Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	131st best
Capital	Honiara
Land Area	27 990km21
Location	Australasia, Melanesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.6m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	68.11yrs (2017)3
GNI	$1 561 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	SB, SLB, 905
Internet Domain	.sb6
Currency	Dollar (SBD)7
Telephone	+6778

1. Overview
2. Solomon Islands National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Gender Equality
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. The Internet
7. Public Health Issues
8. Politics and Freedom
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

“First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“For those seeking an authentic Melanesian experience or an off-the-beaten-track destination, the Solomons are hard to beat. From WWII relics scattered in the jungle to leaf-hut villages where traditional culture is alive, the Solomon Islands has so much on offer.

Then there´s the visual appeal, with scenery reminiscent of a Discovery Channel documentary: volcanic islands that jut up dramatically from the cobalt-blue ocean, croc-infested mangroves, huge lagoons, tropical islets and emerald forests.

Don´t expect white-sand beaches, ritzy resorts and wild nightlife – the Solomon Islands is not a beach-holiday destination. With only a smattering of traditional guesthouses and comfortable hideaways, it´s tailor-made for ecotourists.

For outdoorsy types, lots of action-packed experiences can easily be organised: climb an extinct volcano, surf uncrowded waves, snorkel pristine reefs or kayak across a lagoon. Beneath the ocean´s surface, unbeatable diving adventures await. The best part is, there´ll be no crowds to mar the experience.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Solomon Islands National and Social Development

UN HDI (2016) Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
153	Cameroon	153
154	Zimbabwe	154
155	Papua New Guinea	154
156	Solomon Islands	156
157	Mauritania	157
158	Madagascar	158
159	Rwanda	159
160	Comoros	160
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index Higher is better Points12
1	Iceland	84.1
2	Sweden	80.8
3	Norway	80.0
	...
128	Micronesia	49.8
129	Botswana	49.6
130	Ghana	49.4
131	Solomon Islands	49.1
132	Comoros	49.0
133	India	49.0
134	Kiribati	48.8
135	China	48.8
	World Avg	54.5
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016) Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
44	Mauritania	06.8
45	Kuwait	06.8
46	Congo, (Brazzaville)	07.0
47	Solomon Islands	07.0
48	Rwanda	07.0
49	Namibia	07.4
50	Botswana	07.7
51	UAE	07.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010) %14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
173	Kenya	1.1
174	Indonesia	1.1
175	Myanmar (Burma)	1.0
176	Solomon Islands	1.0
177	India	0.9
178	Papua New Guinea	0.9
179	USA	0.8
180	Namibia	0.7
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013) 2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
140	Togo	3.90
141	Ethiopia	3.91
142	Ghana	4.03
143	Solomon Islands	4.08
144	Burundi	4.10
145	Ivory Coast	4.27
146	Eritrea	4.28
147	Palestine	4.31
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010) %14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
140	Tanzania	1.5
141	Bolivia	1.5
142	Bulgaria	1.4
143	Solomon Islands	1.3
144	Niger	1.3
145	Mali	1.2
146	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.2
147	Guinea-Bissau	1.2
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015) Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
131	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	68.51
132	Philippines	68.34
133	India	68.32
134	Solomon Islands	68.11
135	Senegal	66.93
136	Laos	66.60
137	Sao Tome & Principe	66.58
138	Guyana	66.50
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
161	Bhutan	0.8m
162	Equatorial Guinea	0.7m
163	Montenegro	0.6m
164	Solomon Islands	0.6m
165	Suriname	0.5m
166	Luxembourg	0.5m
167	Cape Verde	0.5m
168	Malta	0.4m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

The Solomon Islands's population is predicted to rise to 841 161 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 4.08. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception: How Religion is Making Overpopulation Worse

4. Gender Equality

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better Year18
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
162	San Marino	1973
163	Andorra	1973
164	Jordan	1974
165	Solomon Islands	1974
166	Sao Tome & Principe	1975
167	Cape Verde	1975
168	Angola	1975
169	Mozambique	1975
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

5. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₁₉:

Christian	97.4%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.3%
Folk Religion	1.3%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.2%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 73.7% (Church of Melanesia 32.8%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%), Roman Catholic 19%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)₂₀.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

6. The Internet

Internet Users (2016) Higher is better21
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
175	Cambodia	11%
176	Gabon	10%
177	Burkina Faso	10%
178	Solomon Islands	10%
179	Liberia	9%
180	Congo, (Brazzaville)	8%
181	Togo	7%
182	Comoros	7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017) Higher is better Ratio22
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
135	Honduras	0.0
136	Syria	0.0
137	Nicaragua	0.0
138	Solomon Islands	0.0
139	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.0
140	Sao Tome & Principe	0.0
141	Kiribati	0.0
142	Ivory Coast	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

7. Public Health Issues

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015) Lower is better Per 100023
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
104	Suriname	46.1
105	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	46.6
106	Chile	47.8
107	Solomon Islands	48.4
108	Peru	49.1
109	Indonesia	49.6
110	Colombia	50.2
111	St Vincent & Grenadines	51.0
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010) Lower is better Per Capita24
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
34	Tunisia	1.5
35	Tuvalu	1.5
36	Tonga	1.6
37	Solomon Islands	1.7
38	Madagascar	1.8
39	Singapore	2.0
40	Turkey	2.0
41	Bahrain	2.1
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015) Higher is better Avg %25
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
73	Eritrea	94.7
74	Singapore	94.6
75	UK	94.6
76	Solomon Islands	94.5
77	Norway	94.3
78	Bolivia	94.2
79	UAE	94.0
80	Bangladesh	94.0
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014) Lower is better26
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
4	Uganda	41
5	Rwanda	53
6	Samoa	54
7	Congo, DR	74
8	Ethiopia	76
9	Vanuatu	76
10	Guyana	77
11	Suriname	79
12	Malawi	80
	World Avg	819
q=182.

8. Politics and Freedom

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009) Higher is better Treaties27
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
154	Zimbabwe	11
155	Saudi Arabia	10
156	Laos	10
157	Solomon Islands	10
158	Qatar	10
159	Vatican City	10
160	India	10
161	Fiji	10
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries