The Solomon Islands is a small country located in the South Pacific Ocean and is known for its strong military and defense. The Solomon Islands Armed Forces (SIAF) is the military branch of the country and consists of three branches: Army, Air Force, and Special Forces. The total active personnel stands at around 2,500 with an additional reserve force of around 500 personnel. Solomon Islands has a lower defense budget compared to its GDP as it spends about 0.8% of its GDP on defense. The country also imports weapons from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and China. The Solomon Islands also has strong ties with other countries in the region such as Fiji and Papua New Guinea which allows them to cooperate militarily when needed. As a result of this strong military presence in the region, the Solomon Islands has become an important regional hub for security and stability in the South Pacific Ocean. See naturegnosis to learn more about the country of Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands, Constitutional Monarchy in Oceania, in the Southwest Pacific South of the Equator. Make up part of Melanesia. The country includes most of the islands in the Solomon Islands group (except Bougainville, among others) as well as Ontong Java Islands, Rennell Island and Santa Cruz Islands. More than 990 islands spread over 900 kilometers north-south and 1800 kilometers west-east. Adjacent to Nauru in the north, Tuvalu in the east, vanuatu in the south and Papua New Guinea in the west. The capital is Honiara.
| Land area | 28,896 km² |
| Total population | 685.097 |
| Residents per km² | 23.7 |
| Capital | Honiara |
| Official language | English |
| Income per capita | $ 2,200 |
| Currency | Solomon Islands dollars |
| ISO 3166 code | SB |
| Internet TLD | .sb |
| License plate | SOL |
| Telephone code | +677 |
| Time zone UTC | +11 |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 S, 159 00 O |
Solomon Islands gained full independence in 1978.
The Solomon Islands (the name) of the archipelago and the state are after the Israeli king Solomon because the explorer de Neira assumed that the islands contained great wealth.
National anthem is ‘ God Save Our Solomon Islands ‘.
- COUNTRYAAH: Do you know where is Solomon Islands on the world map? Come to see the location and all bordering countries of Solomon Islands.
Defense
The Solomon Islands (2009) have no military means of their own to support their security other than a small military naval department of 80 men with 3 patrol boats included in the police forces. To see related acronyms about this country, please check ABBREVIATIONFINDER where you can see that SLB stands for Solomon Islands.
The situation in 1999-2003 was unstable. In 2003, the UN organized a peacekeeping force of approximately 2,250 men led by Australia. This effort was successful, and in 2005 the situation stabilized. A smaller force (RAMSI) from Australia, New Zealand and Tonga remains (2009).
Solomon Islands Geopolitics
The Solomon Islands form an archipelago east of Papua New Guinea. There are about a thousand islands scattered across the South Pacific, covering an area of 28,900 km2. The name derives from the massive presence of gold discovered by its first explorer, who considered the place one of the possible sources of the immense fortune of the biblical King Solomon. The two major islands are Malaita and Guadalcanal: on the latter lies the capital Honiara. The archipelago, independent of the United Kingdom since 1978, is a member of the Commonwealth and its head of state is Queen Elizabeth II of England. Representing her on the island, Governor General Frank Kabui. The parliament has a unicameral structure and is made up of 50 deputies, elected every four years. National politics, characterized by weak parties and high instability in government coalitions, over the years it has proved unable to face the necessary structural reforms. On the other hand, the legacy of the civil war that broke out in 1997 still weighs on the country. The residents of Guadalcanal accused those of Malaita of having settled on their land and having seized jobs and political offices. The conflict between the militias of the respective factions ended in 2003 with the intervention of the regional assistance peacekeeping mission (Ramsi), made up of soldiers from various countries in the Pacific area and headed by Australia. In 2009 a Commission of Inquiry was set up to shed light on war crimes, while the Ramsi mission remained operational to guarantee security (the archipelago does not have an army), assistance to the government and recovery of the economic system. Since the end of 2011, the military component of the mission on the island has been downsizing in favor of the civilian one and its complete withdrawal took place at the end of 2013. The country’s economic structure is quite fragile, weakened by the international crisis and conditioned by calamities natural – earthquakes, floods and tsunamis – which cyclically hit the islands, destroying infrastructure and forcing a large part of the population to evacuate. Although the Solomons remain the poorest country in the area, the economy should maintain the positive trend of previous years. In 2015, the GDP grew by 3.3%. Most of the population lives on subsistence agriculture and only a quarter of the citizens are employed. Cocoa and palm oil are the only agricultural products exported. Even timber, whose exports are progressively increasing, represents a fundamental source of income. The mines, reactivated after the closure during the civil war, have contributed significantly to the current recovery, in the context of an economy that still remains dependent on aid from donor countries and international financial institutions. Particularly important, in addition to Australian aid, are the support of the International Monetary Fund and donations for development projects from Taiwan. they contributed significantly to the current recovery, in the context of an economy that still remains dependent on aid from donor countries and international financial institutions. Particularly important, in addition to Australian aid, are the support of the International Monetary Fund and donations for development projects from Taiwan. they contributed significantly to the current recovery, in the context of an economy that still remains dependent on aid from donor countries and international financial institutions. Particularly important, in addition to Australian aid, are the support of the International Monetary Fund and donations for development projects from Taiwan.