Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Sri Lanka (2002) - Solomon Islands (2001)

Compare Sri Lanka (2002) z Solomon Islands (2001)

 Sri Lanka (2002)Solomon Islands (2001)
 Sri LankaSolomon Islands
Administrative divisions 8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western; note - North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western; note - there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished
Age structure 0-14 years: 25.6% (male 2,559,246; female 2,446,393)


15-64 years: 67.7% (male 6,446,320; female 6,802,515)


65 years and over: 6.7% (male 628,398; female 693,911) (2002 est.)
0-14 years:
43.79% (male 107,229; female 103,162)

15-64 years:
53.15% (male 129,315; female 126,021)

65 years and over:
3.06% (male 7,190; female 7,525) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Airports 15 (2001) 31 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 14


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2002)
total:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total:
29

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
18 (2000 est.)
Area total: 65,610 sq km


land: 64,740 sq km


water: 870 sq km
total:
28,450 sq km

land:
27,540 sq km

water:
910 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia slightly smaller than Maryland
Background The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-3rd century B.C. and a great civilization developed at such cities as Anuradhapura (kingdom from c. 200 B.C. to c. 1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (c. 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796 and became a crown colony in 1802. As Ceylon it became independent in 1948; its name was changed in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester. 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. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control.
Birth rate 16.36 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 34.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues:
$147 million

expenditures:
$168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Capital Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital Honiara
Climate tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline 1,340 km 5,313 km
Constitution adopted 16 August 1978 7 July 1978
Country name conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka


conventional short form: Sri Lanka


former: Serendib, Ceylon
conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Solomon Islands

former:
British Solomon Islands
Currency Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)
Death rate 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 4.27 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $9.9 billion (2000) $152.4 million (1998)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador E. Ashley WILLS


embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3


mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo


telephone: [94] (1) 448007


FAX: [94] (1) 437345
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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Devinda R. SUBASINGHE



chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028)


FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles


consulate(s): New York
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Jeremiah MANELE

chancery:
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017

telephone:
[1] (212) 599-6192, 6193

FAX:
[1] (212) 661-8925
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $577 million (1998) (1998) $47 million (1999 est.), mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ
Economy - overview In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies and export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% throughout the 1990s until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000 with average growth of 5.3%. But 2001 saw the first contraction in the country's history, due to a combination of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife. 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 a continuing economic downslide. Deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) by tankers have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country.
Electricity - consumption 6.156 billion kWh (2000) 27.9 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 6.619 billion kWh (2000) 30 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 32%


hydro: 68%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environment - international agreements party to: 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: Marine Life Conservation
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1% Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Exchange rates Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 93.383 (January 2002), 89.383 (2001), 77.005 (2000), 70.635 (1999), 64.450 (1998), 58.995 (1997) Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.0968 (November 2000), 5.0864 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997), 3.5664 (1996)
Executive branch chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government, in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist


head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government, in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 21 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2005)


election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA reelected president; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (PA) 51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (UNP) 42%, other 7%
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999)

head of government:
Prime Minister Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE (since 1 July 2000); Assistant Prime Minister Nathaniel WAENA (since 1 July 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Allan KEMAKEZA (since 1 July 2000); note - Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU was forced to resign his position in June 2000 following the armed takeover of the capital by elements supporting the opposition parties; Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE, who had been opposition leader, was then elected prime minister at a sitting of National Parliament on 30 June 2000

cabinet:
Cabinet 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
Exports $4.9 billion f.o.b. (2001) $165 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities textiles and apparel 15%, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra
Exports - partners US 39%, UK 13%, Middle East 8%, Germany 4%, Japan 4% (2000) Japan 35.5%, other Asian countries 47.3% (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $62.7 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $900 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 21%


industry: 27%


services: 52% (2000)
agriculture:
50%

industry:
3.5%

services:
46.5% (1995)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -1% (2001 est.) 1% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 7 00 N, 81 00 E 8 00 S, 159 00 E
Geography - note strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes -
Highways total: 11,285 km


paved: 10,721 km


unpaved: 564 km (1998 est.)
total:
1,360 km

paved:
34 km

unpaved:
1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 28% (1995)
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Imports $6 billion f.o.b. (2001) $152 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, textiles, petroleum, foodstuffs plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners Japan 9%, India 8%, Hong Kong 7%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 5% (2000) Australia 38.5%, Singapore 15%, Japan 10.6%, NZ 6.2% (1999)
Independence 4 February 1948 (from UK) 7 July 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 1.4% (2001) NA%
Industries rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco fish (tuna), mining, timber
Infant mortality rate 15.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 14.2% (2001 est.) 10% (1999 est.)
International organization participation AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 6,510 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president Court of Appeal
Labor force 6.6 million (1998) 26,842
Labor force - by occupation services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.) agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 13.43%


permanent crops: 15.78%


other: 70.79% (1998 est.)
arable land:
1%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
1%

forests and woodland:
88%

other:
9% (1993 est.)
Languages Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%


note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population

note:
120 indigenous languages
Legal system a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction English common law
Legislative branch unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by district to serve six-year terms)


elections: last held 7 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 46.8%, PA and EPDP 38%, JVP 9.1%, Tamil National Alliance 3.89%, PLOTE 0.19%; seats by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 114, PA and EPDP 79, JVP 16, Tamil National Alliance 15, PLOTE 1
unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.35 years


male: 69.83 years


female: 75 years (2002 est.)
total population:
71.55 years

male:
69.12 years

female:
74.1 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 90.2%


male: 93.4%


female: 87.2% (1995 est.)
definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Map references Asia Oceania
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

continental shelf:
200 NM

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 137,321 GRT/233,367 DWT


ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 15, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 9, Hong Kong 1, United Arab Emirates 1 (2002 est.)
none (2000 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $719 million (FY98) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 4.2% (FY98) NA%
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 5,347,153 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 4,148,825 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 193,522 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 4 February (1948) Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Nationality noun: Sri Lankan(s)


adjective: Sri Lankan
noun:
Solomon Islander(s)

adjective:
Solomon Islander
Natural hazards occasional cyclones and tornadoes typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Natural resources limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Net migration rate -1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987) -
Political parties and leaders All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon Workers Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D. GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF [Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Tilvan SILVA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Alliance or PA [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leader NA]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [Nadarajah RAVIRAJ]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [R. SAMPATHAN]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Upcountry People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either Parliament or provincial councils there are two main coalitions - Coalition for National Unity, Reconciliation, and Peace or CNURP and Alliance for Change; the CNURP took power on 30 June 2000, it comprises members of the Liberal Party, People's Alliance Party, and the United Party, as well as a number of independents; the Alliance for Change, represents the former government and now is the opposition; in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR [leader NA]; Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI [Francis SAEMALA]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [George LEPPING]; People's Progressive Party [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; United Party or UP [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups NA
Population 19,576,783


note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of mid-1999, approximately 66,000 were housed in 133 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2002 est.)
480,442 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 22% (1997 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0.85% (2002 est.) 2.98% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Radio broadcast stations AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 3.85 million (1997) 57,000 (1997)
Railways total: 1,463 km


broad gauge: 1,404 km 1.676-m gauge


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2001)
0 km
Religions Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999) Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4%
Sex ratio 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: 0.91 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas; likely improvement with privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good international service (1999)


domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999)


international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)
general assessment:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 494,509 (1998) 8,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 228,604 (1999) 658 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 21 (1997) 0 (1997)
Terrain mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Total fertility rate 1.93 children born/woman (2002 est.) 4.65 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.7% (2001) NA%
Waterways 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft) none
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.