Solomon Islands

Background

Approximately 30,000 years ago, settlers from Papua reached the Solomon Islands. Around 6,000 years ago, Austronesian settlers arrived, leading to significant intermingling between the two populations. Despite considerable trade among the islands, no efforts were made to consolidate them into a unified political structure. In 1568, a Spanish explorer became the inaugural European to observe the islands. Following an unsuccessful Spanish endeavor to establish a permanent European settlement in the late 1500s, the Solomon Islands remained largely untouched by European contact until a British explorer's arrival in 1767. Throughout the 1800s, European explorers along with American and British whalers frequently visited the islands.

In 1885, Germany proclaimed a protectorate over the northern Solomon Islands, while the United Kingdom established a protectorate over the southern islands in 1893. Germany transferred its islands to the United Kingdom in 1899 in exchange for the UK relinquishing all its claims in Samoa. Japan invaded the islands in 1942, and the Guadalcanal Campaign (August 1942-February 1943) became a pivotal moment in the Pacific theater during World War II. The conflict resulted in extensive destruction across the Solomon Islands, and a nationalist movement began to take shape towards the war's conclusion. By 1960, the British government permitted a degree of local autonomy. The islands achieved self-governance in 1976 and gained independence two years later under the leadership of Prime Minister Sir Peter KENILOREA.

In 1999, long-standing tensions between the ethnic Guale in Honiara and the ethnic Malaitans in the surrounding suburbs escalated into civil war, prompting thousands of Malaitans to seek refuge in Honiara while many Guale fled the city. Newly elected Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE aimed to focus on peace agreements and equitable resource distribution in 2000, but his measures led to government bankruptcy in 2001 and resulted in his removal from office. In 2003, the Solomon Islands sought international aid to restore law and order; the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, which concluded in 2017, significantly improved security conditions. However, in 2006, riots erupted in Honiara, culminating in the destruction of the city’s Chinatown amid accusations that the prime minister had received funds from China. SOGAVARE was elected prime minister for a fourth term in 2019. In 2021, when a small group of protesters, predominantly from Malaita, approached parliament to submit a petition calling for SOGAVARE’s ousting and increased development in Malaita, police responded by deploying tear gas into the crowd, igniting riots and looting in Honiara.

Area

Climate

tropical monsoon; minimal temperature and weather variations

Terrain

predominantly rugged mountain terrain with some low-lying coral atolls

Land use

Location

Oceania, a collection of islands situated in the South Pacific Ocean, to the east of Papua New Guinea

Coastline

5,313 km

Elevation

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Map references

Oceania

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

tropical cyclones occur, though they are seldom damaging; this area is geologically active, experiencing frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic eruptions; risks of tsunamis

volcanism: Tinakula (851 m) is known for its regular eruptions, while an eruption from Savo (485 m) could have implications for Honiara, located on the nearby Guadalcanal

Geography - note

strategically positioned along maritime routes connecting the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; Rennell Island, the southernmost island in the Solomon Islands chain, ranks among the largest raised coral atolls globally; Lake Tegano, once a lagoon on the atoll, is the largest lake in the insular Pacific, covering 15,500 hectares (38,300 acres)

Natural resources

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Area - comparative

slightly less extensive than Maryland

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 159 00 E

Population distribution

the majority of the population resides along the coastal areas; approximately one in five individuals live in urban settings, with around two-thirds of these inhabitants located in Honiara, the principal town and main port

Languages

Melanesian pidgin serves as the lingua franca for much of the nation, while English is the official language, spoken by merely 1% to 2% of the populace. There are also 120 indigenous languages present.

Religions

The religious demographics include Protestantism at 73.4% (with the Church of Melanesia at 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical at 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist at 11.7%, United Church at 10.1%, and Christian Fellowship Church at 2.5%), Roman Catholic at 19.6%, other Christian faiths at 2.9%, other beliefs at 4%, and unspecified at 0.1% (estimates from 2009).

Sex ratio

Birth rate

21.57 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

3.94 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco use

Urbanization

Age structure

Ethnic groups

The population consists of 95.3% Melanesian, 3.1% Polynesian, 1.2% Micronesian, and 0.3% from other groups (data from 2009).

