Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/217.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 7.8 KB | 320 lines

@node Geography (Solomon Islands)
@section Geography (Solomon Islands)

@display

Location:
  Oceania, just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
Map references:
  Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  28,450 km2
 land area:
  27,540 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  5,313 km
Maritime claims:
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Terrain:
  mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Natural resources:
  fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates
Land use:
 arable land:
  1%
 permanent crops:
  1%
 meadows and pastures:
  1%
 forest and woodland:
  93%
 other:
  4%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  subject to typhoons, which are rarely destructive; geologically active
  region with frequent earth tremors
Note:
  located just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean



@end display

@node People (Solomon Islands)
@section People (Solomon Islands)

@display

Population:
  372,746 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.46% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  39.37 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  4.76 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  29 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  70.13 years
 male:
  67.73 years
 female:
  72.65 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  5.88 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Solomon Islander(s)
 adjective:
  Solomon Islander
Ethnic divisions:
  Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese
  0.3%, other 0.4%
Religions:
  Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United
  (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%
Languages:
  Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by
  1-2% of population
 note:
  120 indigenous languages
Literacy:
 total population:
  NA%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  23,448 economically active
 by occupation:
  agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%, services 25%, construction,
  manufacturing, and mining 7.0%, commerce, transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)



@end display

@node Government (Solomon Islands)
@section Government (Solomon Islands)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Solomon Islands
 former:
  British Solomon Islands
Digraph:
  BP
Type:
  parliamentary democracy
Capital:
  Honiara
Administrative divisions:
  7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira,,   Malaita, Temotu,
Western
Independence:
  7 July 1978 (from UK)
Constitution:
  7 July 1978
Legal system:
  common law
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Political parties and leaders:
  People's Alliance Party (PAP); United Party (UP), leader NA; Solomon Islands
  Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU; Nationalist Front for Progress
  (NFP), Andrew NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU
Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal
Elections:
 National Parliament:
  last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held 26 May 1993); results - percent
  of vote by party NA; seats - (38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2,
  independents 9
Executive branch:
  British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Parliament
Judicial branch:
  High Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
  Sir George LEPPING (since 27 June 1989, previously acted as governor general
  since 7 July 1988)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 28 March 1989); Deputy Prime Minister
  Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since NA October 1990)
Member of:
  ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  IOC, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:  chief of mission:
  (vacant); ambassador traditionally resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)
US diplomatic representation:
  Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND
 embassy:
  Mud Alley, Honiara



@end display

@node Government (Solomon Islands 2. usage)
@section Government (Solomon Islands 2. usage)

@display

 mailing address:
  American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara
 telephone:
  (677) 23890
 FAX:
  (677) 23488
Flag:
  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



@end display

@node Economy (Solomon Islands)
@section Economy (Solomon Islands)

@display

Overview:
  About 90% of the population depend on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and
  forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Agriculture, fishing, and
  forestry contribute about 70% to GDP, with the fishing and forestry sectors
  being important export earners. The service sector contributes about 25% to
  GDP. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The
  islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc,
  nickel, and gold. The economy suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986
  that caused widespread damage to the infrastructure.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $200 million (1990 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  6% (1990 est.)
National product per capita:
  $600 (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  14.3% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  revenues $48 million; expenditures $107 million, including capital
  expenditures of $45 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
  $74.2 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%
 partners:
  Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)
Imports:
  $87.1 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%
 partners:
  Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia 4%, Hong Kong 4%,
  China 3% (1985)
External debt:
  $128 million (1988 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 0% (1987); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
  21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
  copra, fish (tuna)
Agriculture:
  including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 70% of GDP; mostly
  subsistence farming; cash crops - cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels,
  timber; other products - rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs;
  not self-sufficient in food grains; 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500
  metric tons was exported (1988)
Economic aid:
  Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89),
  $250 million
Currency:
  1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1 - 3.1211 (January 1993), 2.9281
  (1992), 2.7148 (1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Solomon Islands)
@section Communications (Solomon Islands)

@display

Highways:
  about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km paved, 290 km gravel, 980 km earth, 800
  private logging and plantation roads of varied construction
Ports:
  Honiara, Ringi Cove
Airports:
 total:
  30
 usable:
  29
 with permanent-surface runways:
  2
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  3
Telecommunications:
  3,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean
  INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Solomon Islands)
@section Defense Forces (Solomon Islands)

@display

Branches:
  Police Force
Manpower availability:
  NA
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP



@end display