Factbook dossier
Background
Settlers from Papua arrived on the Solomon Islands around 30,000 years ago. About 6,000 years ago, Austronesian settlers came to the islands, and the two groups mixed extensively. Despite significant inter-island trade, no attempts were made to unite the islands into a single political entity. In 1568, a Spanish explorer became the first European to spot the islands. After a failed Spanish attempt at creating a permanent European settlement in the late 1500s, the Solomon Islands remained free of European contact until a British explorer arrived in 1767. European explorers and US and British whaling ships regularly visited the islands into the 1800s. Germany declared a protectorate over the northern Solomon Islands in 1885, and the UK established a protectorate over the southern islands in 1893. In 1899, Germany transferred its islands to the UK in exchange for the UK relinquishing all claims in Samoa. In 1942, Japan invaded the islands, and the Guadalcanal Campaign (August 1942-February 1943) proved a turning point in the Pacific theater of WWII. The fighting destroyed large parts of the Solomon Islands, and a nationalist movement emerged near the end of the war. By 1960, the British allowed some local autonomy. The islands were granted self-government in 1976 and independence two years later under Prime Minister Sir Peter KENILOREA. In 1999, longstanding tensions between ethnic Guale in Honiara and ethnic Malaitans in Honiara s suburbs erupted in civil war, leading thousands of Malaitans to take refuge in Honiara and prompting Guale to flee the city. In 2000, newly elected…
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Area
total : 28,896 sq km land: 27,986 sq km water: 910 sq km
Natural resources
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Natural hazards
tropical cyclones, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis volcanism: Tinakula (851 m) has frequent eruption activity, and an eruption of Savo (485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal
Population
total: 738,774 (2025 est.) male: 377,067 female: 361,707
Ethnic groups
Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)
Languages
Melanesian pidgin (lingua franca in much of the country), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages
Religions
Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)
Environmental issues
deforestation; soil erosion; damage to coral reefs
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital
name: Honiara geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name derives from the local term nagho ni ara , meaning "place of the east wind" or "facing the trade winds"
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General David Tiva KAPU (since 7 July 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Jeremiah MANELE (since 2 May 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Parliament for up to 5 years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the National Parliament usually elects the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Parliament legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 50 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 4/17/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Ownership Unity and Responsibility (OUR Party) (15); Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP) (11); Solomon Islands United Party (UP) (6); Solomon Islands People First Party (SIPFP) (3); Independents (11); Other (4) percentage of women in chamber: 6% expected date of next election: April 2028
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.07 billion (2024 est.) $2.019 billion (2023 est.) $1.967 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$2,500 (2024 est.) $2,500 (2023 est.) $2,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.9% (2023 est.) 5.5% (2022 est.) -0.1% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
China 56%, Australia 11%, Italy 10%, Spain 5%, Netherlands 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 42%, Singapore 13%, Australia 13%, Taiwan 5%, Malaysia 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS): the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) (2025)