SOLOMON ISLANDS

CAPITAL: Honiara

FLAG: The flag consists of two triangles, the upper one blue, the lower one green, separated by a diagonal gold stripe; on the blue triangle are five white, five-pointed stars.

ANTHEM: God Save the Queen.

MONETARY UNIT: The Solomon Islands dollar (si$), a paper currency of 100 cents, was introduced in 1977, replacing the Australian dollar, and became the sole legal tender in 1978. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents and 1 dollar, and notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 dollars. si$1 = us$0.13361 (or us$1 = si$7.4847) as of 2004.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is in force.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Queen's Birthday, celebrated as a movable holiday in June; Independence Day, 7 July; Christmas, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable religious holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Whitmonday.

TIME: 11 pm = noon GMT.

LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT

The Solomon Islands consist of a chain of six large and numerous small islands situated in the South Pacific, some 1,900 km (1,200 mi) ne of Australia and about 485 km (300 mi) e of Papua New Guinea. Extending 1,688 km (1,049 mi) ese–wnw and 468 km (291 mi) nne–ssw, the Solomon Islands have an area of 28,450 sq km (10,985 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by the Solomon Islands is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland. The largest island is Guadalcanal, covering 5,302 sq km (2,047 sq mi); other major islands are Makira (formerly Malaita), San Cristobal, Vella Lavella, Choiseul, Rennell, New Georgia, and the Santa Cruz group. The total coastline of the Solomon Islands is 5,313 km (3,301 mi).

The capital city of the Solomon Islands, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal.

TOPOGRAPHY

The topography varies from the volcanic peaks of Guadalcanal to low-lying coral atolls. Densely forested mountain ranges are intersected by precipitous, narrow valleys. The highest peak is Mt. Makarakomburu, at 2,447 m (8,127 ft), on Guadalcanal, an island that also contains the country's most extensive alluvial grass plains. Rivers are narrow and impassable except by canoe. Extensive coral reefs and lagoons surround the island coasts.

The Solomon Islands are located in a seismically active region. However, though recent quakes have been measured in ranges considered to be strong to major, there have been few fatalities and injuries and damage reports have be minimal. On 20 January 2003, a 7.3-magnitude quake occurred at a location about 80 mi (130 km) west of Kira Kira. On 8 October 2004, a 6.8 magnitude quake hit at about 95 mi (155 km) southeast of Kira Kira. Another 6.9-magnitude quake hit around the same region on 9 November 2004, followed by a 6.7 quake on 11 November.

CLIMATE

The climate is tropical. From December to March, northwest equatorial winds bring hot weather and heavy rainfall; from April to November, the islands are cooled by drier southeast trade winds. Damaging cyclones occasionally strike during the rainy season. The annual mean temperature is 27°c (81°f); annual rainfall averages 305 cm (120 in), and humidity is about 80%.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Dense rain forest covers about 90% of the islands, with extensive mangrove swamps and coconut palms along the coasts. Other tree species include teak, African and Honduras mahogany balsa, and Queensland maple. The islands abound in small reptiles (about 61 species), birds (163 breeding species), and mammals (53 species), as well as insect life. There are over 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers.

ENVIRONMENT

Most of the coral reefs surrounding the islands are dead or dying. As an island nation, the Solomon Islands are concerned with the effects of global warming and rising sea levels. Deforestation is another significant environmental problem. The related problem of soil erosion threatens the country's agricultural productivity. Sources of water pollution include sewage, pesticides, and mining by-products.

According to a 2006 report issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), threatened species includes 20 types of mammals, 21 species of birds, 4 types of reptiles, 2 species of amphibians, 5 species of fish, 2 types of mollusks, 4 species of other invertebrates, and 16 species of plants. Threatened species include the gizo white-eye and the hawksbill, green sea, and leatherback turtles. The Solomon Islands' crowned pigeon, the emperor rat, and the Nendo tubenosed fruit bat have become extinct.

POPULATION

The population of the Solomon Islands in 2005 was estimated by the United Nations (UN) at 472,000, which placed it at number 162 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In 2005, approximately 3% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 40% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 107 males for every 100 females in the country. According to the UN, the annual population rate of change for 2005–10 was expected to be 2.6%, a rate the government viewed as too high. Despite declines in fertility rate since the mid-1990s, at 4.7 births per woman, it remains one of the highest among Pacific Island nations. The projected population for the year 2025 was 700,000. The overall population density was 16 per sq km (42 per sq mi), but there are significant variations from island to island. The most populous islands are Malaita and Guadalcanal. Moreover, most mountainous and heavily wooded areas are inaccessible (except to tribal groups of the interior), and most of the population is concentrated in the coastal regions.

The UN estimated that 16% of the population lived in urban areas in 2005 and that urban areas were growing at an annual rate of 4.48%. The capital city, Honiara, had a population of 56,000 in that year. Honiara, on Guadalcanal, is the largest town and chief port.

MIGRATION

Since 1955, immigrants from the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati) have settled in underpopulated areas. Movements from the countryside to Honiara and northern Guadalcanal have created problems of overcrowding. The resentment engendered by those who moved from the heavily populated island of Malaita to Guadalcanal resulted in violence in 1999. In 2000, the total number of migrants was 4,000. The net migration rate for 1999 and 2005 was zero. The government views the migration levels as satisfactory.

ETHNIC GROUPS

Melanesians account for about 94.5% of the total population. Polynesians make up about 3% and Micronesians account for about 1.2%. Europeans and Chinese each account for less than 1% of the population. Melanesians live mainly on the larger islands; Polynesians tend to inhabit the smaller islands and atolls.

LANGUAGES

English is the official language but is only spoken by approximately 1–2% of the population. Melanesian pidgin is the lingua franca. Some 120 indigenous languages and dialects are spoken, each within a very restricted geographical area.

RELIGIONS

Christianity, introduced by missionaries in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is the principal organized religion. The primary denominations are Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Seventh-Day Adventist. Indigenous churches that are offshoots of other established Christian churches are attended by about 2% of the population. Other groups represented are Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and Baha'is. The most recent census reported 12 Muslims in the country.

The Department of Home and Cultural Affairs has a policymaking role in religious affairs; however, this regulation is only meant as a precaution for maintaining public order, and there have been no reports of major restrictions on religious groups. The constitution provides for freedom of religion. Christianity is taught in public schools, but the course is not required.

TRANSPORTATION

In 2002, there were an estimated 1,360 km (845 mi) of roads in the Solomons, of which only 34 km (21 mi) were paved. Of the 1,326 km (824 mi) of unpaved roads, about 800 km (497 mi) belong to private plantations. Shipping services link the Solomons with other Pacific islands, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Honiara is the principal port, followed by Ringi Cove. A fleet of government vessels provides interisland connections and handles about one-third of total tonnage carried. There were an estimated 33 airports in 2004, but only two (as of 2005), had paved runways. Henderson's Field, on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, is the site of Honiara's civil airport. Solomon Airlines provides regular flights between islands and to nearby Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. In 1997 (the latest year for which data was available), Solomon Airlines carried about 94,000 passengers on domestic and international flights.

HISTORY

The islands now known as the Solomons are thought to have been originally inhabited by Melanesians, whose language has affinities with Malay but whose precise origin has not been determined. The first European contact with the Solomons, in 1567, was the sighting of Santa Isabel Island by the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendaña; the following year, Mendaña and another Spaniard, Pedro de Queirós, explored some of the islands. Mendaña named the islands Islas de Salomon, thinking that the gold source for King Solomon's riches was located there.

European contact with the Solomons was cut off for nearly two centuries until they were visited by the English navigator Philip Carteret in 1767. Following Carteret's visit, the British navy began to make periodic calls at the islands. During the period 1845–93, the Solomons were frequently visited by missionaries and traders. Indigenous peoples were also subjected to exploitation by "blackbirders," who impressed their captives into forced labor, often on colonial sugar plantations in Fiji, Hawaii, Tahiti, or Queensland. The brutality of the kidnappers provoked reprisals by the islanders, resulting in mass slayings of both Europeans and local peoples.

In 1893, the British government stepped in and established a protectorate over certain islands in the southern Solomons, including Guadalcanal, Malaita (now Makira), San Cristobal, and the New Georgia group. The remainder of the Solomons had by this time fallen under German dominion; some of these, including Choiseul and Santa Isabel, were transferred by treaty to the United Kingdom in 1900. The British Solomon Islands Protectorate, as the entire group came to be known, was initially under the jurisdiction of the Office of the British High Commissioner for the Western Pacific.

During World War II, the Solomons provided the theater for some of the most bitter fighting of the Pacific war after Japanese troops invaded and occupied Guadalcanal in 1942. A Japanese airfield on the island's northern coast—later known as Henderson's Field—was captured by US Marines on 7 August 1942, the opening foray in the Battle of Guadalcanal, which cost the lives of about 1,500 US soldiers and 20,000 Japanese. Guadalcanal was evacuated by Japan in February 1943, although Japanese forces remained elsewhere in the Solomons until 1945. Widespread destruction and loss of life were visited on the local peoples during the war, and the legacy of social dislocation gave impetus to the development of a pro-independence nationalist movement in Malaita known as the Marching Rule.

In 1953, local advisory councils were set up in Malaita, eventually spreading to other islands of the protectorate. In 1960, the territorial government appointed executive and legislative councils, which were granted their first elected minority in 1964. A new constitution promulgated in April 1970 provided for replacement of the two councils by a unitary Governing Council, the majority of whose members were to be elected. During May and June, the Solomon Islands' first general election was held, with voters selecting 17 of the council's 26 members. On 21 August 1974, a new constitution introduced a ministerial system of government headed by a Council of Ministers. A Legislative Assembly subsequently chose Solomon Mamaloni as the Solomons' first chief minister. In May 1975, a delegation from the Solomon Islands, led by Mamaloni, met with UK officials in London and set up a timetable for internal self-government and full independence. On 22 June 1975, the territory's name was officially changed from the British Solomon Islands Protectorate to the Solomon Islands.

The islands achieved internal self-government in 1976 and became an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations on 7 July 1978. Peter Kenilorea was prime minister until his coalition government collapsed in August 1981, after which Mamaloni returned to power. In October 1984, Sir Peter Kenilorea (as he had become) was reelected prime minister, but he resigned in November 1986, following allegations of mismanagement of funds; Ezekiel Alebua, deputy prime minister, succeeded him. In the general elections of February 1989, the People's Alliance Party (PAP), led by Solomon Mamaloni, defeated the Alebua government. Mamaloni became the new prime minister in March 1989. Mamaloni resigned as PAP leader in October 1990 and formed a coalition government with several members of the opposition. Francis Billy Hilly, an independent supported by members of the National Coalition Partners (a loose six-party coalition), became the Solomon Islands' new prime minister in June 1993. Hilly worked with the Melanesian Spearhead Conference to ease tensions between the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. In 1994, parliament voted to replace Hilly with Mamaloni, leader of the Group for National Unity and Reconciliation (GNUR), the largest political party in parliament.

In the 1997 national parliamentary elections, the GNUR retained its majority, and Bartholomew Ulufa'alu was elected prime minister. He pledged to resolve the Solomons' financial crisis by improving revenue collections and downsizing government ministries. He also grappled with the problem of finding a resolution to the ethnic conflict in Guadalcanal, which had dominated all other domestic political issues since late 1998. Disputed were issues of land ownership, access to education, employment and economic development between the people of Guadalcanal and Malaitan settlers on the island. That year, the Isatubu Freedom Movement (IFM), representing Guadalcanal's native people, began to forcibly evict Malaitans, who responded by forming the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF). In May 2000, the MEF took Ulufa'alu hostage, staging a coup. Ulufa'alu resigned, and in June he was replaced by Manasseh Sogavare. Fighting between the two factions left over 100 people dead and more than 20,000 displaced. A peace agreement was signed in October 2000, but it failed to end the violence. Unarmed peacekeepers from Australia and New Zealand were sent to supervise disarmament and demilitarization. In September 2001, IFM rebel leader Selwyn Sake was killed, threatening the peace agreement. In November, the MEF reported that 90% of its weapons had been surrendered. Allan Kemakeza of the PAP was elected prime minister in December 2001. In February 2003, a member of the country's National Peace Council, Sir Frederick Soaki, was assassinated. He had worked with the UN to demobilize former militants still employed by the government as police officers on Malaita. In 2003, Kemakeza's government was criticized for failing to curb the actions of militia members, three of whom were convicted in 2005 of the April 2003 murder of six Melanesian brothers on the Weathercoast of Guadalcanal.

An Australia-led intervention force, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), came to the Solomon Islands in July 2003 to assist ending the lawlessness and corruption following the years of unrest. In July 2004, the first anniversary of RAMSI's partnership with the people of the Solomon Islands was celebrated with festivities in Honiara; however, not all were happy with the governmental welcome afforded RAMSI.

A group of 66 rebel militants calling themselves the Malaita Separatist Movement demanded the resignation of prime minister Allan Kemakezain May 2005. They cited dissatisfaction with his pro-Australian views and accused RAMSI of being motivated by ethnic hatred, particularly against Malaitans.

In July 2005, the cabinet approved voting reforms aimed at eliminating the election fraud that resulted from voters selling their unmarked ballots. Under the proposed plan, each voter was to have his finger marked with indelible ink, after which the voter would go into a private voting booth to mark the ballot, and then cast the marked ballot into a central ballot box, in view of the election officials.

GOVERNMENT

Under the independence constitution of 1978, the Solomon Islands is a parliamentary democracy with a ministerial system and a unicameral national parliament consisting of 50 members elected to four-year terms; suffrage is universal for citizens over the age of 21. The prime minister, who must command a parliamentary majority, selects the 20-member cabinet. The head of state is the British monarch, represented by the governor-general. Governor-general since 1994, Sir Moses Pitakaka was replaced in May 1999 by Anglican priest Father John Lapli, who was elected by the national parliament over six other candidates, including Pitakaka. There is a constitutionally provided ombudsman to provide protection against improper administrative treatment.

POLITICAL PARTIES

The members of the first parliament formed after independence in 1978 had no party affiliations. However, political parties emerged shortly before the elections of August 1980, in which the Solomon Islands United Party, headed by Peter Kenilorea, won 14 seats; the People's Alliance Party (PAP), led by Solomon Mamaloni, received 8 seats; the National Democratic Party (NDP), 2 seats; and independents, 14 seats.

In the December 2001 elections, the dominant parties were the PAP, led by Kemakeza, which won 16 seats; the Alliance for Change Coalition, led by Ulufa'alu, which took 13 seats; the People's Progressive Party, led by Sogavare, which took 2 seats; and the Labor Party, led by Joses Tuhanuku, which won 1 seat. Independents held 18 seats.

The following elections were held in April 2006; as of June 2006, the results had not yet been made public. Elections were scheduled for 2010.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The islands are divided into nine administrative districts, of which eight are provinces, each with an elected assembly and a premier; the ninth is the town of Honiara, governed by an elected council. In outlying areas, village headmen exercise administrative responsibilities.

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

The judicial system is based on a blend of British and traditional systems and consists of the High Court, magistrate's courts, and local courts. Appeals from magistrate's courts go to the High Court; customary land appeals courts hear appeals from the local courts.

Defendants in criminal cases are entitled to counsel and to the writ of habeas corpus. Violations of civil liberties are punishable by fines and jail sentences. An ombudsman with the power of subpoena can investigate complaints of violations of civil liberties. The traditional culture, in addition to legal provisions, provides strong protection against arbitrary interference with privacy, home, family, and correspondence.

ARMED FORCES

The Solomon Islands have no military forces. There is a 500-member police force that also engages in border protection. Maritime surveillance is also provided by this police force, which is headed by a commissioner.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

The Solomon Islands joined the United Nations (UN) on 19 September 1978 and belongs to ESCAP and several nonregional specialized agencies, such as the FAO, the World Bank, ILO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, and the WHO. It participates in the Asian Development Bank, the ACP Group, the Commonwealth of Nations, WTO, G-77, the South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (Sparteca), the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and the Pacific Island Forum. In environmental cooperation, the Solomon Islands are part of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the London Convention, the Montréal Protocol, and the UN Conventions on the Law of the Sea, Climate Change, and Desertification.

ECONOMY

At least 75% of the population is tied to subsistence agriculture. The capital sector is dependent on the production of copra, timber, and fish for export, but outputs of other cash commodities—particularly cocoa, spices, and palm oil—have grown in recent years. The development of large-scale lumbering operations has increased timber production considerably, and concern about the preservation of forest resources led to government restriction of log exports in 1993. In the late 1990s, the economic downturn in Asia led to the collapse of the export market for logs—primarily Japan and South Korea. In late 1997, the government devalued the currency to encourage the development of other export products and to discourage the growth of imports. The economy declined by 10% in 1998, and the government initiated cutbacks in government agencies. The GDP growth rate was -15% over the 2001–03 period. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. However, in 1998, Ross Mining of Australia began producing gold at Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal. In the wake of ethnic violence in 2000, exports of palm oil and gold ceased while exports of timber fell. Negotiations were under way in 2005 to reopen the Gold Ridge Mine and the major palm oil plantation, but each could take years to reopen.

INCOME

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports that in 2005 the Solomon Islands' gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $800.0 million. The CIA defines GDP as the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year and computed on the basis of purchasing power parity (PPP) rather than value as measured on the basis of the rate of exchange based on current dollars. The per capita GDP was estimated at $1,700. The annual growth rate of GDP was estimated at 5.8%. The average inflation rate in 2003 was 10%. It was estimated that agriculture accounted for 42% of GDP, industry 11%, and services 47%.

LABOR

The wage labor force in 2002 totaled approximately 27,000. As of that year, 80% worked in agriculture, 5% had jobs in industry, and the remainder were in services. The country suffers from an acute shortage of skilled workers, and an estimated 80% of professional and technical employees are recruited from overseas. There was no data available on the country's unemployment rate.

Most employed persons have a standard workday of between five and six hours, six days a week, with overtime bringing the average workweek to 45 hours. The minimum working age is 12, or 15 years old for work in factories or on ships. In practice, given low wages and high unemployment, there is little reason to hire children. The minimum wage was us$0.31 per hour in 2002. The Solomon Islands' largest trade union is the Solomon Islands National Union of Workers. Unions are free to organize and strike, although unions seldom strike. About 60–70% of wage earners were unionized as of 2001. Government regulations require employers to provide housing for workers whose jobs do not permit them to travel to and from home each day. Unions regularly engage in collective bargaining.

