: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Solomon Islander(s)

adjective: Solomon Islander

Ethnic groups: 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%, indigenous 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: definition: NA

total population: NA%

male: NA%

female: NA%

Solomon Islands Government

Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Solomon Islands

former: British Solomon Islands

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Honiara

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central,
Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western;
note - there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and
Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been
abolished

Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution: 7 July 1978

Legal system: English common law

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI
(since NA 1999)

head of government: Prime Minister Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE
(since 1 July 2000); Assistant Prime Minister Nathaniel WAENA (since
1 July 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Allan KEMAKEZA (since 1 July
2000); note - Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU was forced to
resign his position in June 2000 following the armed takeover of the
capital by elements supporting the opposition parties; Mannaseh
Damukana SOGAVARE, who had been opposition leader, was then elected
prime minister at a sitting of National Parliament on 30 June 2000

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister from among the members of Parliament

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five
years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority
party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime
minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister a