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World > Oceania > Solomon Islands
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Solomon Islands |
Introduction:
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The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
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| Official name: |
Solomon Islands |
| Capital: |
name: Honiara
geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Government type: |
parliamentary democracy |
| Population: |
566,842 (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages: |
Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English (official; but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population); 120 indigenous languages |
| Official Currency: |
Solomon Islands Dollar (SBD) |
| Currency code: |
SBD |
| Area: |
total: 28,450 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
water: 910 sq km |
| Climate: |
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather |
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Map of Solomon Islands
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