AGRICULTURE

About 2.8% of the total land area is utilized for temporary or permanent crops. Agriculture accounts for about 41% of GDP. Copra (coconut meat) is typically the dominant export and the economic lifeline of the Solomons; world copra prices strongly affect the economy, so a decline in copra prices in 1985 inaugurated an economic slump, exacerbated by the effects of Cyclone Namu. In 1992, production of copra increased by over 30% from 1991, for a total of 38,500 tons. The rebound in 1992 came from a near-doubling of world prices and better coordination of domestic shipping. Copra exports in 2004 were estimated at 5,000 tons. About 75% of the copra is produced by small holders, principally on Guadalcanal, Choiseul, the Russell Islands, San Cristobal, Santa Isabel, and Vella Lavella. Development plans called for crop diversification and the construction of a copra mill on the islands. The overseas marketing of copra is a monopoly of the government's Solomon Islands Copra Board. Other agricultural products in 2004 included cocoa, 4,000 tons; palm oil, 34,000 tons; and palm kernels, 8,000 tons. In 2004, agricultural products accounted for 36% of exports and 8% of imports. Exports of palm, copra, and cocoa typically account for over 20% of total exports.

The major food crops are coconuts, yams, taro, sweet potatoes, cassava, and green vegetables. The government has encouraged the cultivation of rice, rotated with soybeans, in the Guadalcanal plains; however, cyclone losses resulted in increased dependence on imported rice.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Cattle were traditionally kept on coconut plantations as a means of controlling the growth of grass, and many large copra plantations raised cattle for slaughter. There were 13,500 head of cattle and 53,000 pigs on the islands in 2005. Over 40% of the cattle are raised by small holders. The government's Livestock Development Authority (LDA) maintains about 3,200 head on Guadalcanal and Western Province. The LDA is now mostly a producer of trader pigs and poultry, raising 25,000 chicks and 120 piglets per month for sale. Production of pork has doubled since the early 1980s, yet still has not kept up with domestic demand. About 3,300 tons of meat were produced in 2005.

FISHING

Fish are an essential part of the local diet, and fishing has become an important commercial activity. In 1991, the total catch reached a record high of 69,292 tons; the total catch in 2003 was 39,903 tons. In 2003, the annual catch of skipjack tuna was 19,014 tons. Exports of fish products in 2003 were valued at $20.2 million.

FORESTRY

Forests cover about 88.8% of the total area, with about 2,536,000 hectares (6,266,000 acres) of timber stands providing an estimated timber yield in 2004 of 692,000 cu m (24.4 million cu ft), of which about 554,000 cu m (19.6 million cu ft) was exported as logs. Exports of forest products were valued at $41.5 million in 2004, 97% of it from logs. Important forest timbers are kuari, balsa, teak, Honduras and African mahoganies, Queensland maple, silky oak, and black bean. Several hundred chainsaw operators and about 40 portable sawmills produce over one-fifth of all sawn timber. Logging at current rates (15–16,000 hectares/37–39,000 acres per year) exceeds the estimated maximum sustainable annual cut by three times. Forest preservation and management legislation has been proposed, but there is no long-term viable silvicultural plan in place.

MINING

Although the archipelago was named in the 16th century for the fabled gold mines of King Solomon and had long-term mining potential, there have been insufficient high-quality mineral deposits to justify extensive mining investment. Mining was nevertheless the second-leading industry in 2002. Because of political and ethnic violence, mineral production in 2001 was limited to small quantities of common clays, crushed stone, and sand and gravel, and no gold or silver mining was reported (a minor amount of gold, and possibly associated silver, was obtained from primitive panning and sluicing by individuals). In 2000, production of gold was 338 kg, with silver output that year estimated at 200 kg. There was no recorded gold or silver output for 2001. The Gold Ridge Mine, at Mavu, which was closed from mid-2000 through the end of 2001, had undertaken a study to upgrade production from 3,100 kg per year to 4,500–4,700 kg per year, which could increase the mining sector's contribution to GDP from 1% to 15%. The country's main industrial prospects focused on its undeveloped mineral resources of gold-silver, lead-zinc, nickel, and phosphate. Deposits of bauxite, copper, chromite, and manganese ores have also been found.

ENERGY AND POWER

The Solomon Islands, with no proven reserves of oil, natural gas, or coal, relies entirely upon imports to meet all its petroleum, natural gas, and coal product needs.

In 2002, imports and demand for refined petroleum products each averaged 1,240 barrels per day. There were no imports or consumption of natural gas or coal in 2002.

Most electric power is supplied by the government-controlled Solomon Islands Electricity Authority, although some private undertakings produce their own electricity. Electric generating capacity in 2002 was 12,000 kW, of which all was fossil fuel based. Electrical output was 0.054 billion kWh, with demand for electricity at 0.050 billion kWh in 2002.

INDUSTRY

Industrial activity in the Solomons is rudimentary, lacking in both the capital and the skilled labor necessary for significant development. The leading industries are fish processing and timber milling; soaps are made from palm oil and coconut oil. Small firms produce a limited array of goods for the local market: biscuits, tobacco products, rattan furniture, baskets and mats, concrete blocks, boats, and fiberglass products. In 1998, Ross Mining of Australia began producing gold at Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal. Minerals exploitation in other areas has continued. A Japanese joint venture, Solomon Taiyo Ltd., which operated the only fish cannery in the country, closed in mid-2000 due to ethnic disturbances. The plant later reopened under local management, but the export of tuna had not resumed by year-end 2005.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Solomon Islands College of Higher Education has schools of nursing, natural resources, marine and fisheries studies, and industrial development.

DOMESTIC TRADE

Honiara is the commercial center, with a highly developed port and a wide variety of services to support trade and tourism. However, growth in both domestic trade and tourism has been hindered by inadequate infrastructure and security concerns. Most commercial enterprises have been controlled by the Chinese or Europeans. A large segment of the population still relies on bartering. Normal banking hours are 9 am to 11:30 am and 1:30 pm to 3 pm, Monday through Thursday, and 9 am to 3 pm on Friday. Normal office hours are 8 am to 12 noon and 1 pm to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

FOREIGN TRADE

Overseas trade volume expanded rapidly in the mid-1990s, but the economic woes in Asia in the late 1990s and ethnic conflict in the early 2000s caused the export market to contract significantly. The distribution of the Solomon Islands' trade continues to be limited by the huge distances to potential export markets. The Solomon Islands' major exports are timber and fish. Other exports include palm oil, oil seeds, and cocoa.

In 2004, the Solomon Islands' primary export partners were China (27.8%), South Korea (17%), Thailand (15.8%), Japan (9.7%), and the Philippines (4.8%). The primary import partners in 2004 were Australia (24.6%), Singapore (23.1%), New Zealand (7.7%), Fiji (4.8%), and Papua New Guinea (4.7%).

BALANCE OF PAYMENTS

In 1992, export earnings were exceptionally high due to a massive income windfall from the steep rise in the volume of log exports at a time when prices in Asian markets were being driven up by a supply shortage. By the late 1990s, the market for logs had collapsed, causing strain on the Solomon Islands balance of payments. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported.

In 2004, exports were valued at an estimated $171 million, and imports were valued at an estimated $159 million. In 2002, the Solomon Islands carried an external debt burden of $180.4 million. The country receives approximately $28 million annually in economic aid, primarily from Australia. Other important aid donors include New Zealand, the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan.

BANKING AND SECURITIES

The Solomon Islands Monetary Authority became the Central Bank of the Solomon Islands (CBSI) in January 1983. Three commercial banks also operate on the islands: The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, Westpac (which took over the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp.'s local operations in mid-1988), and the National Bank of Solomon Island (NBSI). Only the NBSI has branches outside the capital. Most villages rely on credit

unions. The government's 49% shareholding interest in the NBSI was sold to the National Provident Fund as a part of a privatization program in 1992. The remaining 51% is held by the Commonwealth Banking Corp. of Australia (CBC).

The government participates in private investment projects through a holding company, the Investment Corp. of Solomon Islands (ICSI), the successor to the Government Shareholding Agency. It holds the government's equity in other financial institutions, notably the Development Bank of Solomon Islands (DBSI), as well as in many other companies, some of which are foreign controlled. The government, via the ICSI, uses locally borrowed funds and foreign aid to assist industry. The government also guarantees commercial bank loans to companies in which the ICSI has an equity holding. The International Monetary Fund reports that in 1999, currency and demand deposits—an aggregate commonly known as M1—were equal to $55.1 million. In that same year, M2—an aggregate equal to M1 plus savings deposits, small time deposits, and money market mutual funds—was $95.2 million.

INSURANCE

Insurance is sold through representatives of foreign firms. In 1997, GRE Insurance, the National Insurance Co. of New Zealand, QBE Insurance, and Zürich Australian Insurance were operating in the Solomon Islands.

PUBLIC FINANCE

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimated that in 2003, the Solomon Islands' central government took in revenues of approximately $49.7 million and had expenditures of $75.1 million. Revenues minus expenditures totaled approximately -$25.4 million. Total external debt was $180.4 million.

TAXATION

Individual incomes are taxed on a graduated scale ranging from 14% on the first si$2,100 of taxable income to 42% on taxable income exceeding si$14,700for single taxpayers. Companies incorporated in the Solomon Islands are taxed at a fixed rate of 35%; a rate of 50% applies to those incorporated elsewhere. A value-added tax on telephone services, restaurant food, and overseas travel tickets went into effect in August 1990. Employers contribute 7.5% of employee wages for social security; employees contribute 5% minimum. On 1 July 1990, a resident withholding tax went into effect for royalties, fishing operations, sales of copra and cocoa, and certain other sources of income.

CUSTOMS AND DUTIES

All products imported into the Solomon Islands are subject to customs duties and a 20% surcharge is levied on all ad valorem goods. Specific duties apply to alcoholic beverages, tobacco, rice, and sugar. Concessionary rates have been granted to imports of industrial machinery and equipment, raw materials, chemicals, and building materials. Licenses are required for the importation of firearms, ammunition, animals, seeds, soil, and plant material.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

The government encourages direct foreign investment through tax concessions, remission of customs duties, and other forms of assistance. Foreigners may repatriate profits (after taxes) and, under most conditions, capital investments. A primary role in the development of resources is reserved for the government. In 1990, Lever Brothers opened a coconut oil plant at Yandina. In 2004, net inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) amounted to -$5 million.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The government has attempted to diversify agricultural production in order to make the economy less vulnerable to world price fluctuations of such key cash crops as copra. Important development projects during the 1980s included new sawmills, a fish cannery, a spice industry, and the Lungga hydroelectric plant. Fisheries receive significant portions of development funds. A rubber industry is being developed, and plans are under way to export the indigenous ngali nut as an upscale confectionery product under the name "Solomons nut."

Foreign assistance plays an essential role in the nation's development strategy; Australia and Japan are the largest donors. In 1996, the Solomon Islands received us$46.4 million in aid. As of the mid-2000s, the country was receiving approximately us$28 million annually in economic aid, primarily from Australia. Other important aid donors include New Zealand, the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. Aid is also received from the IBRD and ADB. ODA net inflows for 2004 were us$122.2 million.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

A National Provident Fund covering certain categories of wage workers age 14 and older provides old-age, disability, and survivor benefits in lump-sum payments. This program is financed from worker and employer contributions. Employers cover the cost of workers' compensation. The Employment Act mandates that employers pay dismissal indemnity of two weeks' wages for each year of employment. The bulk of organized welfare services are provided by church missions. In small villages and outlying areas, assistance is traditionally provided through the extended family.

Although women are accorded equal rights by law, their role is limited by customary family roles in most Solomon Islands societies. Due to cultural barriers, a majority of women are illiterate, which contributes to a general shortage of employment opportunities for women. Domestic abuse and violence are common.

The government generally respects the human rights of its citizens. However, the armed conflict between rival militias has resulted in the deterioration of human rights.

HEALTH

Poor standards of general hygiene and inadequate sanitation continue to make malaria and tuberculosis endemic. Adequate sanitation is available to 60% of the entire Solomon Islands population.

Infant mortality was estimated at 21.29 deaths per 1,000 live births as of 2005; average life expectancy was an estimated 72.66 years. As of 2002, the crude birth rate and overall mortality rate were estimated at 33.3 and 4.2 per 1,000 people, respectively. As of 2004, there were an estimated 13 physicians and 80 nurses per 100,000 people.

The most prevalent disease reported is malaria. Many of the five island nations in the South Pacific have insufficient vitamin A levels. The incidence of xerophthalmia was present in 1.55% of all children in the Solomon Islands.

In 1999, 15 new cases of leprosy were reported by the World Health Organization, which is advocating multidrug therapy and screening of people in high-risk areas to counter the spread of this disease that was once believed to have been eradicated.

HOUSING

The government has built low-cost housing projects in Honiara to help ease congestion. Outside Honiara, housing is primitive, with overcrowding a problem even in the smaller villages. As of 1996, 80% of the population lived in villages of less than 300 people. According to a 1999 census, there were 65,014 households, 98% of which were single-family households. The average household had 6.3 members. Only 52% of all households had access to piped drinking water, 23% had modern toilet facilities, and 16% had access to electricity.

Since 1998, the government, through the Ministry of Lands and Housing, has been focusing on programs for improved housing and utilities for all.

EDUCATION

Education is not compulsory, and many schools charge fees. In 1976, the government began substantial aid to primary as well as secondary schools. Christian missions (mainly Anglican), supported by government grants, continue to provide some primary schooling. Primary school lasts for six years. This is followed by three years of lower secondary schooling, which is offered through provincial and community schools. An additional two years of upper secondary education is offered through a national secondary school. Students planning to enter university studies take a final year (sixth form). The academic year runs from February to November.

Primary school enrollment in 2003 was estimated at about 72% of age-eligible students. In 2001, secondary school enrollment was at less than 60% of age-eligible students. It is estimated that about 70% of all students complete their primary education.

Higher education is provided by the Solomon Islands Teachers College (Honiara), the Honiara Technical Institute, and the University of the South Pacific Solomon Islands Center, also in Honiara. As of 2003, public expenditures on education were estimated at 3.2% of GDP, or 15.4% of total government expenditures.

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

The National Library (founded in 1974) in Honiara has two branches and a collection of over 100,000 volumes. The library at the Solomon Islands Center of the University of the South Pacific holds 9,000 volumes. The Solomon Islands National Museum and Cultural Center began collecting in the 1950s and opened a permanent site in 1969. The center promotes and provides research into all aspects of Solomon Island culture.

MEDIA

The main post office is at Honiara. In 2002, there were 6,600 mainline phones and 1,000 mobile phones in use nationwide. As of 2004, there were two privately owned radio stations and one public station operated by the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation. Two television channels were sponsored by Australia's Asia-Pacific Service and British Broadcasting Corporation International. There were 80 radios and four televisions per 1,000 population in 1997. In 2003, there were 398 Internet hosts serving about 2,200 Internet users. Periodicals include the Solomon Voice (weekly, 2002 circulation 10,000), Solomon Star (weekly, circulation 4,000), and the Solomon Nius (monthly, 2,000). The government is said to generally respect constitutional provisions for freedom of speech and of the press.

ORGANIZATIONS

Cooperative societies are important in rural areas for the distribution of locally produced goods. Honiara has a chamber of commerce. YMCA and YWCA chapters are active. There are active sports associations in the country, including those representing such pastimes as tae kwon do, tennis, yachting, and weightlifting; most sports groups are affiliated with the national Olympic Committee. The Solomon Island Graduate Women's Association helps support the advancement of women in business and education. There are also chapters of Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross.

TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION

Tourism, although encouraged by the government's Tourist Authority, is not seen as a major growth area due to lack of investment. Visitors are drawn to the ecotourism resorts of the Marovo Lagoon. Fishing and diving are the main attractions. Popular pastimes include rugby, football (soccer), basketball, football, and water sports. All visitors are required to carry a passport and an onward/return ticket.

FAMOUS SOLOMON ISLANDERS

Sir Peter Kenilorea (b.1943), Solomon Mamaloni (1943–2000), Ezekiel Alebua (b.1947), and Sir Allan Kemakeza (b.1951) were among the Solomons' political and government leaders from independence into the mid-2000s.

DEPENDENCIES

The Solomon Islands have no territories or colonies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Burt, Ben. Tradition and Christianity: The Colonial Transformation of a Solomon Islands Society. New York: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1994.

House, William J. Population Growth and Sustainable Development: The Case of the Solomon Islands. Suva, Fiji: UNFPA/CST, 1995.

Keesing, Roger M. Custom and Confrontation: The Kwaio Struggle for Cultural Autonomy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.

Leibo, Steven A. East and Southeast Asia, 2005. 38th ed. Harpers Ferry, W.Va.: Stryker-Post Publications, 2005.

Lilley, Ian (ed.). Archaeology of Oceania: Australia and the Pacific Islands. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 2006.

White, Geoffrey M. Identity through History: Living Stories in a Solomon Islands Society. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991.

Solomon Islands

PROFILE
GEOGRAPHY
PEOPLE
HISTORY
GOVERNMENT
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
ECONOMY
FOREIGN RELATIONS
U.S.-SOLOMON ISLANDS RELATIONS
TRAVEL

Compiled from the October 2007 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.

Official Name:

Solomon Islands

PROFILE

Geography

Area: Land—27,556 sq. km. (11,599 sq. mi.). Archipelago—725,197 sq. km. (280,000 sq. mi.).

Cities: Capital—Honiara (on the island of Guadalcanal), pop. 54,600. Other towns—Gizo, Auki, Kirakira.

Terrain: Mountainous islands.

Climate: Tropical monsoon.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective—Solomon Islander(s).

Population: (2006) 552,438.

Annual growth rate: 2.8%.

Ethnic groups: (2002) Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, other 1.5%.

Religions: Christian 95%—more than one-third Anglican (Archdiocese of Melanesia), Roman Catholic 19%, South Sea Evangelical 17%, United Church (Methodist) 11%, Seventh-day Adventist 10%.

Languages: English (official); about 120 vernaculars, including Solomon Islands pidgin.

Education: (2003) Years compulsory—none. Attendance—79.6% primary school; 14% secondary school. Adult literacy—76.6%.

Health: (2003) Infant mortality rate—19/1,000. Life expectancy— 62.3 yrs.

Work force: (264,900, 2002) Agriculture— 75%. Industry and commerce—5%. Services—20%.

Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth.

Constitution: May 1978.

Independence: July 7, 1978.

Government branches: Executive—British monarch represented by a governor general (head of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative—50-member Parliament elected every 4 years. Judicial—high court plus magistrates court; system of custom land courts throughout islands.

Political subdivisions: Nine provinces and Honiara town.

