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Solomon Islands

former: British Solomon Islands


 
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© 1996-2006
Bob Starkgraf

INTRODUCTION

Background:
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. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society.
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GEOGRAPHY

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 159 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 28,450 sq km
water: 910 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
5,313 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM
Climate:
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Natural resources:
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 1.5%
permanent crops: 0.64%
other: 97.86% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environment - international agreements:
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
Geography - note:
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
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PEOPLE

Population:
509,190 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 111,333; female 107,062)
15-64 years: 54% (male 139,072; female 135,721)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,754; female 8,248) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.2 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 18.3 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
2.83% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
32.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
4.12 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 26.03 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.1 years
male: 69.64 years
female: 74.68 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
Religions:
Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4%
Languages:
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population
note: 120 indigenous languages
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
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