Compare Solomon Islands (2008) - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003)

Compare Solomon Islands (2008) z Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003)

	Solomon Islands (2008)	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2003)

Administrative divisions	9 provinces and 1 capital territory; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Age structure	0-14 years: 40.7% (male 117,739/female 113,125) 15-64 years: 55.9% (male 160,310/female 156,773) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 9,036/female 9,859) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA%
Agriculture - products	cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish	fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products
Airports	35 (2007)	5 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)	total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 23 (2007)	total: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2002)
Area	total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km	total: 12,173 sq km land: 12,173 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland	slightly smaller than Connecticut
Background	The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. 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, then 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 generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.	Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.
Birth rate	29.27 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	NA births/1,000 population
Budget	revenues: $49.7 million expenditures: $75.1 million (2003)	revenues: $66.2 million expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.)
Capital	name: Honiara geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	Stanley
Climate	tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather	cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate
Coastline	5,313 km	1,288 km
Constitution	7 July 1978	3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Solomon Islands local long form: none local short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Currency	-	Falkland pound (FKP)
Death rate	3.87 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	NA deaths/1,000 population
Debt - external	$166 million (2004)	$NA
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina
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	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
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 territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Disputes - international	since 2003, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn from 15 countries, has assisted in reestablishing and maintaining civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and security	claimed by Argentina whose forces briefly occupied it in 1982, but now declares it will no longer seek settlement by force
Economic aid - recipient	$198.2 million annually, mainly from Australia (2005 est.)	none
Economy - overview	The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of its 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's efforts to restore law and order and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.	The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost.
Electricity - consumption	55.8 million kWh (2005)	15.19 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	60 million kWh (2005)	16.33 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying	overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the Chornobyl disaster
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)	British
Exchange rates	Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 7.3447 (2006), 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003)	Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.67 (2002), 0.69 (2001), 0.66 (2000), 0.62 (1999), 0.6 (1998); note - the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound
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 Derek SIKUA (since 20 December 2007); note - Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE defeated in a no confidence vote in parliament on 13 December 2007; SIKUA elected on 20 December 2007 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 (eligible for a second term); 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 ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3 December 2002); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since NA March 2003); Financial Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch
Exports	0 bbl/day (2004)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa	wool, hides, meat
Exports - partners	China 48%, South Korea 9.5%, Japan 8.9%, Thailand 4.7%, Italy 4.4%, Philippines 4.2% (2006)	Spain 76.2%, UK 9.2%, US 7.1% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
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 the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $75 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 42% industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.4% (2005 est.)	NA%
Geographic coordinates	8 00 S, 159 00 E	51 45 S, 59 00 W
Geography - note	strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara, the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit	deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season
Government - note	by the end of 2007, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) - originally made up of police and troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga - had been scaled back to 303 police officers, 197 civilian technical advisers, and 72 military advisers from 15 countries across the region	-
Heliports	3 (2007)	-
Highways	-	total: 440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	1,296 bbl/day (2004)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals	fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing
Imports - partners	Australia 25.5%, Singapore 23.5%, Japan 7.8%, NZ 5.1%, Fiji 4.2%, Papua New Guinea 4.1% (2006)	UK 57.9%, Spain 19.8%, Italy 16.7% (2002)
Independence	7 July 1978 (from UK)	none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA%
Industries	fish (tuna), mining, timber	fish and wool processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 19.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	6.6% (2005 est.)	3.6% (1998)
International organization participation	ACP, ADB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO	ICFTU
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	2 (2000)
Irrigated land	NA	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Court of Appeal	Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force	249,200 (1999)	1,100 (est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 75% industry: 5% services: 20% (2000 est.)	agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.62% permanent crops: 2.04% other: 97.34% (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (1998 est.)
Languages	Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official; but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indigenous languages	English
Legal system	English common law, which is widely disregarded	English common law
Legislative branch	unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 5 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%, PAP 6.3%, SIPRA 6.3%, Liberal 5%, Democratic 4.9%, SOCRED 4.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4, SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2, independents 30	unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor elections: last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 73.16 years male: 70.64 years female: 75.81 years (2007 est.)	total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA	-
Location	Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina
Map references	Oceania	South America
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm	continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	none (2002 est.)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)	British Forces Falkland Islands no regular indigenous military forces; (includes Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy), Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	3% (2006)	NA%
National holiday	Independence Day, 7 July (1978)	Liberation Day, 14 June (1982)
Nationality	noun: Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander	noun: Falkland Islander(s) adjective: Falkland Island
Natural hazards	typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis	strong winds persist throughout the year
Natural resources	fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel	fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Political parties and leaders	Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA] note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions	none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders	Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003	none
Population	566,842 (July 2007 est.)	2,967 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	2.54% (2007 est.)	2.44% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Stanley note: the primary port is located in Stanley Harbour and known locally as FIPASS (Falkland Interim Port and Storage System); the facility consists of seven permanently moored barges providing 300 meters of berthing space; it was installed by the military after 1982 and handed over to the Falkland Islands Government in 1988
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)	AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	-	0 km
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)	primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.023 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.917 male(s)/female total population: 1.026 male(s)/female (2007 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: NA domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries
Telephones - main lines in use	7,400 (2005)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	6,000 (2005)	NA
Television broadcast stations	-	2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service) note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls	rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains
Total fertility rate	3.78 children born/woman (2007 est.)	NA children born/woman
Unemployment rate	NA%	full employment; labor shortage
Waterways	-	none

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