Political parties: Association of Independent Members (AIM), People's Alliance Party (PAP), Socred, Rural Advancement Party (RAP), Lafari Party, Christian Alliance Party, Democratic Party, National Party, Liberal Party, Labour Party.

Suffrage: Universal over 18.

National holidays: July 7.

Economy

GDP: (2005) $262 million.

Annual growth rate: (2005) 4.7%.

Per capita income: (2005) $474.

Avg. inflation rate: (2005) 7.4%.

Natural resources: Forests, fish, agricultural land, marine products, gold.

Agriculture: Products—copra, cocoa, palm oil, palm kernels and subsistence crops of yams, taro, bananas, pineapple.

Industry: Types—fish canning, sawmilling, boats, rattan and wood furniture, fiberglass products, shell jewelry, tobacco, beer, clothing, soap, nails, handicrafts.

Trade: (2004) Exports—$95.8 million: timber, fish, cocoa, copra, palm oil. Major markets—China 28.2%, South Korea 15.7%, Thailand 15.7%, Japan 9.7%, Philippines 5.1%, Vietnam 3.1%. Imports—$84 million: mineral fuels, food, machinery & transport equipment, and basic manufactures. Major suppliers—Australia 25.3%, Singapore 23.8%, New Zealand 5.3%, India 4.8%, Japan 3.9%.

Exchange rate: (2005 average) Solomon Islands $1=about U.S.$0.13.

GEOGRAPHY

The Solomon Islands form an archipelago in the Southwest Pacific about 1,900 kilometers (1,200 mi.) northeast of Australia. With terrain ranging from ruggedly mountainous islands to low-lying coral atolls, the Solomon Islands stretch in a 1,450-kilometer (900 mi.) chain southeast from Papua New Guinea across the Coral Sea to Vanuatu. The main islands of Choiseul, New Georgia, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Makira have rainforested mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin, deep narrow valleys, and coastal belts lined with coconut palms and ringed by reefs. The smaller islands are atolls and raised coral reefs, often spectacularly beautiful. The Solomon Islands region is geologically active, and earth tremors are frequent.

The islands' ocean-equatorial climate is extremely humid throughout the year, with a mean temperature of 27°C (80°F) and few extremes of temperature or weather. June through August is the cooler period. Though seasons are not pronounced, the northwesterly winds of November through April bring more frequent rainfall and occasional squalls or cyclones. The annual rainfall is about 305 centimeters (120 in.). More than 90% of the islands traditionally were forested, but this has come under severe pressure from current logging operations. The coastal strips are sheltered by mangrove and coconut trees. Luxuriant rainforest covers the interiors of the large islands. Soil quality ranges from extremely rich volcanic to relatively infertile limestone. More than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers brighten the landscape.

PEOPLE

The Solomon Islanders comprise diverse cultures, languages, and customs. Ninety-three percent are Melanesian, 4% Polynesian, and 1.5% Micronesian. In addition, small numbers of Europeans and Chinese are registered. About 120 vernacular languages are spoken.

Most people reside in small, widely dispersed settlements along the coasts. Sixty percent live in localities with fewer than 200 persons, and only 17% reside in urban areas.

The capital city of Honiara, situated on Guadalcanal, the largest island, has 54,600 inhabitants. The other principal towns are Gizo, Auki, and Kirakira. Most Solomon Islanders are Christian, with the Anglican, Roman Catholic, South Seas Evangelical, and Seventh-day Adventist faiths predominating. About 5% of the population maintains traditional beliefs.

The chief characteristics of the traditional Melanesian social structure are:

• The practice of subsistence economy;
• The recognition of bonds of kinship, with important obligations extending beyond the immediate family group; local and clan loyalties far outweigh regional or national affiliations;
• Generally egalitarian relationships, emphasizing acquired rather than inherited status; and
• A strong attachment of the people to the land.

Most Solomon Islanders maintain this traditional social structure and find their roots in village life.

HISTORY

Although little prehistory of the Solomon Islands is known, material excavated on Santa Ana, Guadalcanal, and Gawa indicates that a hunter-gatherer people lived on the larger islands as early as 1000 B.C. Some Solomon Islanders are descendants of Neolithic Austronesian-speaking peoples who migrated from Southeast Asia.

The European discoverer of the Solomons was the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana Y Neyra, who set out from Peru in 1567 to seek the legendary Isles of Solomon. British mariner Philip Carteret entered Solomon waters in 1767. In the years that followed, visits by explorers were more frequent. Missionaries began visiting the Solomons in the mid-1800s. They made little progress at first, because “blackbirding” the often brutal recruitment of laborers for the sugar plantations in Queensland and Fiji—led to a series of reprisals and massacres. The evils of the labor trade prompted the United Kingdom to declare a protectorate over the southern Solomons in 1893. In 1898 and 1899, more outlying islands were added to the protectorate; in 1900 the remainder of the archipelago, an area previously under German jurisdiction, was transferred to British administration. Under the protectorate, missionaries settled in the Solomons, converting most of the population to Christianity.

In the early 20th century, several British and Australian firms began large-scale coconut planting. Economic growth was slow, however, and the islanders benefited little. With the outbreak of World War II, most planters and traders were evacuated to Australia, and most cultivation ceased.

From May 1942, when the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought, until December 1943, the Solomons were almost constantly a scene of combat. Although U.S. forces landed on Guadalcanal virtually unopposed in August 1942, they were soon engaged in a bloody fight for control of the islands' airstrip, which the U.S. forces named Henderson Field. One of the most furious sea battles ever fought took place off Savo Island, near Guadalcanal, also in August 1942. Before the Japanese completely withdrew from Guadalcanal in February 1943, over 7,000 Americans and 21,000 Japanese died. By December 1943, the Allies were in command of the entire Solomon chain. The large-scale American presence toward the end of the war, which dwarfed anything seen before in the islands, triggered various millennial movements and left a lasting legacy of friendship.

Postwar Developments

Following the end of World War II, the British colonial government returned. The capital was moved from Tulagi to Honiara to take advantage of the infrastructure left behind by the U.S. military. A native movement known as the Marching Rule defied government authority.

There was much disorder until some of the leaders were jailed in late 1948. Throughout the 1950s, other indigenous dissident groups appeared and disappeared without gaining strength.

In 1960, an advisory council of Solomon Islanders was superseded by a legislative council, and an executive council was created as the protectorate's policymaking body. The council was given progressively more authority. In 1974, a new constitution was adopted establishing a parliamentary democracy and ministerial system of government.

In mid-1975, the name Solomon Islands officially replaced that of British Solomon Islands Protectorate. On January 2, 1976, the Solomons became self-governing, and independence followed on July 7, 1978.

GOVERNMENT

The Solomon Islands is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth, with a unicameral Parliament and a ministerial system of government. The British monarch is represented by a governor general, chosen by the Parliament for a 5-year term. The national Parliament has 50 members, elected for 4-year terms. However, Parliament may be dissolved by majority vote of its members before the completion of its term. Parliamentary representation is based on single-member constituencies. Suffrage is universal for citizens over age 18. The prime minister, elected by Parliament, chooses the other members of the cabinet. Each ministry is headed by a cabinet member, who is assisted by a permanent secretary, a career public servant, who directs the staff of the ministry.

For local government, the country is divided into 10 administrative areas, of which nine are provinces administered by elected provincial assemblies, and the 10th is the town of Honiara, administered by the Honiara Town Council.

Land ownership is reserved for Solomon Islanders. At the time of independence, citizenship was granted to all persons whose parents are or were both British protected persons and members of a group, tribe, or line indigenous to the Solomon Islands. The law provides that resident expatriates, such as the Chinese and Kiribati, may obtain citizenship through naturalization. Land generally is still held on a family or village basis and may be handed down from mother or father according to local custom. The islanders are reluctant to provide land for nontraditional economic undertakings, and this has resulted in continual disputes over land ownership. No military forces are maintained by the Solomon Islands, although the police force of nearly 500 includes a border protection element. The police also have responsibility for fire service, disaster relief, and maritime surveillance. The police force is headed by a commissioner, appointed by the Governor General and responsible to the prime minister. A new acting commissioner, Walter Kola (a Solomon Islands citizen), was appointed in March 2007. The Solomon Islands Government declared the prior commissioner, Shane Castles (an Australian citizen), an undesirable immigrant in December 2006.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS

Solomon Islands governments are characterized by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. They are subject to frequent votes of no confidence, and government leadership changes frequently as a result. Cabinet changes are common.

The first post-independence government was elected in August 1980. Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea was head of government until September 1981, when he was succeeded by Solomon Mamaloni as the result of a realignment within the parliamentary coalitions. Following the November 1984 elections, Kenilorea was again elected Prime Minister, to be replaced in 1986 by his former deputy Ezekiel Alebua following shifts within the parliamentary coalitions. The next election, held in early 1989, returned Solomon Mamaloni as Prime Minister. Francis Billy Hilly was elected Prime Minister following the national elections in June 1993, and headed the government until November 1994 when a shift in parliamentary loyalties brought Solomon Mamaloni back to power.

The national election of August 6, 1997 resulted in Bartholomew Ulufa'alu's election as Prime Minister, heading a coalition government, which christened itself the Solomon Islands Alliance for Change. However, governance was slipping as the performance of the police and other government agencies deteriorated due to ethnic rivalries. The capital of Honiara on Guadalcanal was increasingly populated by migrants from the island of Malaita. In June 2000, an insurrection mounted by militants from the island of Malaita resulted in the brief detention of Ulufa'alu and his subsequent forced resignation. Manasseh Sogavare, leader of the People's Progressive Party, was chosen Prime Minister by a loose coalition of parties. Guadalcanal militants retaliated and sought to drive Malaitan settlers from Guadalcanal, resulting in the closure of a large oil-palm estate and gold mine which were vital to exports but whose workforce was largely Malaitan.

New elections in December 2001 brought Sir Allan Kemakeza into the Prime Minister's chair with the support of a coalition of parties.

Kemakeza attempted to address the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, but the prevailing atmosphere of lawlessness, widespread extortion, and ineffective police, prompted a formal request by the Solomon Islands Government for outside help. With the country bankrupt and the capital in chaos, the request was unanimously supported in Parliament. In July 2003, Australian and Pacific Island police and troops arrived in the Solomon Islands under the auspices of the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

RAMSI is largely a policing effort with an important development component. It has restored order to virtually all parts of the nation and is now embarked on rebuilding government institutions, particularly the police, and reviving the economy, which fell by at least a third during the troubles. The effort promises to take many years and Solomon Islands will continue to require substantial donor support. Moreover, as militants, former police, and political leaders are brought to trial for their crimes during the unrest, some local resentment is likely to cut somewhat into the now-widespread support for the intervention. The peace has proven to be fragile. Fierce rioting occurred soon after the April 2006 general election and the election of Snyder Rini as Prime Minister in mid-April. Most of the violence was directed against businesses owned by ethnic Chinese in Honiara, with the almost complete destruction of the Chinatown commercial district. Mr. Rini resigned shortly after the riots, and a parliamentary vote saw Manasseh Sogavare elected as the new Prime Minister in May 2006.

Principal Government Officials

Last Updated: 2/1/2008

Governor Gen.: Nathaniel WAENA, Sir

Prime Min.: Manasseh SOGAVARE

Dep. Prime Min.: Snyder RINI

Min. of Agriculture & Livestock: Enele KWANAIRARA

Min. of Commerce, Industries, & Employment: Peter SHANEL

Min. of Communications, Aviation, & Meteorology: Simeon BOURO

Min. of Culture & Tourism: Trevor OLAVAE

Min. of Education & Training: Snyder RINI

Min. of Finance & Treasury: Peter BOYERS

Min. of Fisheries & Marine Resources: Paul MAENU'U

Min. of Foreign Affairs: John Patteson OTI

Min. of Forestry, Environment, & Conservation: David HOLOSIVI

Min. of Health & Medical Services: Benjamin UNA

Min. of Home Affairs: Nelson KILE

Min. of Infrastructure Development: Bernard GIRO

Min. of Lands & Surveys: Siriako USA

Min. of Mines & Energy: Basil MANELEGUA

Min. of National Reform & Planning: Fred FONO

Min. of National Unity, Reconciliation, & Peace: James TORA

Min. of Police, National Security, & Justice: Augustine TANEKO

Min. of Provincial Govt. & Rural Development: Stephen PAENI

Min. of State Assisting the Prime Min.: John Martin GARO

Governor, Central Bank: Rick HOU

Ambassador to the US: Collin David BECK

Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Collin David BECK

The Solomon Islands mission to the United Nations is located at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 (tel: 212-599-6192/93; fax: 212-661-8925).

ECONOMY

Its per capita GDP of $474 ranks Solomon Islands as a lesser developed nation, and more than 75% of its labor force is engaged in subsistence farming and fishing. Until 1998, when world prices for tropical timber fell steeply, timber was Solomon Islands main export product, and, in recent years, Solomon Islands forests were dangerously overexploited. Other important cash crops and exports include copra and palm oil. In 1998 Ross Mining of Australia began producing gold at Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal. Minerals exploration in other areas continued. However in the wake of the ethnic violence in June 2000, exports of palm oil and gold ceased while exports of timber fell. Exports are just now beginning to recover.

Exploitation of Solomon Islands' rich fisheries offers the best prospect for further export and domestic economic expansion. However, a Japanese joint venture, Solomon Taiyo Ltd., which operated the only fish cannery in the country, closed in mid-2000 as a result of the ethnic disturbances. Though the plant has reopened under local management, the export of tuna has not resumed. Negotiations are underway which may lead to the eventual reopening of the Gold Ridge mine and the major oil-palm plantation.

Tourism, particularly diving, is an important service industry for Solomon Islands. Growth in that industry is hampered, however, by political instability, security issues, lack of infrastructure, and transportation limitations.

Solomon Islands was particularly hard hit by the Asian economic crisis even before the ethnic violence of June 2000. The Asian Development Bank estimates that the crash of the market for tropical timber reduced Solomon Island's GDP by between 15%-25%. About one-half of all jobs in the timber industry were lost. The government has said it will reform timber harvesting policies with the aim of resuming logging on a more sustainable basis.

The Solomon Islands Government was insolvent by 2002. Since the RAMSI intervention in 2003, the government has recast its budget, and has taken a hard look at priorities. It has consolidated and renegotiated its domestic debt and with Australian backing, is now seeking to renegotiate its foreign obligations. Much work remains to be done. Ongoing political instability continues to negatively impact economic development.

Principal aid donors are Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Japan, and the Republic of China.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Countries with diplomatic missions in the Solomon Islands are Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Japan. The Solomon Islands also has diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, which has a resident representative in Honiara.

The U.S. Ambassador resident in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands' Permanent Representative to the United Nations also is accredited as its ambassador to the United States and Canada.

Relations with Papua New Guinea, which had become strained because of an influx of refugees from the Bougainville rebellion and attacks on the northern islands of the Solomon Islands by elements pursuing Bouga-invillean rebels, have been repaired. A peace accord on Bougainville confirmed in 1998 has removed the armed threat, and the two nations regularized border operations in a 2004 agreement.

Relations with Australia, which plays a major role in the RAMSI mission, have been strained. The Solomon Islands Government declared the former Australian High Commissioner persona non grata, and delayed the credentialing of his replacement for several weeks.

Membership in International Organizations

Solomon Islands is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, Pacific Community, Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), International Monetary Fund, and the European Economic Community/African, Caribbean, Pacific Group (EEC/ACP)/ (Lome Convention).

U.S.-SOLOMON ISLANDS RELATIONS

The United States and Solomon Islands established diplomatic relations following its independence on July 7, 1978. U.S. representation is handled by the United States Embassy at Port Moresby where the Ambassador is resident. In recognition of the close ties forged between the United States and the people of the Solomon Islands during World War II, the U.S. Congress financed the construction of the Solomon Islands Parliament building. There are approximately 95 American citizens residing permanently in Solomon Islands.

The two nations belong to a variety of regional organizations, including the Pacific Community and the Pacific Regional Environmental Program. The United States and Solomon Islands also cooperate under the U.S.-Pacific Islands multilateral Tuna Fisheries Treaty, under which the U.S. grants $18 million per year to Pacific island parties and the latter provide access to U.S. fishing vessels. The U.S. coast guard provides training to Solomon Islands border protection officers, and the U.S. military also provides appropriate military education and training courses to national security officials.

The U.S. Peace Corps suspended its program in June 2000 due to the ethnic violence and breakdown in governance. More than 70 volunteers, serving throughout the country in rural community development, education, environmental management, and youth programs, were evacuated.

U.S. trade with Solomon Islands is very limited. In 2001 U.S. exports to Solomon Islands were less than 5% of all exports, while Solomon Islands exports to the United States in that year were negligible.

Following the April 2, 2007 earthquake and tsunami, the United States provided $250,000 in humanitarian assistance grants and deployed the USNS Stockham with helicopter support to the affected area.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Last Updated: 2/19/2008

PORT MORESBY (E) Douglas Street, P.O. Box 1492, NCD Port Moresby, 675-321-1455, Fax 675-320-0637, INMARSAT Tel 011-872-1534721, Workweek: 7:45am -4:30pm, Website: http://Portmoresby.usembassy.gov.

TRAVEL

Consular Information Sheet

January 17, 2008

Country Description: The Solomon Islands form an Archipelago in the southwest Pacific Ocean about 1,200 miles northeast of Australia. The capital, Honiara, is located on the Island of Guadalcanal. The Solomon Islands are a parliamentary democracy within the British Commonwealth. Tourism facilities are limited, particularly outside Honiara.

Entry Requirements: U.S. passport holders do not require visas to enter the Solomon Islands. Passports, onward/return tickets and proof of sufficient funds for the duration of stay are required. Visitor permits are granted upon arrival at Henderson International Airport in Honiara. Visitors may enter any number of times provided the total period in the Solomon Islands does not exceed 90 days in a 12-month period. Persons arriving on one-way airline tickets must have documentation stating their business, for example, a work permit if taking if taking up employment in the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands government strictly enforces immigration laws, and travelers may face fines and other penalties if they remain in the country beyond the authorized period of stay.

Persons arriving on yachts should visit the nearest immigration office to complete arrival forms for issuance of visitors' permits.

Travelers who plan to depart on a yacht should apply for a visitor's permit before their arrival in the Solomon Islands, to the Director of Immigration (via fax to the U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara at 677-27429). The application should state the traveler's arrival date, vessel name and registration details, vessel's arrival date, approximate time traveler will spend in the Solomon Islands, and it should request entry on a one-way (arrival only) airline ticket. The Director will issue a permit to be presented at airline check-in. If the traveler does not have this permit, she/he may be denied boarding.

