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The Solomon Islands, a former British protectorate in the Pacific, is striving to recover from a civil conflict that brought it to the brink of collapse. More than 90% of the islanders are ethnic Melanesians, but there has been intense and bitter rivalry between the Isatabus on Guadalcanal, the largest island, and migrant Malaitans from the neighbouring island.
Overview
Fighting broke out in 1998 when the Isatabu Freedom Movement began to force Malaitans out, accusing them of taking land and jobs. Around 20,000 people abandoned their homes, with many subsequently leaving Guadalcanal.
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AT-A-GLANCE
Politics: PM Manasseh Sogavare was forced to step down in December 2007 after losing a vote of confidence
International: Australia leads a mission which aims to ensure security; the force arrived in 2003 when violence between ethnic militias threatened to spiral into anarchy
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A rival militia group, the Malaitan Eagle Force, staged a coup in June 2000 and forced the then prime minister to resign, saying he had failed to deal with the crisis, which had left up to 100 dead. An Australian-brokered peace deal was signed in October 2000. But lawlessness continued and an Australian-led peacekeeping force arrived in July 2003. The force arrested many rebel commanders, collected thousands of illegally-held weapons and oversaw a slow return to order. The Australian intervention also provided for the appointment of foreign nationals to government posts and included financial assistance; Canberra says it aims to make the country self-sustaining. But prosperity is elusive. Civil war left the country almost bankrupt, and post-election riots in April 2006 sent some of the advances made since 2003 up in smoke. The economy relies heavily on timber exports, which are vulnerable to price fluctuations. Economic hopes have been pinned on the resumption of palm oil production and gold mining. The Solomon Islands chain consists of several large volcanic islands to the south-east of Papua New Guinea, as well as outlying islands and atolls. The terrain is mountainous and heavily forested. During World War II the island of Guadalcanal saw some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific theatre as the US battled to wrest control of the territory from Japanese occupiers.
Facts
- Full name: Solomon Islands
- Population: 535,700 (UN, 2010)
- Capital: Honiara
- Area: 27,556 sq km (10,639 sq miles)
- Major language: English (official), Melanesian dialects
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 67 years (men), 69 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 Solomon Islands dollar = 100 cents
- Main exports: Timber, fish, palm oil and kernels, copra
- GNI per capita: US $910 (World Bank, 2009)
- Internet domain: .sb
- International dialling code: +677
Leaders
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general Prime minister: Danny Philip Veteran politician Danny Philip won a ballot of the 50 successful candidates in the 4 August 2010 general election by a margin of three votes.
Danny Philip eyes constitutional reform
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Weeks of horse trading followed the poll, with Mr Philip and his rival Steve Abana claiming to have the necessary support among MPs to form a government. Mr Philip, who leads the Reform Democratic Party, said constitutional reform would be among his priorities. He said he would not seek the withdrawal of the Australian assistance mission, but wanted it to have a more "purposeful" role. Danny Philip was first elected to parliament in 1994. He twice served as foreign minister. The 2010 election was generally peaceful, with no repeat of the post-election riots of 2006. The election was held amid tight security, and an alcohol ban was imposed in the capital. Politics in the Solomon Islands is fluid, with no deep-rooted party-political system.
Media
The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) operates a public radio service. A high rate of illiteracy means that radio has a greater reach than the press. Australia has donated equipment to SIBC and has sponsored programmes aimed at promoting peace. Taiwan has also granted technical aid. The BBC World Service broadcasts in the capital on 105.6 FM. There were 10,000 internet users by June 2009 (InternetWorldStats). The press - Solomon Star - daily
- Solomons Voice - weekly
- Solomon Times - weekly
- Agrikalsa Nius - monthly
- Citizen's Press - monthly
Television
Radio
Internet
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