land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: typhoons, but they are rarely destructive;
geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic
activity

Environment--current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; much of
the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

People

Population: 455,429 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 103,844; female 99,972)
15-64 years: 52% (male 120,518; female 117,298)
65 years and over: 3% (male 6,808; female 6,989) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.18% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 35.92 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 4.11 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.09 years
male: 69.55 years
female: 74.75 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.96 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups: Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%,
European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%

Religions: Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United
(Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other
Protestant 5%, traditional beliefs 4%

Languages: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua
franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population
note: 120 indigenous languages

Literacy: NA

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands

Data code: BP

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Honiara

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central,
Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
note: there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and
Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been
aboli