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Compare Solomon Islands (2005) - Bulgaria (2003)

Compare Solomon Islands (2005) z Bulgaria (2003)

 Solomon Islands (2005)Bulgaria (2003)
 Solomon IslandsBulgaria
Administrative divisions 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol
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: 14.2% (male 549,142; female 520,057)


15-64 years: 68.8% (male 2,551,548; female 2,632,978)


65 years and over: 17% (male 535,165; female 749,039) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets
Airports 33 (2004 est.) 216 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 128


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 20


1,524 to 2,437 m: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 92 (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: 88


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 74 (2002)
Area total: 28,450 sq km


land: 27,540 sq km


water: 910 sq km
total: 110,910 sq km


land: 110,550 sq km


water: 360 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly larger than Tennessee
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. The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878, but having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, it fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into NATO and the EU - with which it began accession negotiations in 2000.
Birth rate 30.74 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 8.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $49.7 million


expenditures: $75.1 million, including capital expenditures of $0 (2003)
revenues: $5.57 billion


expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Honiara Sofia
Climate tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Coastline 5,313 km 354 km
Constitution 7 July 1978 adopted 12 July 1991
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Solomon Islands


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


conventional short form: Bulgaria
Currency - lev (BGL)
Death rate 3.98 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 14.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $180.4 million (2002) $10.3 billion (yearend 2002)
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 William PARDEW


embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia 1000


mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740


telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100


FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77
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 Elena B. POPTODOROVA


chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174


FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973


consulate(s): New York
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 joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with Romania based on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920
Economic aid - recipient $28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2003 est.) $300 million (2000 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. 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. Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. As a result, the government became committed to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 has supported government efforts to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment.
Electricity - consumption 29.76 million kWh (2002) 32.52 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 6.79 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 830 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 32 million kWh (2002) 41.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 47.8%


hydro: 8.1%


nuclear: 44.1%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


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


highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census) Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (1998)
Exchange rates Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (2000) leva per US dollar - 2.08 (2002), 2.18 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84 (1999), 1.76 (1998)


note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July 1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev
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 Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)


head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24 July 2001), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 11 November and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister


election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners China 27.8%, South Korea 17.1%, Thailand 15.7%, Japan 9.7%, Philippines 4.8% (2004) Italy 15.5%, Germany 9.6%, Turkey 9.4%, Greece 9.2%, France 5.3%, US 4.8% (2002)
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 three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control)
GDP - purchasing power parity - $49.23 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 42%


industry: 11%


services: 47% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 13.7%


industry: 28.5%


services: 57.9% (2001)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.8% (2003 est.) 4.8% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 159 00 E 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
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. -
Heliports - 1 (2002)
Highways total: 1,360 km


paved: 34 km


unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)
total: 37,286 km


paved: 35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways)


unpaved: 2,237 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 4.5%


highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
Illicit drugs - major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles
Imports - partners Australia 24.6%, Singapore 23.1%, New Zealand 7.7%, Fiji 4.8%, Papua New Guinea 4.7% (2004) Russia 14.6%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 11.4%, Greece 6.1%, France 5.7%, Turkey 5% (2002)
Independence 7 July 1978 (from UK) 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire)
Industrial production growth rate NA 2% (2002 est.)
Industries fish (tuna), mining, timber electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
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: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.43 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (2003 est.) 5.9% (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 ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 200 (2001)
Irrigated land NA 8,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Court of Appeal Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary)
Labor force 26,840 (1999) 3.83 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.) agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,808 km


border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km
Land use arable land: 0.64%


permanent crops: 2%


other: 97.36% (2001)
arable land: 39%


permanent crops: 1.8%


other: 59.2% (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
Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Legal system English common law, which is widely disregarded civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts 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 or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2 42.74%, UtdDF 18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UtdDF 51, CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of March 2003 - NMS2 110, UtdDF 50, CfB 48, MRF 20, independents 12
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.66 years


male: 70.16 years


female: 75.28 years (2005 est.)
total population: 71.8 years


male: 68.26 years


female: 75.56 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


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


total population: 98.6%


male: 99.1%


female: 98.2% (2003 est.)
Location Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Map references Oceania Europe
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 829,421 GRT/1,252,496 DWT


ships by type: bulk 42, cargo 10, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Defense), Internal Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Interior), Civil Defense Forces (subordinate to the president)
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA $356 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 2.7% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 1,854,049 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,551,485 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 19 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 54,107 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 7 July (1978) Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
Nationality noun: Solomon Islander(s)


adjective: Solomon Islander
noun: Bulgarian(s)


adjective: Bulgarian
Natural hazards typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity earthquakes, landslides
Natural resources fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines - gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2003)
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
Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or VMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and other center-right parties)
Political pressure groups and leaders NA agrarian movement; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
Population 538,032 (July 2005 est.) 7,537,929 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 12.6% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 2.68% (2005 est.) -1.09% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor, Yandina Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004) AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)
Railways - total: 4,294 km


standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)
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) Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998)
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: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 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: extensive but antiquated


domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential; telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay


international: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
Telephones - main lines in use 6,600 (2002) 3,186,731 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,000 (2002) 1.054 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations - 39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Total fertility rate 4.04 children born/woman (2005 est.) 1.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 18% (2002 est.)
Waterways - 470 km (1987)
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