For more information about entry requirements, travelers may contact the Solomon Islands Mission to the United Nations at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 8008, New York, NY 10017-4709; Tel: (212) 599-6192 or 6193. Travelers who anticipate the possibility of transiting or visiting Australia are advised to obtain an electronic travel authority (ETA) or visa for Australia before leaving the United States. An ETA may be obtained for a small service fee at http://www.eta.immi.gov.au. Airlines and many travel agents in the United States are also able to issue ETAs.

Safety and Security: Since July 24, 2003, the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), a coalition of Pacific Island states that includes military and police forces from Australia and several other Pacific Island nations, has helped the Solomon Islands improve law and order. The Solomon Islands government and the vast majority of its citizens have welcomed the intervention.

Relations between the Solomon Islands government and Australia and RAMSI are strained, resulting in increased racial tensions. Americans should be aware that the public does not distinguish between Australians and Americans. It is generally safe to walk alone during the day; however, walking alone at night is discouraged.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs' web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts, as well as the Worldwide Caution, can be found. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. The U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara also has available up-to-date safety and secu-rity information at (677) 23426 and (677) 94731, or Fax (677) 27429.

Crime: Major crimes against travelers are uncommon, although incidences of theft, mugging, and extortion are increasing. Some 350 RAMSI Police are working alongside Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) to respond to any situation requiring police.

Lawlessness is increasing in Honiara, mostly in the form of petty crime (theft and harassment for money). The isolated incidents of harassment of expatriates that have increased in Honiara since April 2006 are generally minor and associated with alcohol and fringe elements of the community. House and vehicle break-ins occur, with expatriates particularly targeted. Some recent episodes have involved violence and the use or threatened use of knives.

Gang-based criminal activity has increased in and around the Burns Creek area in East Honiara, including in the nearby Ranandi industrial center. Americans should be aware that the public does not distinguish between Australians and Americans.

Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and to the nearest U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara, or the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the U.S. Consular Agent or the U.S. Embassy for assistance. The Consular Agent or Embassy staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends, and explain how funds may be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Hospitals and pharmacies in the Solomon Islands are limited to population centers and missions. Since 2001, the quality of medical services has deteriorated seriously, although it is expected to improve as the country's overall continues to improve. The nearest reliable medical facilities are in Australia or New Zealand. There is a hyperbaric recompression chamber in Honiara at the In-the-Zone Medical Centre, phone (677) 23485 or (677) 23482; however, medical conditions resulting from diving accidents may require medical evacuation to Australia or New Zealand.

Serious medical conditions requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to Australia, New Zealand or the United States can cost thousands of dollars. The incidence of malaria is high. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877–FYI-TRIP (1-877–394-8747) or via the CDC's website at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith/en.

Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.

Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerningthe Solomon Islandsis provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Vehicular traffic in the Solomon Islands moves on the left. Paved roads are found only in and around Honiara, located on Guadalcanal Island. These two-lane paved roads are poorly marked and have many potholes. Roads are not well lit at night. The remaining roads in the Solomon Islands are made of coral or gravel, or are dirt tracks. Travelers must take care when driving off main roads to avoid trespassing on communal land. For information concerning the rental and operation of motor vehicles in the Solomon Islands, contact our Consular Agent in Honiara.

For specific information concerning Solomon Islands driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax and mandatory insurance, visit the Solomon Islands Department of Commerce web site at http://www.commerce.gov.sb.

Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the Solomon Islands' Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's web site at http://www.faa.gov.

Special Circumstances: The Solomon Islands' customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from the Solomon Islands of items such as firearms and ammunition, sexually explicit material, and certain prescription drugs. Other items may be subject to quarantine regulations or import duty.

The Solomon Islands' government prohibits the export of military artifacts from World War II. It is advisable to contact the Solomon Islands' Mission to the United Nations for specific information regarding customs requirements.

Disaster Preparedness: The Solomon Islands lie in the South Pacific cyclonic trajectory, and are vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and sudden tidal movements. The Pacific cyclone season extends from November through March. General information regarding disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov.

Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating the Solomon Islandslaws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession of, use of, or trafficking in illegal drugs in the Solomon Islands are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.

Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children's Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family.

Registration and Embassy Locations: There is no U.S. Embassy in the Solomon Islands. However, there is a U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara. The Consular Agent has general information and forms, such as passport applications, and can be contacted at the United States Consular Agency, Commonwealth Avenue, Point Cruz, telephone number is (677) 23426 or (677) 98367, cell number is (677) 94731, home number is (677) 22539; fax (677) 27429; e-mail keithieusa@solomon.com.sb or us_consular@solomon.com.sb. For additional information and to download forms, please visit our Virtual Embassy for the Solomon Islands at http://www.usvpp-solomonislands.org.

The U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea provides primary assistance for U.S. citizens in the Solomon Islands. The Embassy is located on Douglas Street, adjacent to the Bank of Papua New Guinea, in Port Moresby.

Use that address for courier service deliveries. The mailing address is PO Box 1492, Port Moresby, N.C.D. 121, Papua New Guinea; the telephone number is (675) 321-1455; after hours duty officer telephone number is (675) 683-7943; Fax (675) 321-1593. American citizens may submit consular inquiries via e-mail to Consular-PortMoresby@state.gov. The web site for the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby is http://portmoresby.usembassy.gov.

Americans living or traveling in the Solomon Islands are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby through the State Department's travel registration web site, and to visit the Consular Agency in Honiara to obtain updated information on travel and security within the Solomon Islands. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the Embassy or Consular Agency. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.

International Adoption

October 2006

The information in this section has been edited from a report of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Overseas Citizens Services. For more information, please read the International Adoption section of this book and review current reports online at http://travel.state.gov/family.

Disclaimer: The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and current understanding. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

Please Note: Solomon Islands law states that prospective adoptive parents who wish to adopt a child from the Solomon Islands MUST be domiciled in the Solomon Islands at the time of the adoption.

Patterns of Immigration: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics indicate that no orphans from the Solomon Islands have received an adoption-based immigrant visa in the past five years.

Adoption Authority: Adoptions are processed through the High Court of the Solomon Islands based on an application prepared by the prospective adoptive parents and a Home Study. The Home Study Report is prepared by the Social Welfare Department and is submitted to the High Court during the adoption application process.

Eligibility Requirements for Adoptive Parents: Prospective adoptive parents must be 25 years of age or older (or 21 years or older, if related to the child) and can be either single or married. Although there are no income requirements, prospective adoptive parents must satisfy the Social Welfare Office of the Solomon Islands that they are financially secure.

Residency Requirements: Prospective adoptive parents must be domiciled in the Solomon Islands. The child has to have lived with the prospective adoptive parents for three months before the adoption may be finalized. Also, prospective adoptive parents cannot apply to the court for an adoption order before the child has attained the age of six weeks.

Time Frame: The estimated time for an adoption to be processed is at least four to five months.

Adoption Agencies and Attorneys: There are no adoption agencies in the Solomon Islands. However, American prospective adoptive parents may still wish to enlist the services of an American adoption agency to assist them with the overall inter-country adoption process.

Adoption Fees: American prospective adoptive parents should expect to pay adoption-related fees of less than $300 to the Solomon Islands government. It may or may not be necessary for prospective parents to pay additional fees to lawyers, depending on the services rendered.

Adoption Procedures: Applications for adoption are obtained from private attorneys in the Solomon Islands. The completed dossiers are then sent to the High Court with a notice to the Provincial Secretary.

Prospective adoptive parents must also submit to an interview with a Social Welfare Officer. The Social Welfare Office will perform a Home Study and a Home Study report will be submitted to the High Court. In addition, the birth mother of the child must sign a consent form no earlier than six weeks after the child's birth allowing for adoption of the child. The Social Welfare Office will obtain the birth mother's written consent to adopt.

Required Documents: When submitted to the Solomon Islands authorities, the adoption dossier must contain:

• A completed adoption application,
• Birth Certificate,
• Medical Reports (for both the child and the prospective adoptive parents),
• Home Study,
• Bank Statements of prospective adopting parents,
• Marriage License, if applicable.

Permanent Representative of Solomon Islands to the United Nations
800 Second Avenue,
Suite 400L,
New York, NY 10017-4709
Tel: (212) 599-6192/6193,
Fax: (212) 661-8925

U.S. Immigration Requirements: Prospective adopting parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adoptive Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. Please see the International Adoption section of this book for more details and review current reports online at http://travel.state.gov/family.

U.S. Embassy, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Douglas Street,
P.O. Box 1492,
Port Moresby, N.C.D. 121,
Papua New Guinea
Telephone: (675) 321 -1455;
Fax: (675) 321-1593
E-mail:
ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov.

Additional Information: Specific questions about adoption in the Solomon Islands may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, via the contact information listed above. General questions regarding intercountry adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children's Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-407-4747.

Solomon Islands

Culture Name

Solomon Islander

Alternative Name

Melanesia; Melanesians; Wantoks ("one people," people from the Melanesian region sharing certain characteristics, especially the use of pidgin English).

Orientation

Identification. When Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira visited the Solomon Islands in 1568, he found some gold at the mouth of what is now the Mataniko River. By a turn of an amused fate, he erroneously thought that this could be one of the locations in which King Solomon (the Israelite monarch) obtained gold for his temple in Jerusalem. Mendaña then named the islands after King Solomon—Solomon Islands.

The islands are most widely known to the outside world for the World War II battles that were fought there, especially on Guadalcanal. Peace prevailed for most of the rest of the century in a country that was sometimes called the "Happy Islands," until ethnic conflict erupted in late 1998.

Location and Geography. The Solomon Islands lie northeast of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean. They are part of a long chain of archipelagos called Melanesia, which stretches from Papua New Guinea in the north to New Caledonia and Fiji in the south. Second largest in the Melanesian chain, the Solomon Islands archipelago covers approximately 310,000 square miles (803,000 square kilometers) of ocean and consists of 10,639 square miles (27,556 square kilometers) of land. There are a total of 992 islands in the Solomon Islands, including the six main islands of New Georgia, Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita, and San Cristóbal.

The climate of the Solomon Islands is equatorial, tempered by the surrounding ocean. Rainfall is often heavy especially in the interior near the mountains and on the windward sides of the large islands. Coastal areas of the main islands sheltered from the prevailing wind get less rain and, therefore, are drier. Honiara, the capital, is situated on Guadalcanal, in a rain shadow cast by a high mountain range.

Demography. The population of the Solomon Islands is estimated to be approximately 450,000. It is comprised predominantly of Melanesians with the rest of the population consisting of Polynesians, Micronesians, and small pockets of Chinese and Europeans. The annual growth rate is around 3.5 percent.

Most of the population (85 percent) live in villages. Only those with paid employment are found in the urban centers and provincial headquarters of Honiara (the capital), Auki, Gizo, Buala, Kira Kira, and Lata.

Linguistic Affiliation. The Melanesian region of the Pacific is known for its polylinguism. Among Melanesians and Polynesians in the Solomon Islands, approximately 63 to 70 distinct languages are spoken and perhaps an equal number of dialects. Each of the languages and several of the dialects are associated with distinct cultural groups.

Solomon Islanders also speak a variant of English called pidgin English (a form of Creole). And in formal places, such as in church services and in schools, English is spoken although it is usually interspersed with pidgin English and the native languages.

Symbolism. The multiplicity of ethnic groups made it quite difficult for the nation to agree on one symbol for itself. The leaders at independence, therefore, chose an amalgam of symbols to closely represent the different islands and their cultures. This is shown in the national coat of arms, which displays a crocodile and a shark upholding the government (represented by a crown) and a frigate bird supporting both. Also displayed are an eagle, a turtle, a war shield, and some fighting spears. The coat of arms also includes the phrase "to lead is to serve," which characterizes the general belief of the founding fathers who called on every member of the new nation to cherish duty and responsibility.

History and Ethnic Relations

The first discoverers of the Solomon Islands were the island peoples themselves. They settled the main islands and developed land-based communities, first with agriculture and then through animal husbandry, particularly pigs. They also developed fishing and other marine skills, especially in the lagoons.

Subsequent migrants, finding that the big islands were occupied, settled on the outlying islands, most of which are coral outliers. Sikaiana, Reef Islands and the Temotu Islands. These migrants were mostly Polynesians, and they mastered fishing and navigation.

The first contact with Europeans was in 1568 with Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira. Mendaña left and returned a second time in 1595 with the intent to settle. He died of malaria, and the settlement was short-lived.

Until 1767, when English explorer Philip Carteret landed in the islands, contact with outsiders was limited. It was in the 1800s, when traders and whalers arrived, that contact with Europeans became constant and enduring. Entrepreneurs, church missionaries, and the British colonial government officers soon arrived thereafter.

Before Britain proclaimed protectorate status over the islands in 1893, there was no single centralized politico-cultural system. What existed were numerous autonomous clan-based communities often headed by a male leader with his assistants. Unlike Polynesian societies, there had not been a known overall monarch ruling the islands.

Within the islands, there was intercommunity trading and even warring networks. These networks were further cemented by intermarriages and mutual help alliances.

With the arrival of churches and government, communication was made easier between the islanders, and further networks then developed. The British also put an end to intertribal warfare and conflicts. As a result, the predominant cultures of Melanesia and Polynesia were deeply intertwined with the cultures of the different churches, and both urban and rural lifestyles. Added to this was the introduction of western popular culture.

Emergence of the Nation. The emergence of nationhood came late to most Pacific nations so that the Solomon Islands was given political autonomy from Britain only in 1978, in a peaceful transfer of power. Calls for political independence, however, preceded the 1970s. Starting in the 1990s, Solomon Islanders made several attempts at independence through indigenous movements. Government was an anathema to the leaders of these movements because they did not see why they had to pay taxes when they received little in return from the government.

National Identity. In the Solomon Islands, national culture developed from the convergence of a number of factors. One of the most important is the high level of tolerance and comity developed between different churches in the last century. Unlike the government, church missions have done a lot for the people. They have provided schools, clinics, church buildings, and overall good will. The churches have enabled different cultures to assimilate such teachings as the social gospel of sharing and caring.

Another factor that congeals national culture is the sharing of a lingua franca, the "Solomon Islands pidgin English." Although pidgin English is not a compulsory subject in schools, it is the social glue that cements relationships particularly in a country with multiple languages.

Concomitant with the above is the concept of wantokism. Wantokism is a rallying philosophy that brings together, in common cause, people who are related, those who speak similar languages, those from the same area or island, and even the country as a whole. Its social malleability means that it can be applied in more than one situation especially when one is new to a place or unfamiliar to a group of people. It is a concept in which mutual hospitality is shared among and between different individuals and groups. The concept also traverses national boundaries. It is shared particularly among the three main Melanesian nations, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea.

The development of a national culture was also influenced by the battles Solomon Islanders experienced during World War II. Although the "war was not our war," the fact that many Solomon Islanders had common experiences, including putting their lives at risk to save their country from the enemy (the Japanese), helped unite them into one people.

Ethnic Relations. The ethnic groups of the Solomon Islands reflect the natural division of the islands. A Guadalcanal person would readily identify with others from Guadalcanal. This would equally apply to a Malaita person who would easily relate to another Malaita person. But within the islands, ethnic associations follow the different languages. Having more than seventy languages in the Solomon Islands means, then, that there are more than seventy ethnic groups as well. It was only in the late twentieth century that ethnic relations became politicized, resulting in violence.

Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space

With a relatively small population and large land area, space is affordable in the Solomon Islands. In urban areas, however, the choice of space is limited because of the restricted availability of houses and the nature of freehold land tenure. In such circumstances, Solomon Islanders have to fit into these new environments and quickly adapt to what is generally known as the taon kalsa ("town culture"). This includes developing relationships with one's neighbors from other islands and sharing transportation.

Houses in towns usually take the form of the Western bungalow with three bedrooms on average. These are built mostly of cement and timber, with corrugated iron roofing. A kitchen and other convenient amenities are included therein. Often, however, the practice of having in-house toilets infracts the tradition, as still practiced in rural areas, of having separate toilets for men and women as a sign of deep respect for one's siblings.

In rural areas, large villages are often situated on tribal land. Villages comprise individual families placing their homes next to other relatives. There is usually a village quad (square) where children can play and meetings can be held. Sometimes, village squares are used for games consisting of intervillage competitions. In other areas, family homes are made on artificial islands built over shallow shoals in a lagoon by gathering rocks and piling them together to make a "home over the sea." This lifestyle has several advantages: living over the sea is generally cooler, most of these artificial islands are mosquito-free, and families have greater privacy so they can bring up their children as they wish without the undesirable influences from other children.

In rural areas, most Solomon Island dwellings are made of sago-palm thatching often with a separate kitchen. Most dwellings are rectangular in shape, raised on stilts with windows for ventilation to take advantage of the frequent land and sea breezes. A separate kitchen is convenient where open-stove cooking is done especially with the family oven, which is used for large Sunday cooking or for public festivals, such as weddings and funerals.

For those who live in mountain areas, which often experience cold nights, houses are generally built low. Often the living area includes a fireplace for heat. In places such as the Kwaio Mountains, on Malaita, where traditional worship is still practiced, men's houses are built separate from family houses. Also, the separately built bisi (menstruating and birthing hut) is where women go during monthly menses and during childbirth.

An important piece of national architecture is the parliament house, which was built as a gift from the United States to Solomon Islands. The building features rich frescoes in the ceiling telling stories of various life-phases in the islands. On the pinnacle of the roof overlooking the whole town are carvings of ancestral gods, which are totemic guides to the different peoples. The building epitomizes the unity of the country besides being a symbolic haven for democratic deliberation and decision making.

Food and Economy

Food in Daily Life. Traditionally, yams, panas, and taros are the main staples in the Solomon Islands. These are usually eaten with fish and seashells, for those on the coast, or greens, snails, eels, and opossums, for those inland and in the mountains. The traditional diet does not distinguish between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What is eaten is usually what is available at that time. Solomon Islanders do not use many spices in their cooking except for coconut milk. During harvesting seasons, breadfruits and ngali nuts are gathered, and eaten or traded.

Today, the traditional diet has changed markedly, especially in urban areas. Rice is becoming the main staple, and is often eaten with tea. For lunch and dinner, rice is eaten with canned meat or fish. The locally-produced Solomon Taiyo (canned tuna) has become a favorite protein source.

For urban families with limited income, breakfast consists of tea with leftovers from previous meals. More affluent families drink tea or coffee and eat buttered bread, rolls, or biscuits. Lunch and dinner are usually the big meals of the day. Eating does not necessary follow time, but as they say, "it follows the tummy." Most families eat together so they can talk. Traditionally, the habit of eating at tables was not the norm. Today, it is becoming one.

