bp.json

{"code":"bp","name":"Solomon Islands","region":"Australia-Oceania","background":"The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, 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 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.","geo":{"Location":"Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea","Geographic coordinates":{"S":{"deg":8,"min":0},"E":{"deg":159,"min":0}},"Map references":{},"Area":{"total":{"quantity":28896,"unit":"sq km"},"country comparison to the world":"","land":{"quantity":27986,"unit":"sq km"},"water":{"quantity":910,"unit":"sq km"}},"Area - comparative":"slightly smaller than Maryland","Land boundaries":{"quantity":0,"unit":"km"},"Coastline":{"quantity":5313,"unit":"km"},"Maritime claims":{"Maritime claims":"measured from claimed archipelagic baselines","territorial sea":{"quantity":12,"unit":"nm"},"exclusive economic zone":{"quantity":200,"unit":"nm"},"continental shelf":{"quantity":200,"unit":"nm"}},"Terrain":"mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls","Elevation extremes":{"lowest point":"Pacific Ocean 0 m","highest point":"Mount Popomanaseu 2,310 m"},"Land use":{"arable land":{"quantity":0.62,"unit":"%"},"permanent crops":{"quantity":2.04,"unit":"%"},"other":{"quantity":97.34,"unit":"%"}},"Irrigated land":"NA","Total renewable water resources":{"quantity":44.7,"unit":"cu km"},"Natural hazards":{"Natural hazards":"typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis","volcanism":"Tinakula (elev. 851 m) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (elev. 485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal"},"internationalEnvironmentAgreements":{"signed, but not ratified":"none of the selected agreements","partyTo":["Biodiversity","Climate Change","Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol","Desertification","Environmental Modification","Law of the Sea","Marine Dumping","Marine Life Conservation","Ozone Layer Protection","Whaling"]},"naturalResources":["fish","forests","gold","bauxite","phosphates","lead","zinc","nickel"],"environmentalIssues":["deforestation","soil erosion","many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying"],"climate":["tropical monsoon","few extremes of temperature and weather"],"geographyNote":["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"]},"people":{"Population":571890,"Age structure":{"0-14 years":{"quantity":37.8,"unit":"%"},"15-64 years":{"quantity":58.3,"unit":"%"},"65 years and over":"3.9% (male 10,879/female 11,356) (2011 est.)"},"Median age":{"total":{"quantity":20.9,"unit":"years"},"male":{"quantity":20.7,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":21.1,"unit":"years"}},"Population growth rate":{"quantity":2.22,"unit":"%"},"Birth rate":{"quantity":28.03,"unit":"births/1,000 population"},"Death rate":{"quantity":3.93,"unit":"deaths/1,000 population"},"Net migration rate":"-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)","Urbanization":{"urban population":{"quantity":19,"unit":"% of total population"},"rate of urbanization":{"quantity":4.2,"unit":"% annual rate of change"}},"Major cities - population":"HONIARA (capital) 72,000 (2009)","Sex ratio":{"at birth":{"quantity":1.05,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"under 15 years":{"quantity":1.04,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"15-64 years":{"quantity":1.02,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"65 years and over":{"quantity":0.89,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"total population":{"quantity":1.02,"unit":"male(s)/female"}},"Infant mortality rate":{"total":{"quantity":17.82,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"},"country comparison to the world":"","male":{"quantity":20.29,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"},"female":{"quantity":15.23,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"}},"Life expectancy at birth":{"total population":{"quantity":74.18,"unit":"years"},"country comparison to the world":"","male":{"quantity":71.6,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":76.89,"unit":"years"}},"Total fertility rate":{"quantity":3.59,"unit":"children born/woman"},"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":"NA","HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":"NA","HIV/AIDS - deaths":"NA","Drinking water source":{},"Sanitation facility access":{},"Nationality":{"noun":"Solomon Islander(s)","adjective":"Solomon Islander"},"Literacy":"NA","School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{"total":{"quantity":9,"unit":"years"},"male":{"quantity":9,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":9,"unit":"years"}},"Education expenditures":"NA","ethnicGroups":["Melanesian 94.5%","Polynesian 3%","Micronesian 1.2%","other 1.1%","unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)"],"religions":["Church of Melanesia 32.8%","Roman Catholic 19%","South Seas 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 indigenous languages"]},"government":{"Country name":{"conventional long form":"none","conventional short form":"Solomon Islands","local long form":"none","local short form":"Solomon Islands","former":"British Solomon Islands"},"Government type":"parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm","Capital":{"name":"Honiara","geographic coordinates":{"S":{"deg":9,"min":26},"E":{"deg":159,"min":57}},"time difference":"UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)"},"Independence":"7 July 1978 (from the UK)","National holiday":"Independence Day, 7 July (1978)","Legal system":"mixed legal system of English common law and customary law","International law organization participation":"has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt","Suffrage":"21 years of age; universal","Executive branch":{"chief of state":"Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Frank KABUI (since 7 July 2009)","head of government":"Prime Minister Danny PHILIP (since 25 August 2010)","cabinet":"Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of parliament","elections":"the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of parliament for up to five years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition 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"},"Legislative branch":{"Legislative branch":"unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)","elections":"last held on 4 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)","election results":"percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SIDP 14, OUR 4, SIPRA 3, RDP 3, IDP 2, DDP 2, PCP 1, PFP 1, RUPP 1, SILP 1, SINP 1, independents 17"},"Judicial branch":"Court of Appeal","Political parties and leaders":{"Political parties and leaders":"Direct Development Party or DDP [Dick