Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Solomon Islands


Solomon Islands Population: 581,318
BackgroundThe 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 yrs later. Ethnic violence, government malfsance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore pce and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RA) has erally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.Map data ©2009 Europa Technologies - Terms of Use
GeographyStrategic loion on s routes between the South Pacific Ocn, the Solomon S, and the Coral S; on 2 April 2007 an unders rthquake msuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara, the resulting tsunami devastated coastal ars of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of dths and thousands disloed; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit.Loion:Ocnia, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocn, st of Papua New GuinGeographic coordinates:8 00 S, 159 00 r:total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
water: 910 sq kmSize comparison: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land Boundaries:0 kmCoastline:5,313 kmMaritime claims:msured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial s: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nmClimate:tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and wtherTerrain:mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atollsElevation extremes:lowest point: Pacific Ocn 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 mNatural resources:fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, ld, zinc, nickelLand use:arable land: 0.62%
permanent crops: 2.04%
other: 97.34% (2005)Irrigated land:NANatural hazards:typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent rthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamisCurrent Environment Issues:deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dd or dyingInternational Environment Agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertifiion, Environmental Modifiion, Law of the S, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
PeoplePopulation:581,318 (July 2008 est.)Age structure:0-14 yrs: 40.1% (male 118,856/female 114,173)
15-64 yrs: 56.5% (male 166,004/female 162,317)
65 yrs and over: 3.4% (male 9,487/female 10,481) (2008 est.)Median age:total: 19.4 yrs
male: 19.3 yrs
female: 19.6 yrs (2008 est.)Population growth rate:2.467% (2008 est.)Birth rate:28.48 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)Dth rate:3.81 dths/1,000 population (2008 est.)Net migration rate:NA (2008 est.)Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 yrs: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 yrs: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 yrs and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008 est.)Infant mortality rate:total: 19.67 dths/1,000 live births
male: 22.36 dths/1,000 live births
female: 16.84 dths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)Life expectancy at birth:total population: 73.44 yrs
male: 70.9 yrs
female: 76.1 yrs (2008 est.)Total fertility rate:3.65 children born/woman (2008 est.)HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NAHIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NAHIV/AIDS - dths:NANationality:noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon IslanderEthnic groups:Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)Religions:Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman holic 19%, South Ss 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)Languages:Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official; but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indious languagesLiteracy:NA
GovernmentCountry name:conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon IslandsGovernment type:parliamentary democracyCapital:name: Honiara
geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahd of Washington, DC during Standard Time)Administrative divisions:9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, WesternIndependence:7 July 1978 (from UK)National holiday:Independence Day, 7 July (1978)Constitution:7 July 1978Legal system:English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdictionSuffrage:21 yrs of age; universalExecutive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor eral Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)
hd of government: Prime Minister Derek SIKUA (since 20 December 2007); note - Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE defted 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 eral on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor eral appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five yrs (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the lder of the majority party or the lder of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor eral on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of ParliamentLegislative branch:unicameral National Parliament (50 sts; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-yr 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%; sts by party - National Party 4, SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2, independents 30Judicial branch:Court of ApplPolitical parties and lders: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 KENILOR]
note: in eral, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitionsPolitical pressure groups and lders:Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita gle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003International 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, WHO, WMO, WTODiplomatic 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) 661-8925Diplomatic representation from the US:the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guin is accredited to the Solomon Islands
EconomyThe bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at lst part of its livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as ld, zinc, nickel, and gold. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RA), severe ethnic violence, the closing of businesses, and an empty government trsury culminated in economic collapse. RA's efforts to restore law and order and economic stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.GDP (purchasing power parity):$1.126 billion (2008 est.)GDP (official exchange rate):$460 million (2008 est.)GDP - rl growth rate:10% (2008 est.)GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,900 (2008 est.)GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 42%
industry: 11%
services: 47% (2000 est.)Labor force:249,200 (1999)Labor force - by occupation:agriculture: 75%
industry: 5%
services: 20% (2000 est.)Unemployment rate:NA%Population below poverty line:NA%Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%Inflation rate (consumer prices):6.3% (2007 est.)Budget:revenues: $49.7 million
expenditures: $75.1 million (2003)Agriculture - products:
Industries:fish (tuna), mining, timberIndustrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:70 million kWh (2007 est.)Electricity - consumption:70 million kWh (2007 est.)Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2007 est.)Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2007 est.)Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2007 est.)Oil - consumption:1,320 bbl/day (2006 est.)Oil - exports:0 bbl/day (2005)Oil - imports:1,426 bbl/day (2005)Oil - proved reserves:0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - proved reserves:0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)Current account balance:-$143 million (2007 est.)Exports:$237 million f.o.b. (2006)Exports - commodities:timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoaExports - partners:China 50.8%, South Kor 7%, Thailand 6.5%, Japan 5.7%, Philippines 4.3% (2007)Imports:$256 million f.o.b. (2006)Imports - commodities:food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicalsImports - partners:Singapore 28.2%, Australia 25.4%, Japan 4.6%, NZ 4.5%, Fiji 4% (2007)Debt - external:$166 million (2004)Currency ():Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)Exchange rates:Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 7.3447 (2006), 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003)Fiscal yr:calendar yr
CommuniionsTele in use:7,600 (2006)Cellular in use:10,900 (2007)Telephone system:eral assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country - 677; satellite rth station - 1 sat (Pacific Ocn)Radio broadcast stations:AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)Television broadcast stations:
Internet country :.sbInternet hosts:3,804 (2008)Internet users:8,000 (2006)
TransportationAirports:35 (2007)Airports (paved runways):total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)Airports (unpaved runways):total: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 23 (2007)Heliports:3 (2007)Roadways:total: 1,360 km
paved: 33 km
unpaved: 1,327 km
note: includes 800 km of private plantation roads (2002)Ports and terminals:Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor
Military
Military branches:no regular military forces; Solomon Islands Police Force (2009)Manpower available for military service:males age 16-49: 141,051 (2008 est.)Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 116,891 (2008 est.)

No comments:

Post a Comment