Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare announced inSeptember 2016 the imminent completion of ananticorruption strategy ahead of anticorruption leg-

islation expected to pass in 2017. Sogavare had withdrawna related bill earlier in the year. In August he proposedusing traditional forms of governance to solve problemssuch as land-use disputes. In July ceremonies were heldto celebrate the reconciliation of the country’s ethnicgroups after hostilities in1998–2003; the violence in thatperiod led to the decade-longresidence of foreign police,who were to restore stability.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 population (2015): 25.8(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000 population (2015): 3.9(world avg. 8.1).

Natural increase rate per 1,000 population(2015): 21.9 (world avg. 11.4).

Life expectancy at birth (2015): male 72.5years; female 77.9 years.

DemographyPopulation (2016): 658,000.Density (2016): persons per sq mi 60.1,persons per sq km 23.2.

Sex distribution (2014): male 51.07%;female 48.93%.

Population projection: (2020) 710,000;(2030) 837,000.

Major towns (2010): Honiara63,300; Auki 6,800; Munda4,900; Gizo 4,500; Uruuru 3,300.

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, 2016) 1 U.S.$ = SBD 7.79; 1 £ = SBD 10.35.

Ethnic composition (2009):

Age breakdown (2015):

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: SBD 1,704,800,000 (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: SBD 1,701,600,000 (current expenditure83.9%; capital expenditure 16.1%).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$89,569,000.Gross national income (GNI; 2015): U.S.$1,134,000,000(U.S.$1,940 per capita); purchasing power parity GNI(U.S.$2,180 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 (2014): coconuts 384,000, palm fruit oil

233,110, sweet potatoes 102,180, yams 43,700, taro 43,700, cacao beans4,6004, rice 3,940, cassava 3,020, tobacco 1094; livestock (number of liveanimals) 55,000 pigs, 15,000 cattle, 240,000 chickens; roundwood (2015)2,477,434 cu m, of which fuelwood 5%; fisheries production 71,297 (fromaquaculture, negligible); aquatic plants production 18,000 (from aquacul-ture 100%). Mining and quarrying (2013): gold 1,886 kg. Manufacturing(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: fossil fuels100%; coal, none (none); crude petroleum, none (none); petroleum prod-ucts (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 (2015):

no military (police force only).

Foreign tradeImports (2014): SBD 3,392,687,000 (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): SBD 3,354,361,000 (logs 58.3%,fish 13.7%, palm oil and kernels 7.1%,minerals5 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 (2015) 15.7; 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. 42013. 5Primarily gold. 6Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• Solomon Islands National Statistics Office www.statistics.gov.sb• Central Bank of Solomon Islands www.cbsi.com.sb

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 2015 4246 7276

Landline 2015 7.5 1.3

Internet users 2009 10 19Broadband 2015 1.46 2.46

T he cocoa bean produced by the Solomon Islandswas recognized as one of the world’s best in 2015.

The Solomon Islands entry was one of 17 to receive anInternational Cocoa Award.

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