04 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.76% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
31.6 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.04 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 25.15 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.38 years
male: 69.9 years
female: 74.98 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.19 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian)
12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%,
indigenous beliefs 4%

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

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Government Solomon Islands

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands

Government type:
parliamentary democracy tending toward anarchy

Capital:
Honiara

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul,
Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona,
Temotu, Western

Independence:
7 July 1978 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Constitution:
7 July 1978

Legal system:
English common law, which is widely disregarded

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up