Part 679

Area: total area: 28,450 sq km land area: 27,540 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 5,313 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 93% other: 4%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying natural hazards: typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

People ------

Population: 412,902 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (male 96,241; female 92,722) 15-64 years: 51% (male 107,482; female 104,293) 65 years and over: 3% (male 6,129; female 6,035) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.35% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 37.91 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 4.41 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 1.02 male(s)/female all ages: 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.14 years male: 68.67 years female: 73.74 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.43 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Ethnic divisions: 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 ----------