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. There is a saying that "everyone who goes to a feast expects to eat." Usually a lot of preparation is required for ceremonial occasions. This might involve preparing a pig for the oven, making manioc, taro, yam or swamp-taro pudding, and roasting fish; when it can be afforded, a cow is prepared.

Traditionally, there are no special drinks (particularly alcoholic ones) that go with the food. Water is the main drink. But if the hosts prefer, green coconuts are prepared, to be drunk after the main courses.

Often, in kastom feasts, guests are provided with betel nuts to chew. Similar to desserts, betel nuts are eaten as the final food that tops off a good meal.

Basic Economy. Most of the people are rural villagers who depend on subsistence agriculture for sustenance. Therefore, agriculture and fishing are the mainstays of village life. Any surplus food or fish is bartered or sold at the markets.

Land Tenure and Property. In the Solomon Islands, 85 percent of land is managed under customary tenure, meaning that local clans and members of clan groups have control over it. Traditionally, people do not own the land; the land owns them. People merely have stewardship over the land which is held in "good faith" for them and for subsequent generations.

Commercial Activities. Beginning in the early 1990s, small-scale industries were encouraged, resulting in goods that are sold mostly in the local area at retail and wholesale stores. Examples of these locally-produced products are beer, furniture, and noodles. Otherwise, agricultural products have been the main commodities for sale. In the service sector, hotels and small motels were established in the late twentieth century to encourage small-scale tourism.

Major Industries. Except for Marubeni Fishing Company, which produces canned tuna, and Gold Ridge mine, which produces gold, most of the industries are comprised small or medium-sized businesses. The main industries are geared toward local markets, including the food processing sector, which produces such items as rice, biscuits, beer, and twisties, a brand of confectionery. Other manufacturers produce twisted tobacco, corrugated roofing sheets, nails, fibro canoes and tanks, timber, and buttons.

The tourism industry has only been recently encouraged. The Solomon Islands has stellar scenery, including lagoons, lakes, fauna and flora. The government has encouraged controlled tourism to attract Australians, Japanese, Americans, and scuba divers.

Trade. The export of palm oil and kernels, copra (dried coconut), cocoa, fish, and timber constitute the bulk of the country's trade. The main destinations for these products are Japan, the United Kingdom, Thailand, South Korea, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Singapore. Other exported products that are traded in relatively smaller quantities include beer, buttons, precious stones, shell money, and wooden carvings.

Division of Labor. Most Solomon Islanders are self-employed. According to the most recent census data available (1986), 71.4 percent of the economically active population (133, 498) was engaged in non-monetary work in villages, including subsistence farming. The labor force engaged exclusively in wage-earning activities was only 14 percent. A further 14.5 percent was engaged in both wage-earning and subsistence production.

In the formal monetary sector, there were approximately 34,000 employed persons in 1996. Looking at the distribution of this number in terms of economic sectors, 58 percent of the employed were in the service sector including the public service, financial services, and trade; 26 percent in the primary sector, which includes agriculture, fisheries, and forestry; and 16 percent in the secondary sector including manufacturing and construction. It is also useful to look at the relative roles of the public and private sectors in providing employment. In the year under consideration the public sector accounted for 32 percent of the total wage employment while the private sector accounted for the remaining two-thirds.

Social Stratification

Classes and Castes. The Solomon Islands does not have caste or class divisions as found among some Asian cultures. Instead, the country has different tribal groups found on the different islands. Individuals and groups gravitate towards their own kith and kin. Broader still, they move along island lines or interisland groupings according to various affiliations, including marriages, church memberships, and general friendship.

The emergence of a semblance of class was brought about during the colonial days between those who moved to urban centers and those who remained in villages. Today, those who are employed in the formal sector form a sort of elite class, in contrast to those who are not formally employed either in the public or the private sector. The late twentieth century saw the emergence of another class, a small group of businesspeople.

Symbols of Social Stratification. Social stratification is more obvious in urban areas where people are known by where they live. The well-to-do often live in suburbs such as Ngosi, Tandai, and Lingakiki. Those who live in Kukum Labor line or at the mouth of Mataniko River are usually less affluent. In a similar manner, people are known by the cars they drive, the houses they live in, and the restaurants and bars they frequent.

Political Life

Government. On the eve of political independence in 1978, Solomon Islands' government leaders decided to retain the parliamentary system of government that had been employed during the colonial era. The nation has a governor-general who represents the British monarch, a prime minister as the head of the executive, a speaker of the house who heads parliament, and a chief justice as the highest legal officer. There is no limit to the term a person can serve as prime minister. The speaker is voted for a five-year term, while the chief justice remains in office until retirement unless he or she has proven unable to carry out his or her constitutional duties. The fifty-member parliament is elected every four years.

Leadership and Political Officials. Leadership in traditional culture follows the "big man system." People become leaders when they gain influence by the manipulation of their abilities around followers and resources. Today, most leaders are elected through either consensus or popular ballot.

National leadership in the Solomon Islands has long been dominated by Solomon Mamaloni, who died in January 2000, and Peter Kenilorea. Mamaloni's style of leadership was the "all rounder" who rubs shoulders with almost everybody whom he comes across. He was ready to help those who seek his assistance. It was his professed belief that Solomon Islanders should do things for themselves, as much as possible. Kenilorea, on the other hand, takes a different stance—a gentleman's approach with the usual formality and selectivity. Kenilorea is a real statesman and his contributions to the country have been well-recognized by the jobs he has been given after his occasional spells from politics.

By and large, most Solomon Islanders respect the members of parliament because many leaders have established close rapport with their people. Solomon Islands has experience with coalition governments, resulting from a weak party system, shifting party alliances, and frequent "number contests," often devoid of political merit. Inevitably, this leads to a lot of personal politics and the cult of individuals.

Social Problems and Control. For a long time the Solomon Islands has been free from large-scale social problems. Most problems were concentrated in urban areas, particularly Honiara. Otherwise the rural areas were quite free of conflicts other than the occasional land dispute cases and community arguments that emerged among villagers.

Unlike other countries where sectarian conflicts have flared among members of different religious groups, religious comity in the country is enviable. In the early twenty-first century, the most serious conflict was centered on Guadalcanal, where Guadalcanal residents faced off against resident Malaita people. The conflict arose when the police without due cause or care shot a Guadalcanal man. Thereafter, the conflict raged on. The Guadalcanal people formed an ethnic freedom fighters group called Isatabu Freedom Fighters and chased 20,000 people from Malaita who lived on Guadalcanal. Guadalcanal militants asserted that Malaitans have contributed to many of their problems. Later, a Malaita force was formed, called the Malaita Eagle Force. More than 50 people were killed in the early years of the conflict.

Other social problems prevalent mostly in urban areas include burglary, theft, break-ins, and general social discord between neighbors. During soccer matches, fights often break out between rival supporters. These fracas take serious dimensions when games are held between different island groups, especially during the annual competition between the best provincial teams, competing for the Solomon Cup.

Military Activity. The nation has no standing army or navy. It was only when the Bougainville Crisis spilled over from Papua New Guinea into the Solomon Islands in the early 1990s that the Police Field Force (PFF), a paramilitary unit, was established. Since the Guadalcanal conflict began in late 1998, the PFF has been instrumental in keeping order, arresting offenders and troublemakers and maintaining imposed government decrees in Honiara and around Guadalcanal.

Social Welfare and Change Programs

The government of Bartholomew Ulufalu, which gained power in the 1997 election, was accommodating to major structural adjustment programs (SAPs) pushed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. For a long time, various governments were skeptical about SAPs. The fear was that devaluing the dollar, wage cuts, and other economic stringencies were meant to help only the urban economy. Rural areas, it was believed, would be adversely affected.

Ulufalu, however, as a trained economist, was inclined to adopt the program of the IMF and World Bank, and did so. Although the economy began recovering and revenue collection improved markedly, rural villagers saw their purchasing power diminished. The cost of essential services began to soar. School fees, for example, increased by more than 100 percent. Many rural parents could no longer afford to send their children to school. Thus, the structural adjustment program that was meant to improve social conditions merely exacerbated them.

Nongovernmetal Organizations and Other Associations

Except for the churches, Nongovermental organizations (NGOs) arrived in the Solomon Islands in a big way only in the 1980s. There are the usual ones, which include the Red Cross, Rotary Club, Save the Children, and Catholic Relief. The best known NGO and the one that can be regarded as indigenous is the Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT). Well organized, well funded, and innovative in its aims and approach, SIDT has contributed to development in quite a revolutionary way with its emphasis on total change for the person (metanoia ). It has mobile teams spreading their network in all corners of the country. In addition to a women's group, SIDT also offers opportunities for training and learning for those who would like to look at development and life in more innovative and empowering ways.

Gender Roles and Statuses

Division of Labor by Gender. In traditional societies, kastom dictates the roles of women and men. This was true in all the villages. Household duties were the preserve of the women, as were such gardening tasks as organizing garden boundaries, planting, and weeding. Men took care of felling trees to clear areas for gardens, building canoes, hunting, and fishing.

As Solomon Islanders encounter the Western lifestyle, there is a blurring of these traditional roles. Many Solomon Islanders, however, do not challenge traditional roles, rather they attempt to reconcile these roles with their new ones as doctors, lawyers, teachers, or even ministers and pastors in the churches.

Marriage, Family and Kinship

Marriage. Traditionally, parents and adult relatives often arranged marriages. One of the reasons for this was to ensure not individual but social/ communal compatibility. Love was developed not outside of marriage but within marriage. Marriage outside of the clan was often the norm but sometimes arrangements were made for marriage within the clan for exceptional reasons. Great care was taken that close relatives, ranging from first to third cousins, were not involved. The existence of a bride price (better termed "bride gift") differed from one group to the other and from one island group to another. The bride price was not a payment but compensation to the parents and the family for the "loss" of a family member.

Today marriage has changed markedly. Although traditional arranged marriage is still practiced, many marriages are a mixture of individuals making their choice with the blessings of the family. Today marriage can take the form of a court marriage, kastom marriage, church marriage, private marriage, or mere cohabiting. Cohabiting is not widely practiced because it is still socially stigmatized.

Domestic Unit. The family, by definition and through socialization, is "extended" in the Solomon Islands. Even in urban areas, family comes before money and food. As the saying goes, "one cannot cry for money and food but certainly one weeps when one's relative or family member passes away."

Who makes a family decision depends on the criticalness of the issue. Men often make critical decisions because they have to negotiate and account for the decisions if need be. Women often make decisions pertaining to the household, those that involve women's affairs, and those that involve her own relatives. Although men take on the critical decisions, women often play a role in these decisions in the background, out of the gaze of others.

Inheritance. In the Solomon Islands inheritance differs from one group and one island to another, with both patrilineal and matrilineal inheritance being practiced. For example, on Malaita it is patrilineal while on Guadalcanal it is matrilineal. Custom courts in these islands are cognizant of this. Even the national court system considers these differences in its decision making.

Inheritance includes not only material things but also knowledge, wisdom, and magical powers, which are often regarded as heirlooms of the tribe. Fathers often pass on canoes, adzes, spears, and the necessary skills to use onto their sons. Where these are scarce, the first born is often given custody of the items, although the other sons may seek permission for their use from time to time. Mothers often pass on to their daughters body decorations, gardening and fishing skills, and magical incantations.

In towns, inheritance mostly involves money and Western goods and properties, such as houses and cars. In such cases, Western laws apply, especially the British laws of property.

Kin Groups. Belonging to a kinship group is still important in the Solomon Islands. The stigma that comes with not belonging to a kinship group is a heavy one—tantamount to be regarded a bastard.

As mentioned above, there are matrilineal kinship groups on islands such as Guadalcanal, Isabel, Shortlands, and Bougainville, and patrilineal groups on islands such as Malaita. Although one belongs to one's father's group or one's mother's group, secondary membership in the other side is never discounted. Today, there is a mixing of both sides and the strength of such relationship is regarded in terms of "how often and easy people do things together." Being visible during a kinship event is important in order to make oneself known to other members, especially the young ones.

Socialization

Infant Care. It is the parents' primary and foremost responsibility to care for their children. In the Solomon Islands, members of the extended family often help. Solomon Islanders believe that a child, especially an infant, should not have unrelated people close to her or him all the time; a close relative should look after the child. It is believed that infants should be soothed, calmed, or fed every time they cry for attention. It is only when children start to speak and think for themselves that they are slowly left alone.

Child Rearing and Education. Again, it is the parents and relatives who are responsible for the formative education and training of children. Children are taught to watch carefully, ask few questions, and then follow through by participating when asked. A good child is said to behave very much like her mother, if she is a girl, or father, if he is a boy. Good children carry family values with them in life. When one makes a mistake, the parents are often blamed. If the children do well, the parents receive the credit first.

A boy is said to be mature when he can build a house and canoe and make a garden. A girl is regarded as grown up when she can cultivate food gardens, hew wood, carry water, and look after her family and family members even when her mother is absent.

Higher Education. Higher education is highly prized in the Solomon Islands. Although fees are high, parents go to great lengths to pay for at least one of their children to get a decent education. Some wealthy families send their children to such places as New Zealand and Australia for their high school education. Only in 1992 did the first Solomon Islander receive a Ph.D.

Etiquette

In the Solomon Islands, respect for elders and women, particularly in rural areas, is a must. On Malaita, infraction of such rules, especially those pertaining to the dignity of married women, often incurs the immediate payment of compensation. When one is talking to a woman who is not a relative, one is expected to look away as a sign of respect. Strangers are expected to be respected particularly as they are regarded as new and know little of community kastoms. Often when they make mistakes, strangers are gently reminded of community protocols.

Girls are not to show signs of friendliness to strangers, or even boyfriends, when they are with their brothers or relatives. Boys are mutually required to do the same as sign of respect to their sisters and relatives. When guests come to one's house, it is hospitable to allow them to eat first and eat the best. To do otherwise is a sign of moral weakness and lack of respect and dignity for oneself and one's family.

Religion

Religious Beliefs. Traditionally, Solomon Islanders believe that ancestors, although invisible, are still around. Therefore, one can invoke their help if need be or ask that their wrath or curse befall one's enemies. Animism was practiced before Christianity reached the islands. For believers in animism, most living things have spirits and it bodes well to maintain a cordial relationship with one's ancestors and the whole ecosystem. For those who live near the coast, totem gods include sharks, octopi, and stingrays. Inland people worship crocodiles, snakes, the eagle, and the owl as deity totems.

Today Christianity pervades most of the country. There is a lot of syncretism between Christian worship and traditional beliefs. People usually pray to the Christian God but use ancestors or those who have recently died as mediators. The belief is that those who have passed on are closer to God and can "see" better.

Today, 90 percent of Solomon Islanders are professed Christians. The five main Christian churches are the Catholic, Anglican, South Sea Evangelical, Seventh Day Adventist, and Christian Fellowship (a derivative of Methodism). Beside Christians, there are traditional practitioners, Mormons, Muslims, and Baha'is.

Religious Practitioners. Teaching and preaching are accented in churches. Healing is one of the sacraments but not the major one. Some people in the Solomon Islands still practice traditional healing. In the Western Solomons, there are healers who can fix broken bones, massage swollen bodies, and cure aching heads. Others have the power to pull cursed objects from a victim's body by sucking them out or by sending another spirit to bring them back. Still others practice black magic.

Rituals and Holy Places. In the Solomon Islands, shrines are always taboo places. These are the places where ancestral remains are kept and ancestral spirits live. Small children are not allowed as the spirits would cause them harm. Nowadays, very few of these places have sacrifices offered as many people have become Christianized.

Today, only Christian rituals are regularly practiced and performed. For example, during the Easter season the stations of the cross is performed and special prayers offered. There are prayer walks in the night as faithful prayer warriors stage spiritual warfare against Satan and his host of angels.

Death and the Afterlife. Death is as important as birth in the Solomon Islands. When people are born, there is celebration. When they die, there is festivity to mark the passing away of a life.

It is believed that when people die, they merely "take the next boat" to the other world. But spirits do not go away immediately after death. They linger for a while as they find it difficult parting from their loved ones. Then after some time, the deceased spirits move on.

When there is a death, the corpse is kept above ground as long as possible. This is to allow all the loved ones and family members to pay their last respects. After the deceased is buried, people resume their normal lives. The widow or widower and close relatives then cleanse themselves and continue life again.

Medicine and Health Care

In traditional Solomon Island society, every disease has a spiritual cause or explanation to it. Before Western-introduced diseases, there were traditional cures for most diseases. With the introduction of Western diseases and medicine, the whole equation changed drastically.

Today, the Solomon Islands is accosted in varying degrees with diseases and medical challenges like most third world countries. Lifestyle diseases—including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes—have been blamed on dietary changes, namely the increasing dependence on imported foods such as white flour, white rice, sugar, and canned meat, as well as an increase in smoking and alcohol consumption. Among vector-borne diseases, malaria is prevalent in the country.

Despite the above, great strides have been made in the country. In the 1990s the average life expectancy was 63 years for men and 65 years for women.

Secular Celebrations

The Solomon Islands has a number of secular celebrations. The first is Independence Day (7 July), which is a colorful day when most island people converge on the capital (Honiara) to celebrate. Queen's birthday (12 June), is usually co-celebrated with Independence Day, and commemorates the birth of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Honors and medals are given to those who have done heroic and great things for the country and people. Christmas Day (25 December) is always a time when families disperse from the capital and meet with their loved ones at their homes to celebrate Christ's birthday. The Christmas holiday is not only a religious holiday, but also the longest holiday of the year for most people. New Year (1 January) is the most celebrated day of each year. There is a tradition of playing a lot of games, especially water games, and competitions between villages.

The Arts and Humanities

Support for the Arts. Artists in the Solomon Islands are mostly self-supporting. With the encouragement of tourism in the late twentieth century, many more people have taken up the arts, with the specific intention of making money from their artistic skills.

Literature. Literature, both written and oral, has had a sporadic history in the Solomon Islands. It has been seriously studied only since the 1970s. There is a writers' association that has an open membership for all who are interested. This has encouraged both oral and written literatures.

Graphic Arts. The graphic arts are also a relatively new area promoted mostly through touristic advertisements and salesmanship. Graphic arts courses are now offered during summer semesters at the University of the South Pacific Center in Honiara. With more businesses being set up in the capital, many graphic artists have had tremendous income earnings. Sign writing, for example, has been a big moneymaker.

Performance Arts. Music has been a popular pastime in the Solomon Islands. In most of the islands, music is made to keep people together and enhance their companionship. Many Solomon Islanders are natural song composers. The Sulufou Islanders and the Fuaga Brothers are two of the more popular bands.

