Compare Solomon Islands (2005) - Aruba (2006)

Compare Solomon Islands (2005) z Aruba (2006)

	Solomon Islands (2005)	Aruba (2006)

Administrative divisions	9 provinces and 1 capital territory; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western	none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Age structure	0-14 years: 41.9% (male 114,860/female 110,404) 15-64 years: 54.9% (male 149,400/female 145,970) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 8,371/female 9,027) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 19.5% (male 7,175/female 6,849) 15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,894/female 25,140) 65 years and over: 12.3% (male 3,616/female 5,217) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish	aloes; livestock; fish
Airports	33 (2004 est.)	1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
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.)	-
Area	total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km	total: 193 sq km land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland	slightly larger than 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.	Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
Birth rate	30.74 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	11.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $49.7 million expenditures: $75.1 million, including capital expenditures of $0 (2003)	revenues: $507.9 million expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000)
Capital	Honiara	name: Oranjestad geographic coordinates: 12 33 N, 70 06 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather	tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline	5,313 km	68.5 km
Constitution	7 July 1978	1 January 1986
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba
Death rate	3.98 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$180.4 million (2002)	$478.6 million (2005 est.)
Dependency status	-	member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
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	the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba
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 (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Disputes - international	Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security	none
Economic aid - recipient	$28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2003 est.)	$-11.3 million (2004)
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. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds.	Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US. Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The newly re-elected government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.
Electricity - consumption	29.76 million kWh (2002)	716.1 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	32 million kWh (2002)	770 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 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 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)	mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%
Exchange rates	Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000)	Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001)
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: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held 2005 (next to be held by 2009) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
Exports	NA	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa	live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports - partners	China 27.8%, South Korea 17.1%, Thailand 15.7%, Japan 9.7%, Philippines 4.8% (2004)	Netherlands 33.5%, Panama 16.7%, Colombia 11.9%, US 11.3%, Venezuela 10.1%, Netherlands Antilles 9% (2005)
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	blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 42% industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.)	agriculture: 0.4% NA% industry: 33.3% NA% services: 66.3% NA%
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	5.8% (2003 est.)	2.4% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	8 00 S, 159 00 E	12 30 N, 69 58 W
Geography - note	strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea	a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
Government - note	June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan 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. By the end of 2004 the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 302 police officers and 120 military in addition to civilian technical advisors.	-
Highways	total: 1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity
Imports	NA	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals	machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners	Australia 24.6%, Singapore 23.1%, New Zealand 7.7%, Fiji 4.8%, Papua New Guinea 4.7% (2004)	US 55.9%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.8% (2005)
Independence	7 July 1978 (from UK)	none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	NA%
Industries	fish (tuna), mining, timber	tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Infant mortality rate	total: 21.29 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 5.79 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	10% (2003 est.)	3.4% (2005)
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	ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO (associate)
Irrigated land	NA	0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Court of Appeal	Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)
Labor force	26,840 (1999)	41,500 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.64% permanent crops: 2% other: 97.36% (2001)	arable land: 10.53% permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005)
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	Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Legal system	English common law, which is widely disregarded	based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
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 Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held by in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 72.66 years male: 70.16 years female: 75.28 years (2005 est.)	total population: 79.28 years male: 75.95 years female: 82.78 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%	definition: NA total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea	Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
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	territorial sea: 12 nm
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military branches	no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)	no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy and Marines, Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure	NA	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 7 July (1978)	Flag Day, 18 March
Nationality	noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander	noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch
Natural hazards	typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity	lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Natural resources	fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel	NEGL; white sandy beaches
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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	Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	538,032 (July 2005 est.)	71,891 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	2.68% (2005 est.)	0.44% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors	Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor, Yandina	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)	AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions	Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)	Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish
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 (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 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 fully automatic telecommunications system domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
Telephones - main lines in use	6,600 (2002)	37,100 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1,000 (2002)	98,400 (2004)
Television broadcast stations	-	1 (1997)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls	flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Total fertility rate	4.04 children born/woman (2005 est.)	1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	6.9% (2005 est.)

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