Solomon Islands (fr)
Solomon Islands (fr)
( Flag of the Solomon Islands )
Motto : To Lead Is To Serve
Official Languages	English
Capital	Honiara 9 28'S 159 49'W / 9467, 159,817
Largest city	Honiara
Form of State	Parliamentary monarchy
- Queen - Governor General - Prime Minister	Elizabeth II Frank Kabui Derek Sikua
Area - Total - Water (%)	Ranked 139th 28 450 km 2 3.2%
Population - Total ( 2008 ) - Density	Ranked 160th 581 318 inhabitants. 17 inhabitants / km 2
Independence - Date	The United Kingdom 7 July 1978
Demonym	Solomon Islands Solomon Islanders or
Currency	Solomon Islands dollar ( SBD )
Time Zone	UTC 11
National anthem	God Save Our Solomon Islands
Internet domain	. Sb
Indicative Telephone	+677

Solomon Islands, Solomon Islands and Solomon Islands in British form a State , traditionally located in Melanesia , located in the nearby ocean and consists of twelve main islands and more than 990 smaller islands located Mounted on two archipelagos: the Solomon Islands for the majority of countries and islands of Santa Cruz for the province of Temotu ^History

Archipelago in the Pacific near (that is to say the islands, which for the most part, are intervisible, facilitating navigation between them), it is populated from the first expansion phase of culture ocaniennne Lapita , by qualified people probably wrong Melanesian by Jules Dumont d'Urville as 1831 - because they are close relatives of all people Austronesian neighbors with nothing, linguistically and culturally, that distinguishes them. Closest to the initial outbreak (located in the Admiralty Islands ), they are probably among the most fragmented, especially in terms of language. However, no parentage is close to the Papuans.

The United Kingdom established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s , as part of the Commission for Western Pacific (and under German pressure).

Very heavy fighting took place on the islands between the U.S. and Japan during the Second World War. Autonomy was conducted in 1976 and independence was granted on 7 July 1978 , Peter Kenilorea becoming the first leader of the country. The current problems that call into question the viability of this archipelago are, among others, the government deficit, the deforestation and control of malaria.

Discontent continued population led to an almost complete cessation of normal activity: civil servants remained unpaid for months and cabinet meetings had to be held in secret to prevent "warlords" (warlords) local interfere.

In 1986 , the archipelago had to call for international help after being devastated by a cyclone.

In July 2003 , the Governor General of Solomon Islands issued an official request for international assistance that was later approved by the government.

A large contingent of international security, known as RAMSI , commissioned by the Australia and New Zealand , composed of soldiers and police, and representatives of some twenty other nations of the Pacific (but especially of Tonga , in Fiji and Papua New Guinea ), began to deploy in August 2003 under the name "Operation Helpem Fren" (that is to say "help a friend in Pidgin local). This regional force assistance is now disputed. Michael Maina, the Solomon Islands Police Minister, said in early 2005 that the force must be reviewed because of "serious deficiencies". However, Peter Noble, a New Zealander, Deputy "special coordinator" of RAMSI, has resigned while being warmly congratulated by Sir Allan Kemakeza. The current coordinator is an Australian, James Batley, a career diplomat. The death of a young Australian policeman, gunned down early December 2004, had provoked the sending of a company of a hundred men.

On April 2, 2007 , the archipelago has been hit by two violent earthquakes followed by tsunami.

Politics

Subdivisions

Solomon Islands are divided into nine provinces and one territory: Central , Choiseul , Guadalcanal , Isabel , Makira-Ulawa , Malaita , Rennell and Bellona , Temotu and West added that the capital territory housing Honiara.

The province of Temotu , located in the Santa Cruz islands , is the only one not to be in the Solomon Islands archipelago ^Geography

The Solomon Islands are spread over two islands : one of the Solomon Islands shared with Papua New Guinea to the north-west of the Santa Cruz Islands in the south-east. The bulk of the country lies in the Solomons, it holds in its majority except the Bougainville island , except the province of Temotu that lies at the northern end of the New Hebrides. The country is located in Oceania , in the geographical called Melanesia , in south-western Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by the Solomon Sea to the southwest, the Coral Sea to the south and the rest of the Pacific Ocean to the east and north.

The islands are major Choiseul , the islands of New Georgia , Santa Isabel , the Russell Islands , the Florida Islands , Malaita , Guadalcanal , Sikaiana , Maramasike , Ulawa , Uki , San Cristobal , Santa Ana , Rennell , Bellona and Islands Santa Cruz.

The distance between the islands most western and most eastern is about 1500 kilometers. The Santa Cruz Islands in northern Vanuatu , are particularly isolated, more than 200 km from other islands. Volcanoes with varying degrees of activity are located on some of the larger islands, while many of the smaller islands are simply atolls covered with tiny sand and coconut palms.

Northwest of the archipelago, the island of Bougainville and other small islands are linked geographically included in the Solomons (hence the English name of North Solomons), although they are politically connected to the Papua New Guinea, with an autonomous status since 2004.

Economy

The majority of the population depends on agriculture , the fisheries and forestry for at least part of their lives. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported.

The islands are rich in resources, mineral -exploited, such as lead , the zinc , the nickel and gold. The economic troubles in Southeast Asia led to a sudden decrease in the timber industry and economic performance has declined by about 10% in 1998.

The government has imposed pay cuts in public service and other sectors. The economy has partially resumed in 1999 thanks to rising gold prices on the world market and the first full year of operation of the Gold Ridge mine. However, in the middle of the year, closing the main planting of oil palm in the country casts a shadow over future prospects. The situation is not disastrous policy to facilitate economic growth.

Demographics

Culture

The current language of the Solomon Islands, among many Melanesian languages (about 95% of the population) and some Polynesian languages , is the pidgin near the sea cucumbers spoken in Vanuatu.

Public Holidays

Date	French name	Local Name	Notes
July 7	Independence Day		granted independence by the United Kingdom on 7 July 1978

Codes

The Solomon Islands for codes:

• BP , according to the list of country codes used by NATO , alpha-2 code,
• SB , according to the standard ISO 3166-1 (list of country codes), code alpha-2
• . Sb , according to the list of Internet TLDs ( top level domain )
• SLB , according to the standard ISO 3166-1 , code alpha-3 (list of country codes)
• SLB , according to the list of country codes used by NATO , alpha-3,
• SOL , as the list of country codes IOC ,
• SOL , as the list of international codes of plates ,

References

See also

• Island state
• Melanesia
• Solomon Islands (archipelago in Oceania)

External Links

• (En) Languages of the Solomon Islands
• (In) Languages of the Solomon Islands