Drama is valued for its ability to pass on certain messages and influence decisions. Many schools have drama groups that perform historical stories, such as World War II battle tales.

The State of the Physical and Social Sciences

The Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE) is an institution founded in 1984 that grew out of the old Teachers' Training College. Since its inception, its achievements have been remarkable. SICHE's schools include industrial arts, agriculture, nursing and health studies, and education. SICHE also has a Solomon Islands studies program, which has not yet been fully developed.

Bibliography

Akin, David. Negotiating culture in East Kwaio, Malaita, Solomon Islands, Ph.D. diss., University of Hawaii, Honolulu, 1993.

Australian Agency for International Development. The Solomon Islands Economy: Achieving Sustainable Economic Development, 1995.

Gegeo, David. "History, Empowerment, and Social Responsibility: Views of a Pacific Islands Indigenous Scholar." Keynote address delivered at the 12th meeting of the Pacific History Association, Honiara, Solomon Islands, June 1998.

——. Kastom and Binis: towards integrating cultural knowledge into rural development in Solomon Islands." Ph.D. diss., University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1994.

——, "Indigenous Knowledge in Community and Literacy Development: Strategies for Empowerment from Within." Unpublished paper, 1997.

Hogbin, Ian H. "Coconuts and Coral Islands," National Geographic Magazine 65 (3), 1934.

Kabutaulaka, Tarcisus. "Solomon Islands: A Review." Contemporary Pacific: A Journal of Island Affairs 11 (2): 443–449, 1999.

LaFranchi, Christopher. Islands Adrift? Comparing Industrial and Small-Scale Economic Options for Maravovo Lagoon Region of the Solomon Islands, 1999.

Lockwood, Victoria S., Thomas G. Harding, and Ben J. Wallace. Contemporary Pacific Societies: Studies in Development and Change, 1993.

O'Callaghan, Mary-Lousie. Solomon Islands: A New Economic Strategy, 1994.

O'Connor, Gulbun Coker. The Moro movement of Guadalcanal, Ph.D. diss., University of Pennsylvania, 1973.

Talu, Alaimu, and Max Quanchi, eds., Messy Entanglements, 1995.

Tryon, Darrell T., and B. D. Hackman. Solomon Island Languages: An Internal Classification, 1983.

United Nations Development Program. Pacific Human Development Report, 1999: Creating Opportunities, 1999.

—John Moffat Fugui

Solomon Islands

Compiled from the October 2006 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.

Official Name:
Solomon Islands

PROFILE

GEOGRAPHY

PEOPLE

HISTORY

GOVERNMENT

POLITICAL CONDITIONS

ECONOMY

FOREIGN RELATIONS

U.S.-SOLOMON ISLANDS RELATIONS

TRAVEL

PROFILE

Geography

Area: Land—27,556 sq. km. (11,599 sq. mi.). Archipelago—725,197 sq. km. (280,000 sq. mi.).

Cities: Capital—Honiara (on the island of Guadalcanal), pop. 54,600. Other towns—Gizo, Auki, Kirakira.

Terrain: Mountainous islands.

Climate: Tropical monsoon.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective—Solomon Islander(s).

Population: (2006) 552,438.

Annual growth rate: 2.8%.

Ethnic groups: (2002) Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, other 1.5%.

Religions: Christian 95%—more than one-third Anglican (Archdiocese of Melanesia), Roman Catholic 19%, South Sea Evangelical 17%, United Church (Methodist) 11%, Seventh-day Adventist 10%.

Languages: English (official); about 120 vernaculars, including Solomon Islands pidgin.

Education: (2003) Years compulsory—none. Attendance—79.6% primary school; 14% secondary school. Adult literacy—76.6%.

Health: (2003) Infant mortality rate—19/1,000. Life expectancy—62.3 yrs.

Work force: (264,900, 2002) Agriculture—75%. Industry and commerce—5%. Services—20%.

Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth.

Constitution: May 1978.

Independence: July 7, 1978.

Government branches: Executive—British monarch represented by a governor general (head of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative—50-member Parliament elected every 4 years. Judicial—high court plus magistrates court; system of custom land courts throughout islands.

Political subdivisions: Nine provinces and Honiara town.

Political parties: Association of Independent Members (AIM), People’s Alliance Party (PAP), Socred, Rural Advancement Party (RAP), Lafari Party, Christian Alliance Party, Democratic Party, National Party, Liberal Party, Labour Party.

Suffrage: Universal over 18.

National holiday: July 7.

Economy

GDP: (2005) $262 million.

Annual growth rate: (2005) 4.7%.

Per capita income: (2005) $474.

Inflation rate: (2005) 7.4%.

Natural resources: Forests, fish, agricultural land, marine products, gold.

Agriculture: Products—copra, cocoa, palm oil, palm kernels and subsistence crops of yams, taro, bananas, pineapple.

Industry: Types—fish canning, sawmilling, boats, rattan and wood furniture, fiberglass products, shell jewelry, tobacco, beer, clothing, soap, nails, handicrafts.

Trade: (2004) Exports—$95.8 million: timber, fish, cocoa, copra, palm oil. Major markets—China 28.2%, South Korea 15.7%, Thailand 15.7%, Japan 9.7%, Philippines 5.1%, Vietnam 3.1%. Imports—$84 million: mineral fuels, food, machinery & transport equipment, and basic manufactures. Major suppliers—Australia 25.3%, Singapore 23.8%, New Zealand 5.3%, India 4.8%, Japan 3.9%.

Exchange rate: (2005 average) Solomon Islands $1=about U.S.$0.13.

GEOGRAPHY

The Solomon Islands form an archipelago in the Southwest Pacific about 1,900 kilometers (1,200 mi.) northeast of Australia. With terrain ranging from ruggedly mountainous islands to low-lying coral atolls, the Solomons stretch in a 1,450-kilometer (900 mi.) chain southeast from Papua New Guinea across the Coral Sea to Vanuatu. The main islands of Choiseul, New Georgia, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Makira have rainforested mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin, deep narrow valleys, and coastal belts lined with coconut palms and ringed by reefs. The smaller islands are atolls and raised coral reefs, often spectacularly beautiful. The Solomon Islands region is geologically active, and earth tremors are frequent.

The islands’ ocean-equatorial climate is extremely humid throughout the year, with a mean temperature of 27° C (80° F) and few extremes of temperature or weather. June through August is the cooler period. Though seasons are not pronounced, the northwesterly winds of November through April bring more frequent rainfall and occasional squalls or cyclones. The annual rainfall is about 305 centimeters (120 in.).

More than 90% of the islands traditionally was forested, but this has come under severe pressure from current logging operations. The coastal strips are sheltered by mangrove and coconut trees. Luxuriant rainforest covers the interiors of the large islands. Soil quality ranges from extremely rich volcanic to relatively infertile limestone. More than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers brighten the landscape.

PEOPLE

The Solomon Islanders comprise diverse cultures, languages, and customs. Ninety-three percent are Melanesian, 4% Polynesian, and 1.5% Micronesian. In addition, small numbers of Europeans and Chinese are registered. About 120 vernacular languages are spoken.

Most people reside in small, widely dispersed settlements along the coasts. Sixty percent live in localities with fewer than 200 persons, and only 15% reside in urban areas.

The capital city of Honiara, situated on Guadalcanal, the largest island, has 54,600 inhabitants. The other principal towns are Gizo, Auki, and Kirakira.

Most Solomon Islanders are Christian, with the Anglican, Roman Catholic, South Seas Evangelical, and Seventh-day Adventist faiths predominating. About 5% of the population maintain traditional beliefs. The chief characteristics of the traditional Melanesian social structure are:

• The practice of subsistence economy;
• The recognition of bonds of kinship, with important obligations extending beyond the immediate family group; local and clan loyalties far outweigh regional or national affiliations;
• Generally egalitarian relationships, emphasizing acquired rather than inherited status; and
• A strong attachment of the people to the land.

Most Solomon Islanders maintain this traditional social structure and find their roots in village life.

HISTORY

Although little prehistory of the Solomon Islands is known, material excavated on Santa Ana, Guadalcanal, and Gawa indicates that a hunter-gatherer people lived on the larger islands as early as 1000 B.C. Some Solomon Islanders are descendants of Neolithic Austronesian-speaking peoples who migrated from Southeast Asia.

The European discoverer of the Solomons was the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana Y Neyra, who set out from Peru in 1567 to seek the legendary Isles of Solomon. British mariner Philip Carteret entered Solomon waters in 1767. In the years that followed, visits by explorers were more frequent.

Missionaries began visiting the Solomons in the mid-1800s. They made little progress at first, because “blackbirding”—the often brutal recruitment of laborers for the sugar plantations in Queensland and Fiji—led to a series of reprisals and massacres. The evils of the labor trade prompted the United Kingdom to declare a protectorate over the southern Solomons in 1893. In 1898 and 1899, more outlying islands were added to the protectorate; in 1900 the remainder of the archipelago, an area previously under German jurisdiction, was transferred to British administration. Under the protectorate, missionaries settled in the Solomons, converting most of the population to Christianity.

In the early 20th century, several British and Australian firms began large-scale coconut planting. Economic growth was slow, however, and the islanders benefited little. With the outbreak of World War II, most planters and traders were evacuated to Australia, and most cultivation ceased.

From May 1942, when the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought, until December 1943, the Solomons were almost constantly a scene of combat. Although U.S. forces landed on Guadalcanal virtually unopposed in August 1942, they were soon engaged in a bloody fight for control of the islands’ airstrip, which the U.S. forces named Henderson Field. One of the most furious sea battles ever fought took place off Savo Island, near Guadalcanal, also in August 1942. Before the Japanese completely withdrew from Guadalcanal in February 1943, over 7,000 Americans and 21,000 Japanese died. By December 1943, the Allies were in command of the entire Solomon chain. The large-scale American presence toward the end of the war, which dwarfed anything seen before in the islands, triggered various millennial movements and left a lasting legacy of friendship.

Postwar Developments

Following the end of World War II, the British colonial government returned. The capital was moved from Tulagi to Honiara to take advantage of the infrastructure left

behind by the U.S. military. A native movement known as the Marching Rule defied government authority. There was much disorder until some of the leaders were jailed in late 1948. Throughout the 1950s, other indigenous dissident groups appeared and disappeared without gaining strength.

In 1960, an advisory council of Solomon Islanders was superseded by a legislative council, and an executive council was created as the protectorate’s policymaking body. The council was given progressively more authority. In 1974, a new constitution was adopted establishing a parliamentary democracy and ministerial system of government. In mid-1975, the name Solomon Islands officially replaced that of British Solomon Islands Protectorate. On January 2, 1976, the Solomons became self-governing, and independence followed on July 7, 1978.

GOVERNMENT

The Solomon Islands is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth, with a unicameral Parliament and a ministerial system of government. The British monarch is represented by a governor general, chosen by the Parliament for a 5-year term. The national Parliament has 50 members, elected for 4-year terms. However, Parliament may be dissolved by majority vote of its members before the completion of its term. Parliamentary representation is based on single-member constituencies. Suffrage is universal for citizens over age 18. The prime minister, elected by Parliament, chooses the other members of the cabinet. Each ministry is headed by a cabinet member, who is assisted by a permanent secretary, a career public servant, who directs the staff of the ministry.

For local government, the country is divided into 10 administrative areas, of which nine are provinces administered by elected provincial assemblies, and the 10th is the town of Honiara, administered by the Honiara Town Council.

Land ownership is reserved for Solomon Islanders. At the time of independence, citizenship was granted to all persons whose parents are or were both British protected persons and members of a group, tribe, or line indigenous to the Solomon Islands. The law provides that resident expatriates, such as the Chinese and Kiribati, may obtain citizenship through naturalization. Land generally is still held on a family or village basis and may be handed down from mother or father according to local custom. The islanders are reluctant to provide land for nontraditional economic undertakings, and this has resulted in continual disputes over land ownership. No military forces are maintained by the Solomon Islands, although the police force of nearly 500 includes a border protection element. The police also have responsibility for fire service, disaster relief, and maritime surveillance. The police force is headed by a commissioner, appointed by the Governor General and responsible to the prime minister. The current commissioner is an Australian, Shane Castles, who has served in the Australian Federal Police for 28 years.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS

Solomon Islands governments are characterized by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. They are subject to frequent votes of no confidence, and government leadership changes frequently as a result. Cabinet changes are common.

The first post-independence government was elected in August 1980. Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea was head of government until September 1981, when he was succeeded by Solomon Mamaloni as the result of a realignment within the parliamentary coalitions. Following the November 1984 elections, Kenilorea was again elected Prime Minister, to be replaced in 1986 by his former deputy Ezekiel Alebua following shifts within the parliamentary coalitions. The next election, held in early 1989, returned Solomon Mamaloni as Prime Minister. Francis Billy Hilly was elected Prime Minister following the national elections in June 1993, and headed the government until November 1994 when a shift in parliamentary loyalties brought Solomon Mamaloni back to power.

The national election of August 6, 1997 resulted in Bartholomew Ulufa’alu’s election as Prime Minister, heading a coalition government, which christened itself the Solomon Islands Alliance for Change.

However, governance was slipping as the performance of the police and other government agencies deteriorated due to ethnic rivalries. The capital of Honiara on Guadalcanal was increasingly populated by migrants from the island of Malaita. In June 2000, an insurrection mounted by militants from the island of Malaita resulted in the brief detention of Ulufa’alu and his subsequent forced resignation. Manasseh Sogavare, leader of the People’s Progressive Party, was chosen Prime Minister by a loose coalition of parties. Guadalcanal militants retaliated and sought to drive Malaitan settlers from Guadalcanal, resulting in the closure of a large oil-palm estate and gold mine which were vital to exports but whose workforce was largely Malaitan.

New elections in December 2001 brought Sir Allan Kemakeza into the Prime Minister’s chair with the support of a coalition of parties.

Kemakeza attempted to address the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, but the prevailing atmosphere of lawlessness, widespread extortion, and ineffective police, prompted a formal request by the Solomon Islands Government for outside help. With the country bankrupt and the capital in chaos, the request was unanimously supported in Parliament. In July 2003, Australian and Pacific Island police and troops arrived in the Solomon Islands under the auspices of the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

RAMSI is largely a policing effort with an important development component. It has restored order to virtually all parts of the nation and is now embarked on rebuilding government institutions, particularly the police, and reviving the economy, which fell by at least a third during the troubles. The effort promises to take many years and Solomon Islands will continue to require substantial donor support. Moreover, as militants, former police, and political leaders are brought to trial for their crimes during the unrest, some local resentment is likely to cut somewhat into the now-widespread support for the intervention. The peace has proven to be fragile. Fierce rioting occurred soon after the April 2006 general election and the election of Snyder Rini as Prime Minister in mid-April. Most of the violence was directed against businesses owned by ethnic Chinese in Honiara, with the almost complete destruction of the Chinatown commercial district. Mr. Rini resigned shortly after the riots, and a parliamentary vote saw Manasseh Sogavare elected as the new Prime Minister in May 2006.

Principal Government Officials

Last Updated: 4/20/2005

Governor General: Nathaniel WAENA

Prime Minister: Allan KEMAKESA, Sir

Dep. Prime Min.: Snyder RINI

Min. of Agriculture & Livestock: Enele KWANAIRARA

Min. of Commerce, Employment, & Trade: Walter NAEZON

Min. of Communications, Aviation, & Meteorology: Simeon BOURO

Min. of Culture & Tourism: Trevor OLAVAE

Min. of Education & Training: Snyder RINI

Min. of Finance & Treasury: Peter BOYERS

Min. of Fisheries & Marine Resources: Paul MAENU’U

Min. of Foreign Affairs: Laurie CHAN

Min. of Forestry, Environment, & Conservation: David HOLOSIVI

Min. of Health & Medical Services: Benjamin UNA

Min. of Home Affairs: Nelson KILE

Min. of Infrastructure Development: Bernard GIRO

Min. of Lands & Surveys: Siriako USA

Min. of Mines & Energy: Basil MANELEGUA

Min. of National Reform & Planning: Fred FONO

Min. of National Unity, Reconciliation, & Peace: James TORA

Min. of Police, National Security, & Justice: Augustine TANEKO

Min. of Provincial Govt. & Rural Development: Stephen PAENI

Min. of State Assisting the Prime Minister: John Martin GARO

Governor, Central Bank: Rick HOU

Ambassador to the US: Collin David BECK

Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Collin David BECK

The Solomon Islands mission to the United Nations is located at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 (tel: 212-599-6192/93; fax: 212-661-8925).

ECONOMY

Its per capita GDP of $474 ranks Solomon Islands as a lesser developed nation, and more than 75% of its labor force is engaged in subsistence farming and fishing. Until 1998, when world prices for tropical timber fell steeply, timber was Solomon Islands main export product, and, in recent years, Solomon Islands forests were dangerously overexploited. Other important cash crops and exports include copra and palm oil. In 1998 Ross Mining of Australia began producing gold at Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal. Minerals exploration in other areas continued. However in the wake of the ethnic violence in June 2000, exports of palm oil and gold ceased while exports of timber fell. Exports are just now beginning to recover.

Exploitation of Solomon Islands’ rich fisheries offers the best prospect for further export and domestic economic expansion. However, a Japanese joint venture, Solomon Taiyo Ltd., which operated the only fish cannery in the country, closed in mid-2000 as a result of the ethnic disturbances. Though the plant has reopened under local management, the export of tuna has not resumed. Negotiations are underway which may lead to the eventual reopening of the Gold Ridge mine and the major oil-palm plantation.

Tourism, particularly diving, is an important service industry for Solomon Islands. Growth in that industry is hampered, however, by political instability, security issues, lack of infrastructure, and transportation limitations.

Solomon Islands was particularly hard hit by the Asian economic crisis even before the ethnic violence of June 2000. The Asian Development Bank estimates that the crash of the market for tropical timber reduced Solomon Island’s GDP by between 15%-25%. About one-half of all jobs in the timber industry were lost. The government has said it will reform timber harvesting policies with the aim of resuming logging on a more sustainable basis.

The Solomon Islands Government was insolvent by 2002. Since the RAMSI intervention in 2003, the government has recast its budget, and has taken a hard look at priorities. It has consolidated and renegotiated its domestic debt and with Australian backing, is now seeking to renegotiate its foreign obligations. Much work remains to be done. Ongoing political instability continues to negatively impact economic development.

Principal aid donors are Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Japan, and the Republic of China.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Countries with diplomatic missions in the Solomon Islands are Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Japan. The Solomon Islands also has diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, which has a resident representative in Honiara.

