Solomon Islands

Index

More Facts & Figures

Current government officials

Languages: English 1%–2% (official), Melanesian pidgin (lingua franca), 120 indigenous languages

Ethnicity/race: Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999)

Religions: Church of Melanesia 33%, Roman Catholic 19%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11%, United Church 10%, Christian Fellowship Church 2%, other Christian 4% (1999)

Literacy rate: n.a

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.): $1.747 billion; per capita $3,200. Real growth rate: 9.3%. Inflation: 7.4%. Unemployment: n.a. Arable land: 1%. Agriculture: cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish. Labor force: 202,500 (2007); agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.). Industries: fish (tuna), mining, timber. Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel. Exports: $226.5 million (2010 est.): timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa. Imports: $360.3 million (2010): food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals. Major trading partners: China, Thailand, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore (2011).

Member of British Commonwealth

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 8,400 (2009); mobile cellular: 30,000 (2009). Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998). Radios: 57,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997). Televisions: 3,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4,354 (2010). Internet users: 10,000 (2009).

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 1,360 km; paved: 33 km; unpaved: 1,327 km (2002 est.). Ports and harbors: Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulaghi. Airports: 36 (2012).

International disputes: none.

Major sources and definitions