Child marriage

Dependency ratios

Physician density

0.24 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Health expenditure

Net migration rate

-1.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.72 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

Education expenditure

Infant mortality rate

Population growth rate

1.62% (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.33 (2025 est.)

Population distribution

A significant portion of the populace resides in coastal areas; approximately 20% live in urban settings, with about two-thirds of these individuals located in Honiara, the principal town and main port.

Life expectancy at birth

Maternal mortality ratio

123 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation facility access

Alcohol consumption per capita

Major urban areas - population

82,000 HONIARA (capital) (2018)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.5% (2016)

Mother's mean age at first birth

22.6 years (2015 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

64.5% (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical monsoon; limited temperature and climatic extremes

Land use

Urbanization

Waste and recycling

Environmental issues

deforestation; soil degradation; harm to coral reefs

Carbon dioxide emissions

Particulate matter emissions

8.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

44.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

Flag

description: the flag is split diagonally by a yellow stripe originating from the lower-left corner; the upper triangular section (on the left) is blue adorned with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an "X" pattern; the lower triangular section is green

meaning: the blue symbolizes the ocean, green represents the land, and yellow signifies sunshine; the five stars denote the principal island groups

Capital

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Constitution

Country name

Independence

7 July 1978 (from the UK)

Legal system

a mixed legal system comprising English common law and customary law

Government type

a parliamentary democracy functioning under a constitutional monarchy; part of the Commonwealth realm

Judicial branch

Executive branch

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

National color(s)

blue, yellow, green, white

National heritage

Political parties

Democratic Alliance Party or DAP
Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KAD
Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Party (OUR Party)
Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP
Solomon Islands Democratic Party or SIDP
Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA
Solomon Islands United Party or UP
United for Change Party or U4C
Coalition for Accountability Reform and Empowerment (CARE) (comprising DAP, SIDP, and U4C)

Legislative branch

National anthem(s)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western

Diplomatic representation in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

International law organization participation

has not presented an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; a non-party state to the ICCt

Budget

Exports

Imports

Industries

tuna, mining, timber

Labor force

435,600 (2024 est.)

Public debt

Remittances

Exchange rates

Debt - external

Economic overview

lower middle-income Pacific island nation; rich in natural resources but environmentally vulnerable; significant agricultural sector; expanding economic ties with China; infrastructure damage stemming from social unrest; metal mining activities

Unemployment rate

Exports - partners

China 56%, Australia 11%, Italy 10%, Spain 5%, Netherlands 4% (2023)

Imports - partners

China 42%, Singapore 13%, Australia 13%, Taiwan 5%, Malaysia 5% (2023)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP growth rate

Agricultural products

oil palm fruit, coconuts, sweet potatoes, yams, taro, fruits, pulses, vegetables, cocoa beans, cassava (2023)

Exports - commodities

wood, fish, gold, precious metal ore, palm oil (2023)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, plastic items, fish, broadcasting gear, iron structures (2023)

Current account balance

Taxes and other revenues

20.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.761 billion (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Petroleum

Electricity

Electricity access

Energy consumption per capita

Electricity generation sources

Internet users

Broadcast media

Multi-channel pay television services are accessible; the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) runs two national radio stations alongside two provincial stations; there are also two local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is accessible through satellite as of 2019.

Internet country code

.sb

Telephones - fixed lines

Telephones - mobile cellular

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Ports

Airports

36 (2025)

Heliports

2 (2025)

Merchant marine

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

H4

Military - note

In 2017, a security agreement was established between the Solomon Islands and Australia, permitting the swift deployment of Australian police, military, and related civilian personnel to the Solomon Islands when both nations agree and circumstances necessitate such action. This treaty was first invoked in November 2021 in response to civil disturbances in Honiara. Australia was the initial country to which the Solomon Islands turned for assistance, leading to the deployment of police and military staff from Australia, who collaborated with personnel from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand to restore order in Honiara.

In 2022, the Government of the Solomon Islands entered into a police and security arrangement with China (2025).

Military and security forces

Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS): the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) (2025)

Trafficking in persons

Refugees and internally displaced persons