FACT SHEET: Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands Factsheet

 Population: 595,613 (July 2010 est.)

Urban Population: 18% of total population (2008)

Life Expectancy: 73.69 years

Ethnic Groups: Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)

Religions: Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)

Languages: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indigenous languages

Literacy Rate: Unknown

Government Type: Parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Legal System: English common law, which is widely disregarded; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Gross Domestic Product (GDP: purchasing power parity): $1.497 billion (2009 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $2,500 (2009 est.)

Labor Force: 202,500 (2007)

Labor Force by Occupation: Agriculture 75%, Industry 5%, Services 20% (2000 est.)

Population below Poverty Line: Unknown

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bp.html