a
(Solomon Islands);

US--the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is accredited to the
Solomon Islands; Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara (mailing address is
American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara); telephone (677) 23890

_#_Flag: divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower
hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five
white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower
triangle is green

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: About 90% of the population depend on subsistence
agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood.
Agriculture, fishing, and forestry contribute about 75% to GDP, with the
fishing and forestry sectors being important export earners. The service
sector contributes about 25% to GDP. Most manufactured goods and
petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped
mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy
suffered from a severe cyclone in mid-1986 that caused widespread damage
to the infrastructure.

_#_GDP: $156 million, per capita $500 (1988); real growth rate 5.0%
(1989 est.)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.9% (1989)

_#_Unemployment rate: NA%

_#_Budget: revenues $44 million; expenditures $45 million,
including capital expenditures of $22 million (1989 est.)

_#_Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1989);

commodities--fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%;

partners--Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia
2%, US 2% (1985)

_#_Imports: $117 million (f.o.b., 1988);

commodities--plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%;

partners--Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia
4%, Hong Kong 4%, China 3% (1985)

_#_External debt: $128 million (1988 est.)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1987); accounts for 5%
of GDP

_#_Electricity: 21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced,
115 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: copra, fish (tuna)

_#_Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for about
75% of GDP; mostly subsistence farming; cash crops--cocoa, beans,
coconuts, palm kernels, timber; other products--rice, potatoes,
vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs; not self-sufficient in food grains;
90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported (1988)

_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1985), $16.1 million

_#_Currency: Solomon Islands do