The Solomon Islands are an archipelago nation located in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea. The population of Solomon Islands is around 645,000 people. The economy of the Solomon Islands is largely dependent on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, with its GDP per capita estimated at US$2,400 in 2017. In terms of foreign relations, Solomon Islands has strong ties to other countries in the region as well as other countries around the world. It is also a member of the United Nations and Commonwealth of Nations. In terms of politics, Solomon Islands has a parliamentary democracy which includes two major parties: People’s Alliance Party (PAP) and Democratic Alliance Party (DAP). The Parliament consists of 50 members who are elected by popular vote every four years. In 2017, Manasseh Sogavare was prime minister and his People’s Alliance Party held majority in parliamentary elections. See militarynous for Solomon Islands military and defense.
Yearbook 2017
Solomon Islands. During the year, the authorities again began to arm the police force in the kingdom, which had not had access to weapons since the civil war in 1999–2003. In the time when ethnically dominated violence was killed over a hundred people; some policemen chose sides in the conflict and police weapons were used in the fighting. The police force was then deprived of their weapons when a regional peace force arrived in the Solomon Islands. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for frequently used acronyms and abbreviations related to as well as country profile of Solomon Islands.
According to Countryaah.com, the Australian-led peace force completed its mission after 14 years at the turn of the year. Nearly 9,000 soldiers and police from Australia, New Zealand and 13 smaller island nations had participated in the peace mission at a cost of nearly SEK 18 billion.
When the municipality’s own police force regained responsibility for security, 125 specially trained police officers were given access to weapons. There was some concern about whether peace could be maintained, and Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare explained that the country stands at a crossroads in its history. In August, therefore, the Solomon Islands and Australia signed a new security agreement, which opens for a rapid Australian response in the event of future natural disasters or new outbreaks of mutual fighting. Both military and civilian personnel should be able to deploy in a crisis situation to offer security and humanitarian assistance.
The government said during the year that it planned to reopen the Solomon Islands’ only gold mine, the Gold Ridge. It was closed after severe flooding in 2014 by concerns about discharges into river water by arsenic and other toxic substances from a waste pond. The mine previously accounted for about 5% of the GDP of the country. Solomon Islands GDP is estimated at around SEK 12,500, which is about a quarter of the corresponding Australian figure.
In November, several ministers rebelled against proposals for tougher anti-corruption laws. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare was cast in a vote of confidence in parliament and succeeded by former central bank governor Rick Houenipwel.
HUMAN AND ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
Island state of Oceania, in the western Pacific Ocean. The population (409,042 residents at the 1999 census) is growing at an intense rate (2.6 % per year in the period 2000-2005) thanks to a high birth rate (30 ‰ in 2005) which is matched by a low mortality rate (3, 9 ‰) and a total lack of migratory flows. The capital, Honiara (56,000 residents in 2003), is the only city of a certain demographic and economic importance.
On 2 April 2007 the islands were hit by a tsunami caused by an earthquake with an intensity equal to 8.1 on the Richter scale. The archipelago’s economy remains one of the least developed in the region: progress is hampered by the lack of infrastructure, the inclement climate, high population growth and fluctuations on international markets in the prices of exported agricultural and forest products (walnut coconut, from which copra, cocoa and timber are obtained). Between 1995 and 2004, GDP recorded an average annual decrease of 1.6 %, which was influenced by the bitter clashes that marked the first years of 21st century (A multinational peacekeeping force has been present on the islands since 2003 ; see below: History). However, thanks to the aid provided by the states of the Pacific area, the government was able to improve public finances and reduce the deficit, and GDP returned to growth (3.6 % in 2003, 4.5 % in 2004 and a similar percentage in 2005). This turnaround was also stimulated by the positive results of the fishing sector and the good harvests recorded by cocoa. Foreign investors have also reappeared, particularly interested in prospecting in order to ascertain the presence of gold, nickel and diamond deposits.