The U.S. Ambassador resident in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations also is accredited as its ambassador to the United States and Canada.

Relations with Papua New Guinea, which had become strained because of an influx of refugees from the Bougainville rebellion and attacks on the northern islands of the Solomon Islands by elements pursuing Bougainvillean rebels, have been repaired. A peace accord on Bougainville confirmed in 1998 has removed the armed threat, and the two nations regularized border operations in a 2004 agreement.

Membership in International Organizations

Solomon Islands is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, Pacific Community, Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), International Monetary Fund, and the European Economic Community/African, Caribbean, Pacific Group (EEC/ACP)/(Lome Convention).

U.S.-SOLOMON ISLANDS RELATIONS

The United States and Solomon Islands established diplomatic relations following its independence on July 7, 1978. U.S. representation is handled by the United States Embassy at Port Moresby where the Ambassador is resident. In recognition of the close ties forged between the United States and the people of the Solomon Islands during World War II, the U.S. Congress financed the construction of the Solomon Islands Parliament building. There are approximately 95 American citizens residing permanently in Solomon Islands.

The two nations belong to a variety of regional organizations, including the Pacific Community and the Pacific Regional Environmental Program. The United States and Solomon Islands also cooperate under the U.S.-Pacific Islands multilateral Tuna Fisheries Treaty, under which the U.S. grants $18 million per year to Pacific island parties and the latter provide access to U.S. fishing vessels.

The U.S. coast guard provides training to Solomon Islands border protection officers, and the U.S. military also provides appropriate military education and training courses to national security officials.

The U.S. Peace Corps suspended its program in June 2000 due to the ethnic violence and breakdown in governance. More than 70 volunteers, serving throughout the country in rural community development, education, environmental management, and youth programs, were evacuated. U.S. trade with Solomon Islands is very limited. In 2001 U.S. exports to Solomon Islands were less than 5% of all exports, while Solomon Islands exports to the United States in that year were negligible.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

PORT MORESBY (E) Address: Douglas Street, P.O. Box 1492, NCD Port Moresby; APO/FPO: APO, AP 96553; Phone: 675-321-1455; Fax: 675-320-0637; INMARSAT Tel: 011-872-1534721; Workweek: 7:45am– 4:30pm.

Last Updated: 10/20/2006

TRAVEL

Consular Information Sheet : December 27, 2006

Country Description: The Solomon Islands is composed of an archipelago of nearly 1,000 islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean about 1,200 miles northeast of Australia. The capital, Honiara, is located on the Island of Guadalcanal. The Solomon Islands are a parliamentary democracy within the British Commonwealth. Tourism facilities are limited, particularly outside Honiara.

Entry Requirements: U.S. passport holders do not require visas to enter the Solomon Islands. Passports, onward/return tickets, and proof of sufficient funds are required. Visitor permits are granted upon arrival at Henderson International Airport in Honiara. Visitors may enter any number of times provided the total period in the Solomon Islands does not exceed 90 days in a 12-month period. Persons arriving on one-way airline tickets must have documentation stating their business, i.e., a work permit if taking up employment in Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands government strictly enforces immigration laws, and travelers may face fines and other penalties if they remain in the country beyond the authorized period.

Persons arriving on yachts should visit the nearest immigration office to complete arrival forms for issuance of visitors’ permits.

Those who plan to depart on a yacht should apply before their arrival, to the Director of Immigration (via fax to the U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara at 677-27429). The application should state the traveler’s arrival date, vessel name and registration details, vessel’s arrival date, approximate time traveler will spend in the Solomon Islands, and it should request entry on a one-way (arrival only) airline ticket. The Director will issue a permit to be presented at airline check-in. If the traveler does not have this permit, s/he may be denied boarding.

For more information about entry requirements, travelers may contact the Solomon Islands Mission to the United Nations at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 8008, New York, NY 10017-4709; Tel: (212) 599-6192 or 6193 or visit their Internet site at http://www.commerce.gov.sb. Travelers who anticipate the possibility of transiting or visiting Australia are advised to obtain an electronic travel authority (ETA) or visa for Australia before leaving the United States. The ETA is available to eligible U.S. citizens at time of ticket purchase through travel agents and airlines.

Safety and Security: Since July 24, 2003 the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), a coalition of Pacific Island states that includes military and police forces from Australia and several other Pacific Island nations, has helped the Solomon Islands improve law and order. The Solomon Islands government and the vast majority of its citizens have welcomed the intervention.

Civil Unrest/Political Tension: Americans should exercise caution in Honiara where significant civil unrest and allegedly politically motivated violence has occurred since April 2006 and there is potential for a rapid deterioration in the security environment.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet website where the current Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, including the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, can be found. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). The U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara also has available up-to-date safety and security information at (677) 23426 and (677) 94731, or Fax (677) 27429.

Crime: Petty and street crime is increasing, particularly in Honiara. House and vehicle break-ins occur, with expatriates particularly targeted. Some recent episodes have involved violence and the use or threatened use of knives. There has been an increase in gang-based criminal activity in and around the Burns Creek area in East Honiara, including in the nearby Ranandi industrial center. Isolated incidents of harassment of expatriates have increased in Honiara since April 2006, for the most part minor and associated with alcohol and from fringe elements within the community. RAMSI Police are working alongside Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) to respond to any police situation.

Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and to the U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara, or the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (locations below). If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the U.S. Consular Agent or the U.S. Embassy for assistance. For example, the Consular Agent or Embassy staff can assist you to find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends, and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you understand the local criminal justice process and find an attorney, if needed.

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Hospitals and pharmacies in the Solomon Islands are limited to population centers and missions. Since 2001, the quality of medical services has deteriorated seriously, although it is expected to improve as the country’s overall condition continues to improve. The nearest reliable medical facilities are in Australia or New Zealand. There is a hyperbaric recompression chamber in Honiara at the In-the-Zone Medical Centre, phone (677) 23485 or (677) 23482; however, medical conditions resulting from diving accidents may require medical evacuation to Australia or New Zealand. The incidence of malaria is high. Serious medical conditions requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost thousands of dollars. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC’s internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.

Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.

Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning the Solomon Islands is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Vehicular traffic in the Solomon Islands moves on the left. Paved roads are found only in and around Honiara, located on Guadalcanal Island. These two-lane paved roads are poorly marked and have many potholes. Roads are not well lit at night. The remaining roads in the Solomon Islands are made of coral or gravel, or are dirt tracks. Travelers must take care when driving off main roads to avoid trespassing on communal land. For information concerning the rental and operation of motor vehicles in the Solomon Islands, contact our Consular Agent in Honiara.

For specific information concerning Solomon Islands driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax and mandatory insurance, contact the Solomon Islands Department of Commerce via the Internet at http://www.commerce.gov.sb.

Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the Solomon Islands’ Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA’s Internet website at http://www.faa.gov.

Special Circumstances: The Solomon Islands’ customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from the Solomon Islands of items such as firearms and ammunition, sexually explicit material, and certain prescription drugs. Other items may be subject to quarantine regulations or import duty. The Solomon Islands’ government prohibits the export of military artifacts from World War II. It is advisable to contact the Solomon Islands’ Mission to the United Nations for specific information regarding customs requirements.

Disaster Preparedness: The Solomon Islands lie in the South Pacific cyclonic trajectory, and are vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and sudden tidal movements. The Pacific cyclone season extends from November through March. General information regarding disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov.

Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country’s laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Solomon Islands laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in the Solomon Islands are strict and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using, or disseminating, child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.

Children’s Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children’s Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family/family_1732.html.

Registration and Embassy Location: There is no U.S. Embassy in the Solomon Islands. However, there is a U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara. The Consular Agent has general information and forms, such as passport applications, and can be contacted at BJS Agencies Limited in Honiara, telephone number is (677) 23426, cell number is (677) 94731, home number is (677) 22539; fax (677) 27429; e-mail keithieusa@solomon.com.sb.

For additional information and to download forms, please refer to the Virtual Embassy website at www.usvpp-solomonislands.org.

The U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea provides primary assistance for U.S. citizens in the Solomon Islands. The Embassy is located on Douglas Street, adjacent to the Bank of Papua New Guinea, in Port Moresby. Use that address for courier service deliveries. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, N.C.D. 121, Papua New Guinea; the telephone number is (675) 321-1455; after hours duty officer telephone number is (675) 683-7943; Fax (675) 321-1593. American citizens may submit consular inquiries via e-mail to ConsularPort-Moresby@state.gov. Other inquires may be e-mailed to http://Port-Moresby.USEmbassy.gov

Americans living or traveling in the Solomon Islands are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby through the State Department’s travel registration website, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within the Solomon Islands. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the Embassy. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. Persons who have previously registered with the Embassy are requested to re-register online to update your records.

International Adoption : October 2006

The information below has been edited from a report of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Overseas Citizens Services. For more information, please read the International Adoption section of this book and review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

Disclaimer: The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and current understanding. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

Please Note: Solomon Islands law states that prospective adoptive parents who wish to adopt a child from the Solomon Islands MUST be domiciled in the Solomon Islands at the time of the adoption.

Patterns of Immigration: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics indicate that no orphans from the Solomon Islands have received an adoption-based immigrant visa in the past five years.

Adoption Authority: Adoptions are processed through the High Court of the Solomon Islands based on an application prepared by the prospective adoptive parents and a Home Study. The Home Study Report is prepared by the Social Welfare Department and is submitted to the High Court during the adoption application process.

Eligibility Requirements for Adoptive Parents: Prospective adoptive parents must be 25 years of age or older (or 21 years or older, if related to the child) and can be either single or married. Although there are no income requirements, prospective adoptive parents must satisfy the Social Welfare Office of the Solomon Islands that they are financially secure.

Residency Requirements: Prospective adoptive parents must be domiciled in the Solomon Islands. The child has to have lived with the prospective adoptive parents for three months before the adoption may be finalized. Also, prospective adoptive parents cannot apply to the court for an adoption order before the child has attained the age of six weeks.

Time Frame: The estimated time for an adoption to be processed is at least four to five months.

Adoption Agencies and Attorneys: There are no adoption agencies in the Solomon Islands. However, American prospective adoptive parents may still wish to enlist the services of an American adoption agency to assist them with the overall inter-country adoption process.

Adoption Fees: American prospective adoptive parents should expect to pay adoption-related fees of less than $300 to the Solomon Islands government. It may or may not be necessary for prospective parents to pay additional fees to lawyers, depending on the services rendered.

Adoption Procedures: Applications for adoption are obtained from private attorneys in the Solomon Islands. The completed dossiers are then sent to the High Court with a notice to the Provincial Secretary.

Prospective adoptive parents must also submit to an interview with a Social Welfare Officer. The Social Welfare Office will perform a Home Study and a Home Study report will be submitted to the High Court. In addition, the birth mother of the child must sign a consent form no earlier than six weeks after the child’s birth allowing for adoption of the child. The Social Welfare Office will obtain the birth mother’s written consent to adopt.

Documentary Requirements: When submitted to the Solomon Islands authorities, the adoption dossier must contain:

• A completed adoption application,
• Birth Certificate,
• Medical Reports (for both the child and the prospective adoptive parents),
• Home Study,
• Bank Statements of prospective adopting parents,
• Marriage License, if applicable.

Permanent Representative of Solomon Islands to the United Nations:
800 Second Avenue
Suite 400L
New York, NY 10017-4709
Tel: (212) 599-6192/6193
Fax: (212) 661-8925

U.S. Immigration Requirements: Prospective adopting parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopting Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. Please see the International Adoption section of this book for more details and review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family.

U.S. Consular Coverage for the Solomon Islands:
U.S. Embassy, Port Moresby, Papua
New Guinea
Douglas Street
P.O. Box 1492
Port Moresby, N.C.D. 121
Papua New Guinea
Telephone—(675) 321-1455;
Fax—(675) 321-1593.
E-mail—ConsularPort-Moresby@state.gov.

Additional Information: Specific questions about adoption in the Solomon Islands may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, via the contact information listed above. General questions regarding intercountry adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-407-4747.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Compiled from the December 2004 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.

Official Name:
Solomon Islands

PROFILE

Geography

Area: Land—27,556 sq. km. (11,599 sq. mi.). Archipelago—725,197 sq. km. (280,000 sq. mi.).

Cities: Capital—Honiara (on the island of Guadalcanal), pop. 30,000. Other towns—Gizo, Auki, Kirakira.

Terrain: Mountainous islands.

Climate: Tropical monsoon.

People

Nationality: Noun and adjective—Solomon Islander(s).

Population: (2004) 524,000.

Annual growth rate: 2.76%.

Ethnic groups: (2002) Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, other 1.5%.

Religions: Christian 95%—more than one-third Anglican (Archdiocese of Melanesia), Roman Catholic 19%, South Sea Evangelical 17%, United Church (Methodist) 11%, Seventhday Adventist 10%.

Languages: English (official); about 120 vernaculars, including Solomon Islands pidgin.

Education: (2002) Years compulsory—none. Attendance—85% primary school; 14% secondary school. Adult literacy—64%.

Health: (2002) Infant mortality rate—24/1,000. Life expectancy—71.8 yrs.

Work force: (264,900, 2002) Agriculture—75%. Industry and commerce—5%. Services—20%.

Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth.

Constitution: May 1978.

Independence: July 7,1978.

Branches: Executive—British monarch represented by a governor general (head of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative—50-member Parliament elected every 4 years. Judicial—high court plus magistrates court; system of custom land courts throughout islands.

Administrative subdivisions: Nine provinces and Honiara town.

Political parties: United Party, People's Alliance Party, National Front for Progress, SAS Party, Liberal Party.

Suffrage: Universal over 18.

National holiday: July 7.

Economy

GDP: (2003) $215 million.

Annual growth rate: (2001-2003) minus 15%.

Per capita income: (2003) $425.

Avg. inflation rate: (2002) 9.0%.

Natural resources: Forests, fish, agricultural land, marine products, gold.

Agriculture: Products—copra, cocoa, palm oil, palm kernels and subsistence crops of yams, taro, bananas, pineapple.

Industry: Types—fish canning, sawmilling, boats, rattan and wood furniture, fiberglass products, shell jewelry, tobacco, beer, clothing, soap, nails, handicrafts.

Trade: (2003) Exports—$116 million (a 28% drop from 1999) fish, logs and timber, cocoa, copra. Major markets—China 26%, Japan 18%, South Korea 14%, Philippines 10%, Thailand 6%, Singapore 6%,. Imports—$120 million: machinery and transport equipment, fuel, food and beverages. Major suppliers—Australia 28%, Singapore 24%, New Zealand 5%, Papua New Guinea 4%, Japan 3%, United States 2%.

Exchange rate: (2003 average) Solomon Islands $1=about U.S.$0.13.

GEOGRAPHY

The Solomon Islands form an archipelago in the Southwest Pacific about 1,900 kilometers (1,200 mi.) northeast of Australia. With terrain ranging from ruggedly mountainous islands to low-lying coral atolls, the Solomons stretch in a 1,450-kilometer (900 mi.) chain southeast from Papua New Guinea across the Coral Sea to Vanuatu.

The main islands of Choiseul, New Georgia, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Makira have rainforested mountain ranges of mainly volcanic origin, deep narrow valleys, and coastal belts lined with coconut palms and ringed by reefs. The smaller islands are atolls and raised coral reefs, often spectacularly beautiful. The Solomon Islands region is geologically active, and earth tremors are frequent.

The islands' ocean-equatorial climate is extremely humid throughout the year, with a mean temperature of 27° C (80° F) and few extremes of temperature or weather. June through August is the cooler period. Though seasons are not pronounced, the northwesterly winds of November through April bring more frequent rainfall and occasional squalls or cyclones. The annual rainfall is about 305 centimeters (120 in.).

More than 90% of the islands traditionally was forested, but this has come under pressure from current logging operations. The coastal strips are sheltered by mangrove and coconut trees. Luxuriant rainforest covers the interiors of the large islands. Soil quality ranges from extremely rich volcanic to relatively infertile limestone. More than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers brighten the landscape.

PEOPLE

The Solomon Islanders comprise diverse cultures, languages, and customs. Of its 496,000 persons, 93.3% are Melanesian, 4% Polynesian, and 1.5% Micronesian. In addition, small numbers of Europeans and Chinese are registered. About 120 vernaculars are spoken.

Most people reside in small, widely dispersed settlements along the coasts. Sixty percent live in localities with fewer than 200 persons, and only 10% reside in urban areas.

The capital city of Honiara, situated on Guadalcanal, the largest island, has over 30,000 inhabitants. The other principal towns are Gizo, Auki, and Kirakira.

Most Solomon Islanders are Christian, with the Anglican, Roman Catholic, South Seas Evangelical, and Seventh-day Adventist faiths predominating. About 5% of the population maintain traditional beliefs.

The chief characteristics of the traditional Melanesian social structure are:

• The practice of subsistence economy.
• The recognition of bonds of kinship, with important obligations extending beyond the immediate family group; local and clan loyalties far outweigh regional or national affiliations.
• Generally egalitarian relationships, emphasizing acquired rather than inherited status; and
• A strong attachment of the people to the land.

Most Solomon Islanders maintain this traditional social structure and find their roots in village life.

HISTORY

Although little prehistory of the Solomon Islands is known, material excavated on Santa Ana, Guadalcanal, and Gawa indicates that a hunter-gatherer people lived on the larger islands as early as 1000 B.C. Some Solomon Islanders are descendants of Neolithic Austronesianspeaking peoples who migrated from Southeast Asia.

The European discoverer of the Solomons was the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana Y Neyra, who set out from Peru in 1567 to seek the legendary Isles of Solomon. British mariner Philip Carteret, entered Solomon waters in 1767. In the years that followed, visits by explorers were more frequent.

Missionaries began visiting the Solomons in the mid-1800s. They made little progress at first, because "blackbirding"—the often brutal recruitment of laborers for the sugar plantations in Queensland and Fiji—led to a series of reprisals and massacres. The evils of the labor trade prompted the United Kingdom to declare a protectorate over the southern Solomons in 1893. In 1898 and 1899, more outlying islands were added to the protectorate; in 1900 the remainder of the archipelago, an area previously under German jurisdiction, was transferred to British administration. Under the protectorate, missionaries settled in the Solomons, converting most of the population to Christianity.

In the early 20th century, several British and Australian firms began large-scale coconut planting. Economic growth was slow, however, and the islanders benefited little. With the outbreak of World War II, most planters and traders were evacuated to Australia, and most cultivation ceased.