HA'AMORI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [James MEKAB]; People's Congress Party or PCP [Fred FONO]; People's Federation Party or PFP [Rudolf DORA]; Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Part or OUR [Manasseh SOGAVARE]; Reform Democratic Party or RDP [Danny PHILLIP]; Rural and Urban Political Party or RUPP [Samuel MANETOALI]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party or SIDP [Steve ABANA]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party or SILP [Derek SIKUA]; Solomon Islands National Party or SINP [Francis HILLY]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]"},"Political pressure groups and leaders":"Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003","Diplomatic 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) 661-8925"},"Diplomatic representation from the US":"the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands","Flag description":"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 anthem":{"name":"\"God Save Our Solomon Islands\"","lyrics/music":"Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA"},"Government - note":"by the end of 2007, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) - originally made up of police and troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga - had been scaled back to 303 police officers, 197 civilian technical advisers, and 72 military advisers from 15 countries across the region","internationalOrganizations":["ACP","ADB","AOSIS","C","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"],"administrativeDivisions":["9 provinces and 1 capital territory*","Central","Choiseul","Guadalcanal","Honiara*","Isabel","Makira","Malaita","Rennell and Bellona","Temotu","Western"]},"economy":{"Economy - overview":"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 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.","GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"usd":1627000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"GDP (official exchange rate)":{"usd":712000000},"GDP - real growth rate":{"quantity":5.6,"unit":"%"},"GDP - per capita (PPP)":{"GDP - per capita (PPP)":{"usd":null},"country comparison to the world":""},"GDP - composition by sector":{"agriculture":{"quantity":42,"unit":"%"},"industry":{"quantity":11,"unit":"%"},"services":{"quantity":47,"unit":"%"}},"Labor force":202500,"Labor force - by occupation":{"agriculture":{"quantity":75,"unit":"%"},"industry":{"quantity":5,"unit":"%"},"services":{"quantity":20,"unit":"%"}},"Unemployment rate":"NA%","Population below poverty line":"NA%","Household income or consumption by percentage share":{"lowest 10%":"NA%","highest 10%":"NA%"},"Budget":{"revenues":{"usd":49700000},"expenditures":{"usd":75100000}},"Inflation rate (consumer prices)":{"quantity":6.3,"unit":"%"},"Commercial bank prime lending rate":{"quantity":15.26,"unit":"%"},"Stock of narrow money":{"usd":139900000},"Stock of broad money":{"usd":227100000},"Stock of domestic credit":{"usd":221900000},"Industrial production growth rate":"NA%","Electricity - production":{"quantity":71000000,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - consumption":{"quantity":66030000,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - exports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - imports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"kWh"},"Oil - production":{"quantity":0,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - consumption":{"quantity":2000,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - exports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - imports":{"quantity":1323,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - proved reserves":{"quantity":0,"unit":"bbl"},"Natural gas - production":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - consumption":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - exports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - imports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - proved reserves":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Current account balance":"$-143 million (2007 est.)","Exports":{"usd":237000000},"Imports":{"usd":256000000},"Debt - external":{"usd":166000000},"Exchange rates":"Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -","industries":["fish (tuna), mining, timber"],"agricultureProducts":["cocoa beans","coconuts","palm kernels","rice","potatoes","vegetables","fruit","timber","cattle","pigs","fish"],"exportCommodities":["timber","fish","copra","palm oil","cocoa"],"exportPartners":["China 54.07%","South Korea 6.19%","Philippines 6.04%","Spain 4.87%"],"importCommodities":["food","plant and equipment","manufactured goods","fuels","chemicals"],"importPartners":["Singapore 24.69%","Australia 23.06%","NZ 5.2%","Fiji 4.47%","Papua New Guinea 4.34%","Malaysia 3.98%"]},"communications":{"Telephones - main lines in use":8200,"Telephones - mobile cellular":30000,"Telephone system":{"general assessment":"NA","domestic":"mobile-cellular telephone density is about 5 telephones per 100 persons","international":"country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)"},"Broadcast media":"Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) is the sole TV broadcaster with 1 station; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC, the public service broadcaster, operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations operating; Radio Australia is obtainable via satellite feed (2009)","Internet country code":".sb","Internet hosts":4065,"Internet users":10000},"transport":{"Airports":36,"Airports - with paved runways":{"total":2,"1,524 to 2,437 m":1,"914 to 1,523 m":1},"Airports - with unpaved runways":{"total":34,"1,524 to 2,437 m":1,"914 to 1,523 m":8,"under 914 m":25},"Heliports":3,"Roadways":{"total":{"quantity":1360,"unit":"km"},"country comparison to the world":"","paved":{"quantity":33,"unit":"km"},"unpaved":{"quantity":1327,"unit":"km"}},"Ports and terminals":"Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi"},"military":{"Military branches":"no regular military forces; Solomon Islands Police Force (2009)","Manpower available for military service":{"males age 16-49":142913},"Manpower fit for military service":{"males age 16-49":118921,"females age 16-49":118164},"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{"male":6483,"female":6098},"Military expenditures":{"quantity":3,"unit":"% of GDP"}},"issues":{"Refugees and internally displaced persons":{"IDPs":"5,400 (displaced by tsunami on 2 April 2007) (2007)"},"internationalDisputes":["since 2003, RAMSI, consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn from 15 countries, has assisted in reestablishing and maintaining civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and security"]}}