Youth for Christ ministry in the Solomon Islands is still in the target stage. This means key contacts have been identified, and a ministry plan is being developed but ministry has not yet commenced.

About Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Map of Solomon Islands

Introduction

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.

Geography

Location

Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic Coordinates: 8 00 S, 159 00 E

Area

Total Area: 28,896 sq km Rank: 143
Land Area: 27,986 sq km
Water Area: 910 sq km
Comparison: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land Boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 5,313 km
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevations

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: 0.62%
Permanent Crops: 2.04%
Other: 97.34% (2005)
Irrigated Land: NA
Renewable Water Resources: 44.7 cu km (1987)

Environment

Natural Hazards: typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis
Environmental Issues: deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environmental Agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

Geography Notes

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: 595,613 (July 2010 est.) Rank: 167

Age Structure

0-14 years: 39.5% (male 119,875/female 115,127)
15-64 years: 57.1% (male 171,792/female 168,023)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 9,849/female 10,947) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 20.4 years

Population Growth

Growth Rate: 2.392% (2010 est.) Rank: 36
Birth Rate: 27.69 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 56
Death Rate: 3.77 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 208
Net Migration Rate: NA (2009 est.)

Urbanization

Urban Population: 18% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: 4.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Life and Death

Infant Mortality Rate: 19.03 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 105
Life Expectancy at Birth: 73.69 years Rank: 103
Fertility Rate: 3.39 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 55

Health and Disease

HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate NA
People living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS Deaths: NA

Nationality and Culture

Noun: Solomon Islander(s)
Adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic Groups: Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)
Religion: 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

Education

Literacy: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 8 years Male: 9 years Female: 8 years (2005)
Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (1999) Rank: 137

Government

Country Name

Conventional Long Form: none
Conventional Short Form: Solomon Islands
Local Long Form: none
Local Short Form: Solomon Islands
Formerly: British Solomon Islands
Government Type: parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital: Honiara Geographic Coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E

Administrative divisions

9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution: 7 July 1978
Legal system: English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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

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 - Solomon Islands Democratic Party 13, Our Party 3, Reformed Democratic Party 3, Independent Democratic Party 2, PAP 2, SIPRA 2, Peoples Congress Party 1, Peoples Federation Party 1, Rural Development Party 1, Rural and Urban Political Party 1, Solomon Islands Liberal Party 1, Solomon Islands National Party 1, independents 19

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal

Politics

Political parties and leaders: Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]
Note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
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
International Organization Participation: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
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
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

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.

Gross Domestic Product

GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.497 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 194
GDP - real growth rate: -2.3% (2009 est.) Rank: 151
GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,500 (2009 est.) Rank: 175
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 42% Industry: 11% Services: 47% (2005 est.)

Labor Force

Labor Force: 202,500 (2007) Rank: 168
Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 75% Industry: 5% Services: 20% (2000 est.)
Unemployment Rate: NA

Poverty

Population below poverty line: NA
note: includes 800 km of private plantation roads (2002)

Transnational Issues

International Disputes: 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 5,400 (displaced by tsunami on 2 April 2007) (2007)

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