Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%
Languages:
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by
1-2% of population
note:
120 indigenous languages
Literacy:
total population:
NA%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
23,448 economically active
by occupation:
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%, services 25%, construction,
manufacturing, and mining 7.0%, commerce, transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)

*Solomon Islands, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Solomon Islands
former:
British Solomon Islands
Digraph:
BP
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Honiara
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira,, Malaita, Temotu,
Western
Independence:
7 July 1978 (from UK)
Constitution:
7 July 1978
Legal system:
common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Political parties and leaders:
People's Alliance Party (PAP); United Party (UP), leader NA; Solomon Islands
Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU; Nationalist Front for Progress
(NFP), Andrew NORI; Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Elections:
National Parliament:
last held 22 February 1989 (next to be held 26 May 1993); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2,
independents 9
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament
Judicial branch:
High Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Sir George LEPPING (since 27 June 1989, previously acted as governor general
since 7 July 1988)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since 28 March 1989); Deputy Prime Minister
Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since NA October 1990)
Member of:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IOC, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission:
(vacant); ambassador traditionally resides in Honiara (Solomon Islands)
US diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND
embassy:
Mud Alley, Honiara

*Solomon Islands, Government

mailing address:
American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara
t