e-agriculture 2.0

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, endemic crime, and a narrow economic base 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 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.

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea

8 00 S, 159 00 E

Oceania

slightly smaller than Maryland

0 km

5,313 km

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

arable land 0.7%; permanent crops 2.9%; permanent pasture 0.3%

NA

44.7 cu km (2011)

typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis

deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

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

Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)

Melanesian pidgin (in much of the country is lingua franca), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages

Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, none 0.03%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)

622,469 (July 2015 est.)

2.02% (2015 est.)

25.77 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

-1.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

HONIARA (capital) 73,000 (2014)

3.28 children born/woman (2015 est.)

34.6% (2006/07)

5.1% of GDP (2013)

0.22 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)

urban: 93.2% of population

rural: 77.2% of population

total: 80.8% of population

urban: 6.8% of population

rural: 22.8% of population

total: 19.2% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 81.4% of population

rural: 15% of population

total: 29.8% of population

urban: 18.6% of population

rural: 85% of population

total: 70.2% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

25% (2014)

11.5% (2007)

9.9% of GDP (2010)

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western

7 July 1978 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978; amended several times, last in 2010 (2012)

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

21 years of age; universal

Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Steve ABANA]

Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KPSI [Alfred LEGUA]

People's Alliance Party or PAP [Nathaniel WAENA]

Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP [Jimmie RODGERS]

Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Manasseh MAELANGA]

United Democratic Party [Thomas Ko CHAN]

Isatabu Freedom Movement or IFM

Malaita Eagle Force or MEF

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands

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 represents the ocean; green the land; and yellow sunshine; the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands

national colors: blue, yellow, green, white

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.

$1.09 billion (2014 est.)

$1.074 billion (2013 est.)

$1.042 billion (2012 est.)

$1.155 billion (2014 est.)

1.5% (2014 est.)

3% (2013 est.)

4.7% (2012 est.)

$1,900 (2014 est.)

$1,900 (2013 est.)

$1,800 (2012 est.)

4.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

10.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

18.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, fruit; cattle, pigs; fish; timber

fish (tuna), mining, timber

-0.4% (2014 est.)

202,500 (2007 est.)

NA%

NA%

38.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

0% of GDP (2014 est.)

calendar year

5.1% (2014 est.) 6.7% (2013 est.)

10.9% (31 December 2014 est.)

10.77% (31 December 2013 est.)

$404.9 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$366.7 million (31 December 2013 est.)

$452.1 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$467.9 million (31 December 2013 est.)

$27.51 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$24.46 million (31 December 2013 est.)

-$98 million (2014 est.)

-$1.2 million (2012 est.)

$493.1 million (2012 est.)

$439.8 million (2011 est.)

timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa

China 55.5%, Australia 13.6%, Italy 4.3% (2013)

$446 million (2012 est.)

$462.8 million (2012 est.)

food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals

Australia 27.2%, Singapore 24.1%, China 7%, Malaysia 4.2%, NZ 4.2% (2013)

$255.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$228.1 million (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.088 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.01 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$35.8 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$35.8 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -

7.329 (2014 est.)

7.3021 (2013 est.)

7.36 (2012 est.)

7.6413 (2011 est.)

8.0645 (2010 est.)

85 million kWh (2011 est.)

79.05 million kWh (2011 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

36,000 kW (2011 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

1,870 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

1,463 bbl/day (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (2012 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

266,000 Mt (2012 est.)

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the sole TV broadcaster with 1 station; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite feed (2009)

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)

.sb

36 (2013)

24 (2013)

3 (2013)

no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2013)