Martiniquais |
Natural hazards | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity | hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years) |
Natural resources | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel | coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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 |
Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Pierre SUEDILLE]; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Camille DARSIERES]; note - may no longer be in existence; Martinique Socialist Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement of Democrats and Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique or Modemas [Garcin MALSA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Socialist Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP |
Population | 523,617 (July 2004 est.) | 422,277 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.76% (2004 est.) | 0.89% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina | Fort-de-France, La Trinite |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 82,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km (2002) |
Religions | Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% | Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5% |
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: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 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: domestic facilities are adequate
domestic: NA international: microwave radio relay to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6,600 (2002) | 170,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,000 (2002) | 15,000 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (1997) | 11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls | mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano |
Total fertility rate | 4.19 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 1.79 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 27.2% (1998) (1998) |
Waterways | - | none |