The Solomon Islands was among the beneficiaries of$450 million in aid pledged by Japan in May 2015to Pacific Island countries that were threatened by

rising sea levels because of climate change. A program totrain cacao farmers in chocolate-making began during thesummer. It was hoped that the program would allow thefarmers to generate more revenue by exporting a special-ty product rather than shipping their cocoa beans over-seas. In November the High Courtruled that bauxite mining couldresume on Rennell Island, after ahiatus during which local authori-ties questioned the legality of themining companies’ claims.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 population (2013): 26.9(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000 population (2013): 3.9(world avg. 8.1).

Natural increase rate per 1,000 population(2013): 23.0 (world avg. 11.4).

Life expectancy at birth (2013): male 72.1years; female 77.4 years.

DemographyPopulation (2015): 674,000.Density (2015): persons per sq mi61.5, persons per sq km 23.8.

Sex distribution (2014): male51.07%; female 48.93%.

Population projection: (2020)724,000; (2030) 912,000.

Major towns (2010): Honiara63,300; Auki 6,800; Munda4,900; Gizo 4,500; Uruuru3,300.

Urban-rural (2014):

Solomon Islands

Official name: Solomon Islands.Form of government: constitutionalmonarchy with one legislative house(National Parliament [50]).

Head of state: British Monarch, QueenElizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Sir Frank Kabui.

Head of government: Prime MinisterManasseh Sogavare.

Capital: Honiara.Official language: English.Official religion: none.Monetary unit: Solomon Islands dollar

(SBD); valuation (Sept. 1, 2015) 1 U.S.$ = SBD7.97; 1 £ = SBD12.22.

Ethnic composition (2009):

Age breakdown (2014):

Religious affiliation (2009):

Area and population area population

2009Provinces Capitals sq mi sq km census

Central Islands Tulagi 237 615 26,051Choiseul Taro 1,482 3,837 26,372Guadalcanal Honiara 2,060 5,336 93,613Isabel Buala 1,597 4,136 26,158Makira-Ulawa Kirakira 1,231 3,188 40,419Malaita Auki 1,631 4,225 137,596Rennell and Bellona Tigoa 259 671 3,041Temotu Santa Cruz 334 865 21,362Western Gizo 2,114 5,475 76,649

Capital TerritoryHoniara — 9 22 64,609TOTAL 10,954 28,370 515,870

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National economyBudget (2009). Revenue: SBD1,704,800,000 (tax revenue 76.7%, of which

VAT 21.5%, corporate tax 13.0%, logging duties 9.7%,import duties 7.5%; grants 12.7%; nontax revenue 10.6%).Expenditures: SBD1,701,600,000 (current expenditure83.9%; capital expenditure 16.1%).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2013): U.S.$101,000,000.Gross national income (GNI; 2014): U.S.$1,048,000,000(U.S.$1,830 per capita); purchasing power parity GNI(U.S.$2,020 per capita).

Average household size (2009): 5.5.Population economically active (2014): total 240,000; partici-pation rates (2009): age 12 and over, male 63.5%; female62.2%; unemployed 2.0%.

Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2013): coconuts 410,000, oil palm fruit

240,000, sweet potatoes 100,000, yams 45,000, taro 42,500, cacao beans4,6004, rice 4,200, cassava 3,000, tobacco 1094; livestock (number of liveanimals) 54,500 pigs, 15,000 cattle, 240,000 chickens; roundwood 2,261,423cu m, of which fuelwood 6%; fisheries production (2012) 38,771 (fromaquaculture, negligible); aquatic plants production (2012) 13,000 (fromaquaculture 100%). Mining and quarrying (2005): gold 10 kg5. Manufac-turing (2009): vegetable oils and fats (2002) 50,000, palm oil 23,204, copra21,973, cocoa 4,671, coconut oil 634. Energy production (consumption):electricity (kW-hr; 2013) 81,000,000 (61,000,000), by source (2012): fossilfuels 100%; coal, none (none); crude petroleum, none (none); petroleumproducts (metric tons; 2011) none (64,000); natural gas, none (none).

Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or left fallow0.6%, in permanent crops 2.3%, in pasture 0.3%, forest area 78.9%.

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (2014):

no military (police force only).

Foreign tradeImports (2014): SBD3,392,687,000 (machineryand transport equipment 29.3%, food and liveanimals 24.5%, mineral fuels 22.9%, basic man-ufactures 15.9%, chemicals 6.3%). Major import sources (2013):

Exports (2014): SBD3,354,361,000 (logs 58.3%,fish 13.7%, palm oil and kernels 7.1%,minerals6 6.3%, reexports 5.9%). Major export destinations (2013):

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads: none. Roads (2011):total length 864 mi, 1,390 km (paved2%). Vehicles (1993): passenger cars2,052; trucks and buses 2,574.

Education and healthLiteracy (2009): percentage of total population age 15and over literate 84.1%; males literate 88.9%; femalesliterate 79.2%.

Health: physicians (2009) 112 (1 per 4,563 persons); hos-pital beds (2005) 691 (1 per 682 persons); infant mor-tality rate per 1,000 live births (2013) 16.7; undernour-ished population (2006–08) c. 100,000 (11% of totalpopulation based on the consumption of a minimumdaily requirement of 1,730 calories).

1Persons employed in the monetary sector only. 2Taxes on products less subsidies and less imputed bank charges.3Detail does not add to total given because of rounding. 42012. 5Production at the country’s only gold mine was sus-pended from 2000 because of lawlessness but resumed in 2007. 6Primarily gold. 7Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• Central Bank of Solomon Islands www.cbsi.com.sb• Solomon Islands National Statistics Office www.spc.int/prism/solomons/

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2006 2004

in value % of total labour % of labourSBD’000,000 value force1 force1

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1,217.4 35.0 14,938 28.7Mining and quarrying 1.7 —

1,476 2.8Manufacturing 165.5 4.8Construction 18.8 0.5 1,397 2.7Public utilities 44.6 1.3 469 0.9Transportation and

communications 322.2 9.3 1,246 2.4Trade, hotels 477.9 13.8 3,274 6.3Finance, real estate 492.6 14.2 806 1.5Pub. admin., defense 238.1 6.9 6,758 13.0Services 435.8 12.5 21,757 41.7Other 60.52 1.72 … …TOTAL 3,475.33 100.0 52,121 100.0

}

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2014 3777 6587

Landline 2014 7.6 1.3

Internet users 2009 10 19Broadband 2014 1.37 2.17

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare addresses the UNSustainable Development Summit on September 27 on theinclusion of the summit’s goals into its national develop-ment plans.Craig Ruttle/AP Images

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