From May 1942, when the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought, until December 1943, the Solomons were almost constantly a scene of combat. Although U.S. forces landed on Guadalcanal virtually unopposed in August 1942, they were soon engaged in a bloody fight for control of the islands' airstrip, which the U.S. forces named Henderson Field. One of the most furious sea battles ever fought took place off Savo Island, near Guadalcanal, also in August 1942. Before the Japanese completely withdrew from Guadalcanal in February 1943, over 7,000 Americans and 21,000 Japanese died. By December 1943, the Allies were in command of the entire Solomon chain. The large-scale American presence toward the end of the war, which dwarfed anything seen before in the islands, triggered various millennial movements and left a lasting legacy of friendship.

Postwar Developments

Following the end of World War II, the British colonial government returned. The capital was moved from Tulagi to Honiara to take advantage of the infrastructure left behind by the U.S. military. A native movement known as the Marching Rule defied government authority. There was much disorder until some of the leaders were jailed in late 1948. Throughout the 1950s, other indigenous dissident groups appeared and disappeared without gaining strength.

In 1960, an advisory council of Solomon Islanders was superseded by a legislative council, and an executive council was created as the protectorate's policymaking body. The council was given progressively more authority.

In 1974, a new constitution was adopted establishing a parliamentary democracy and ministerial system of government. In mid-1975, the name Solomon Islands officially replaced that of British Solomon Islands Protectorate. On January 2, 1976, the Solomons became self-governing, and independence followed on July 7, 1978.

GOVERNMENT

The Solomon Islands is a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth, with a unicameral Parliament and a ministerial system of government. The British monarch is represented by a governor general, chosen by the Parliament for a 5-year term. The national Parliament has 50 members, elected for 4-year terms. However, Parliament may be dissolved by majority vote of its members before the completion of its term. Parliamentary representation is based on single-member constituencies. Suffrage is universal for citizens over age 18. The prime minister, elected by Parliament, chooses the other members of the cabinet. Each ministry is headed by a cabinet member, who is assisted by a permanent secretary, a career public servant, who directs the staff of the ministry.

For local government, the country is divided into 10 administrative areas, of which nine are provinces administered by elected provincial assemblies, and the 10th is the town of Honiara, administered by the Honiara Town Council.

Land ownership is reserved for Solomon Islanders. At the time of independence, citizenship was granted to all persons whose parents are or were both British protected persons and members of a group, tribe, or line indigenous to the Solomon Islands. The law provides that resident expatriates, such as the Chinese and Kiribati, may obtain citizenship through naturalization. Land generally is still held on a family or village basis and may be handed down from mother or father according to local custom. The islanders are reluctant to provide land for nontraditional economic undertakings, and this has resulted in continual disputes over land ownership.

No military forces are maintained by the Solomon Islands, although the police force of nearly 500 includes a border protection element. The police also have responsibility for fire service, disaster relief, and maritime surveillance. The police force is headed by a commissioner, appointed by the Governor General and responsible to the prime minister. The current commissioner is a British national, funded by the EU.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS

Solomon Islands governments are characterized by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. They are subject to frequent votes of no confidence, and government leadership changes frequently as a result. Cabinet changes are common.

The first post-independence government was elected in August 1980. Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea was head of government until September 1981, when he was succeeded by Solomon Mamaloni as the result of a realignment within the parliamentary coalitions. Following the November 1984 elections, Kenilorea was again elected Prime Minister, to be replaced in 1986 by his former deputy Ezekiel Alebua following shifts within the parliamentary coalitions. The next election, held in early 1989, returned Solomon Mamaloni as Prime Minister. Francis Billy Hilly was elected Prime Minister following the national elections in June, 1993, and headed the government until November 1994 when a shift in parliamentary loyalties brought Solomon Mamaloni back to power.

The national election of August 6, 1997 resulted in Bartholomew Ulufa'alu's election as Prime Minister, heading a coalition government, which christened itself the Solomon Islands Alliance for Change.

However, governance was slipping as the performance of the police and other government agencies deteriorated due to ethnic rivalries. The capital of Honiara on Guadalcanal was increasingly populated by migrants from the island of Malaita. In June 2002, an insurrection mounted by militants from the island of Malaita resulted in the brief detention of Ulufa'alu and his subsequent forced resignation. Manasseh Sogavare, leader of the People's Progressive Party, was chosen Prime Minister by a loose coalition of parties. Guadalcanal militants retaliated and sought to drive Malaitan settlers from Guadalcanal, resulting in the closure of a large oil-palm estate and gold mine which were vital to exports but whose workforce was largely Malaitan.

New elections in December 2001 brought Sir Allan Kemakeza into the Prime Minister's chair with the support of a coalition of parties.

Kemakeza attempted to address the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, but the prevailing atmosphere of lawlessness, widespread extortion, and ineffective police, prompted a formal request by the Solomon Islands Government for outside help. With the country bankrupt and the capital in chaos, the request was unanimously supported in Parliament. In July 2003, Australian and Pacific Island police and troops arrived in the Solomon Islands under the auspices of the Australianled Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

RAMSI is largely a policing effort with an important development

component. It has restored order to virtually all parts of the nation and is now embarked on rebuilding government institutions, particularly the police, and reviving the economy, which fell by at least a third during the troubles. The effort promises to take many years and Solomon Islands will continue to require substantial donor support. Moreover, as militants, former police, and political leaders are brought to trial for their crimes during the unrest, some local resentment is likely to cut somewhat into the now-universal support for the intervention.

Principal Government Officials

Last Updated: 9/29/04

Governor General: Waena , Nathaniel
Prime Minister: Kemakesa , Allan, Sir
Dep. Prime Min.: Rini , Snider
Min. of Agriculture & Livestock: Sasako , Alfred
Min. of Commerce, Employment, & Trade: Naezon , Walter
Min. of Communications, Aviation, & Meteorology: Oti , Patteson
Min. of Culture & Tourism: Olavae , Trevor
Min. of Education & Training: Rini , Snider
Min. of Finance & Treasury: Zama , Francis
Min. of Fisheries & Marine Resources: Maenu'u , Paul
Min. of Foreign Affairs: Chan , Laurie
Min. of Forestry, Environment, & Conservation: Holosivi , David
Min. of Health & Medical Services: Una , Benjamin
Min. of Home Affairs: Kile , Nelson
Min. of Infrastructure Development: Giro , Bernard
Min. of Lands & Surveys: Usa , Siriako
Min. of Mines & Energy: Paeni , Stephen
Min. of National Reform & Planning: Boyers , Peter
Min. of National Unity, Reconciliation, & Peace: Taneko , Augustine
Min. of Police, National Security, & Justice: Maina , Michael
Min. of Provincial Govt. & Rural Development: Rojumana , Clement
Min. of State Assisting the Prime Minister: Garo , John Martin
Governor, Central Bank: Hou , Rick
Charge d'Affaires, Washington, DC: Beck , Collin David
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Beck , Collin David

The Solomon Islands mission to the United Nations is located at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 (tel: 212-599-6192/93; fax: 212-661-8925).

ECONOMY

Its per capita GDP of $340 ranks Solomon Islands as a lesser developed nation, and more than 75% of its labor force is engaged in subsistence farming and fishing. Until 1998, when world prices for tropical timber fell steeply, timber was Solomon Islands main export product, and, in recent years, Solomon Islands forests were dangerously overexploited. Other important cash crops and exports include copra and palm oil. In 1998 Ross Mining of Australia began producing gold at Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal. Minerals exploration in other areas continued. However in the wake of the ethnic violence in June 2000, exports of palm oil and gold ceased while exports of timber fell.

Exploitation of Solomon Islands' rich fisheries offers the best prospect for further export and domestic economic expansion. However, a Japanese joint venture, Solomon Taiyo Ltd., which operated the only fish cannery in the country, closed in mid-2000 as a result of the ethnic disturbances. Though the plant has reopened under local management, the export of tuna has not resumed. Negotiations are underway which may lead to the eventual reopening of the Gold Ridge mine and the major oil-palm plantation, but each would take years.

Tourism, particularly diving, is an important service industry for Solomon Islands. Growth in that industry is hampered, however, by lack of infrastructure and transportation limitations.

Solomon Islands was particularly hard hit by the Asian economic crisis even before the ethnic violence of June 2000. The Asian Development Bank estimates that the crash of the market for tropical timber reduced Solomon Island's GDP by between 15%-25%. About one-half of all jobs in the timber industry were lost. The government has said it will reform timber harvesting policies with the aim of resuming logging on a more sustainable basis.

The Solomon Islands government was insolvent by 2002. Since the RAMSI intervention in 2003, the government has recast its budget, taken a hard look at priorities, and is now seeking to address the overhanging debt burden. Much work remains to be done.

Principal aid donors are Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Japan, and the Republic of China.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Countries with diplomatic missions in the Solomon Islands are Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Japan. The Solomon Islands also has diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, which has a resident representative in Honiara.

The U.S. Ambassador resident in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, also is accredited to Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands' Permanent Representative to the United Nations also is accredited as its ambassador to the United States and Canada.

Relations with Papua New Guinea, which had become strained because of an influx of refugees from the Bougainville rebellion and attacks on the northern islands of the Solomon Islands by elements pursuing Bougainvillean rebels, have been repaired. A peace accord on Bougainville confirmed in 1998 has removed the armed threat, and the two nations regularized border operations in a 2004 agreement.

Membership in International Organizations

Solomon Islands is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth, South Pacific Commission, South Pacific Forum, International Monetary Fund, and the European Economic Community/African, Caribbean, Pacific Group (EEC/ACP)/(Lome Convention).

U.S.-SOLOMON ISLANDS RELATIONS

The United States and Solomon Islands established diplomatic relations following its independence on July 7, 1978. U.S. representation is handled by the United States Embassy at Port Moresby where the Ambassador is resident. In recognition of the close ties forged between the United States and the people of the Solomon Islands during World War II, the U.S. Congress financed the construction of the Solomon Islands Parliament building. There are approximately 95 American citizens residing permanently in Solomon Islands.

The two nations belong to a variety of regional organizations, including the South Pacific Commission and the South Pacific Regional Environmental Program. The United States and Solomon Islands also cooperate under the U.S.-Pacific Islands multilateral Tuna Fisheries Treaty, under which the U.S. grants $18 million per year to Pacific island parties and the latter provide access to U.S. fishing vessels. A United States National Marine Fisheries Service Officer works with the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency in Honiara. The United States also supports efforts to protect biodiversity in the Solomon Islands. In addition to supporting the establishment of local conservation areas, the United States supports the International Coral Reef Initiative aimed at protecting reefs in tropical nations such as Solomon Islands.

U.S. military forces, through the Pacific Theater Command in Honolulu, Hawaii, carry out annual bilateral meetings as well as small-scale exercises with the Solomon Islands Police Border Protection Force. The U.S. also provides appropriate military education and training courses to national security officials.

The U.S. Peace Corps suspended its program in June 2000 due to the ethnic violence and breakdown in governance. More than 70 volunteers, serving throughout the country in rural community development, education, environmental management, and youth programs, were evacuated.

U.S. trade with Solomon Islands is very limited. In 2001 U.S. exports to Solomon Islands were less than 5% of all exports, while Solomon Islands exports to the United States in that year were negligible.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

PORT MORESBY (E) Address: Douglas Street, P.O. Box 1492, NCD Port Moresby; Phone: 675-321-1455; Fax: 675-320-0637; INMARSAT Tel: 011-872-1534721; Workweek: 7:45am −4:30pm

TRAVEL

Consular Information Sheet

September 14, 2004

Country Description: The Solomon Islands is an archipelago in the southwest Pacific Ocean about 1,200 miles northeast of Australia. The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal. The Solomon Islands are a parliamentary democracy within the British Commonwealth. Tourism facilities are limited, particularly outside Honiara.

Entry/Exit Requirements: U.S. passport holders do not require visas to enter the Solomon Islands. Passports, onward/return tickets and proof of sufficient funds are required. Visitor permits are granted upon arrival at Henderson International Airport in Honiara. Visitors may enter any number of times provided the total period in the Solomon Islands does not exceed 90 days in a 12-month period. The Solomon Islands government strictly enforces immigration laws, and travelers may face fines and other penalties if they remain in the country beyond the authorized period.

Persons arriving on yachts should call the nearest immigration office to complete arrival forms for issuance of visitors' permits. For more information about entry requirements, travelers may contact the Solomon Islands Mission to the United Nations at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 8008, New York, NY 10017-4709; Tel: (212) 599-6192 or 6193. Travelers who anticipate the possibility of transiting or visiting Australia are advised to obtain an electronic travel authority (ETA) or visa for Australia before leaving the United States. The ETA is available to eligible U.S. citizens at time of ticket purchase through travel agents and airlines.

In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian if not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure.

Safety and Security: Since July 2003 the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), a coalition of Pacific Island states that includes military and police forces from Australia and several other Pacific Island nations, has helped the Solomon Islands improve law and order. The Solomon Islands government and the vast majority of its citizens have welcomed the intervention. By the end of September 2003, more than 3500 weapons were surrendered or seized as part of a countrywide weapons amnesty. Security in the capital Honiara has improved since the arrival of RAMSI. Provincial capitals are considered safe with the exception of North Malaita. For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be found. Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Crime: Major crimes against travelers are uncommon, although incidences of theft, mugging and extortion have occurred in Honiara. Some 350 RAMSI Police work alongside Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP). Police have the ability to respond to all calls for assistance. The Solomon Islands government established 17 new police posts on the outer islands in the last twelve months.

The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and to the U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara, or the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the U.S. Consular Agent or the U.S. Embassy for assistance. The Consular Agent or Embassy staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.

U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State's pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad for ways to promote a troublefree journey. The pamphlet is available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, via the Internet at http://www.gpoaccess.gov, or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov.

Medical Facilities: Hospitals and pharmacies in the Solomon Islands are limited to population centers and missions. Since 2001, the quality of medical services has deteriorated seriously, although it is expected to improve as the country's overall condition continues to improve. The nearest reliable medical facilities are in Australia or New Zealand. Medical conditions resulting from diving accidents may require medical evacuation to Australia or New Zealand. The incidence of malaria is high. Serious medical conditions requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost thousands of dollars. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services.

Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. U.S. medical insurance plans seldom cover health costs incurred outside the United States unless supplemental coverage is purchased. Further, U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. However, many travel agents and private companies offer insurance plans that will cover health care expenses incurred overseas, including emergency services such as medical evacuations.

When making a decision regarding health insurance, Americans should consider that many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service and that a medical evacuation to the U.S. may cost well in excess of $50,000. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas often face extreme difficulties.

When consulting with your insurer prior to your trip, ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas healthcare provider or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses you incur. Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric treatment and for disposition of remains in the event of death.

Useful information on medical emergencies abroad, including overseas insurance programs, is provided in the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs brochure Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, available via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page.

Other Health Information: Information on vaccinations and other health precautions may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's website at http://www.who.int/ith.

Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning the Solomon Islands is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance:

Safety of Public Transportation: Poor
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance: Poor
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance: Poor
Availability of Roadside Assistance: Not Available

Vehicular traffic in the Solomon Islands moves on the left. Paved roads are found only around Honiara, located on Guadalcanal Island. These two-lane paved roads are poorly marked and have many potholes. Roads are not well lit at night. The remaining roads in the Solomon Islands are made of coral or gravel, or are dirt tracks. Travelers must take care when driving off main roads to avoid trespassing on communal land. For information concerning the rental and operation of motor vehicles in the Solomon Islands contact our Consular Agent in Honiara

For additional general information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, home page at http://travel.state.gov/travel/abroad_roadsafety.html. For specific information concerning Solomon Islands driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax and mandatory insurance, contact the Solomon Islands Department of Commerce via the Internet at http://www.commerce.gov.sb.

Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service at present, or economic authority to operate such service, between the U.S. and the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the Solomon Islands' Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with international aviation safety standards. For further information, travelers may contact the Department of Transportation within the U.S. at 1-800-322-7873, or visit the FAA Internet home page at http://www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm.

Customs Regulations: The Solomon Islands' customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from the Solomon Islands of items such as firearms and ammunition, sexually explicit material and certain prescription drugs. Other items may be subject to quarantine regulations or import duty. The Solomon Islands' government prohibits the export of military artifacts from World War II. It is advisable to contact the Solomon Islands' Mission to the United Nations for specific information regarding customs requirements.

In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving such products are illegal and bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines. A current list of those countries with serious problems in this regard can be here.

Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Solomon Islands laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in the Solomon Islands are strict and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines.

Under the PROTECT Act of April 2003, it is a crime, prosecutable in the United States, for a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign country with a person under the age of 18, whether or not the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident alien intended to engage in such illicit sexual conduct prior to going abroad. For purposes of the PROTECT Act, illicit sexual conduct includes any commercial sex act in a foreign country with a person under the age of 18. The law defines a commercial sex act as any sex act, on account of which anything of value is given to or received by a person under the age of 18.

Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act of 1998, it is a crime to use the mail or any facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including the Internet, to transmit information about a minor under the age of 16 for criminal sexual purposes that include, among other things, the production of child pornography. This same law makes it a crime to use any facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including the Internet, to transport obscene materials to minors under the age of 16.

Disaster Preparedness: The Solomon Islands lie in the South Pacific cyclonic trajectory, and are vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and sudden tidal movements. The Pacific Cyclone season extends from November through March. General information regarding disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov.

Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, please refer to our Internet site at http://travel.state.gov/family/index.html or telephone the Overseas Citizens Services call center at 1-888-407-4747. The OCS call center can answer general inquiries regarding international adoptions and abductions and will forward calls to the appropriate country officer in the Bureau of Consular Affairs. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-317-472-2328.

Registration and Embassy Location: There is no U.S. Embassy in the Solomon Islands. However, there is a U.S. Consular Agent in Honiara. The Consular Agent has general information and forms (such as passport applications for forwarding to Port Moresby) and can be contacted at BJS Agencies Limited in Honiara, Tel (677) 23426, Mobile (677) 94731, Home (677) 22539. Fax (677) 27429.

The U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea provides primary assistance for U.S. citizens in the Solomon Islands. The Embassy is located on Douglas Street, adjacent to the Bank of Papua New Guinea, in Port Moresby. Use this address for courier service deliveries. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, N.C.D. 121, Papua New Guinea; Tel (675) 321-1455; Fax (675) 321-1593 American citizens may submit consular inquiries via e-mail to: consularportmoresby@state.gov.

Americans living or traveling in the Solomon Islands are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within the Solomon Islands. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.

Persons who have previously registered with the Embassy are requested to please re-register on line to update your records.