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Compare Solomon Islands (2008) - Netherlands Antilles (2004)
Compare Solomon Islands (2008) z Netherlands Antilles (2004)
| Solomon Islands (2008) | Netherlands Antilles (2004) | |
 |  | |
| 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)
note: each island has its own government |
| 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: 24.5% (male 27,387; female 26,094)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 70,024; female 76,552) 65 years and over: 8.3% (male 7,443; female 10,626) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish | aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit |
| Airports | 35 (2007) | 5 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1 2038 to 3047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 23 (2007) |
- |
| Area | total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km |
total: 960 sq km
land: 960 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin) |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | more than five 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 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. | Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe. |
| Birth rate | 29.27 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 15.36 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $49.7 million
expenditures: $75.1 million (2003) |
revenues: $710.8 million
expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997 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) |
Willemstad |
| Climate | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather | tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds |
| Coastline | 5,313 km | 364 km |
| Constitution | 7 July 1978 | 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended |
| 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: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form: Nederlandse Antillen former: Curacao and Dependencies |
| Currency | - | Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) |
| Death rate | 3.87 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $166 million (2004) | $1.35 billion (1996) |
| Dependency status | - | part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; 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 | chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON
consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad AN, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 4613066 FAX: [599] (9) 4616489 |
| 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) |
| 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 | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $198.2 million annually, mainly from Australia (2005 est.) | IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2000) |
| 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. | Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown slightly in each of the past seven years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging population. |
| Electricity - consumption | 55.8 million kWh (2005) | 986.8 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) | 1.061 billion kWh (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 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 black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian |
| Exchange rates | Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 7.3447 (2006), 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003) | Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (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 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 BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Etienne YS (since 3 June 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006) note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, PLKP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia |
| Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa | petroleum products |
| Exports - partners | China 48%, South Korea 9.5%, Japan 8.9%, Thailand 4.7%, Italy 4.4%, Philippines 4.2% (2006) | US 21.3%, Venezuela 16%, Bahamas, The 7.6%, Singapore 5.2%, Honduras 4.9%, Guatemala 4.4% (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 horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $2.45 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 42%
industry: 11% services: 47% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.4% (2005 est.) | 0.5% (2003 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 S, 159 00 E | 12 15 N, 68 45 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 | the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao) |
| 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: 600 km
paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 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 South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center |
| Imports | 1,296 bbl/day (2004) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals | crude petroleum, food, manufactures |
| Imports - partners | Australia 25.5%, Singapore 23.5%, Japan 7.8%, NZ 5.1%, Fiji 4.2%, Papua New Guinea 4.1% (2006) | Venezuela 64.8%, US 13.6%, Netherlands 7.8% (2003) |
| 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 (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) |
| 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: 10.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.6% (2005 est.) | 2.1% (2003 est.) |
| 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 | ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate) |
| Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | Court of Appeal | Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) |
| Labor force | 249,200 (1999) | 89,000 (2000) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 75%
industry: 5% services: 20% (2000 est.) |
agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 10.2 km
border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops: 2.04% other: 97.34% (2005) |
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (2001) |
| 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 | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, 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 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 States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao 14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held in 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP St. M 2, UP Bonaire 2, WIPM 1, DP note: the government of Prime Minister Etienne YS is a coalition of several parties; current government formed after collapse of FOL led government on 4 April 2004 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.16 years
male: 70.64 years female: 75.81 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 75.6 years
male: 73.37 years female: 77.95 years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7% male: 96.7% female: 96.8% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea | Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands |
| 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
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
| Merchant marine | - | total: 162 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,317,007 GRT/1,668,499 DWT
by type: bulk 4, cargo 59, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 28, liquefied gas 6, multi-functional large load carrier 22, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: Belgium 3, Denmark 1, Germany 57, Monaco 4, Netherlands 70, New Zealand 1, Norway 5, Peru 1, Spain 1, Sweden 5, Turkey 2, United Kingdom 6 registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Military branches | no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) | National Guard, Police Force |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3% (2006) | - |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 55,536 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 31,025 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 1,660 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 7 July (1978) | Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April |
| Nationality | noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander |
noun: Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean |
| Natural hazards | typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis | Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October |
| Natural resources | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel | phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| 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 |
Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Etienne YS]; C 93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA]; National Alliance [William MARLIN]; National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard HODI]; Pro Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald LAK, Editha WRIGHT]
note: political parties are indigenous to each island |
| 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 | NA |
| Population | 566,842 (July 2007 est.) | 218,126 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
| Population growth rate | 2.54% (2007 est.) | 0.86% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004) | AM 8, FM 19, 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, Protestant, Jewish, 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.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 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: generally adequate facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 7,400 (2005) | 81,000 (2001) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 6,000 (2005) | 81,000 (2001) |
| Television broadcast stations | - | 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (2004) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls | generally hilly, volcanic interiors |
| Total fertility rate | 3.78 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 2.02 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | 15.6% (2002 est.) |
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