NA

Total renewable water resources:

44.7 cu km (1987)

Natural hazards:

typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara, the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit

People
Solomon Islands

Population:

581,318 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 40.1% (male 118,856/female 114,173) 15-64 years: 56.5% (male 166,004/female 162,317) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 9,487/female 10,481) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 19.4 years male: 19.3 years female: 19.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.467% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

28.48 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

3.81 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 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: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 19.67 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.36 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.44 years male: 70.9 years female: 76.1 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.65 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: