Solomon Islands Passport

[Country Name] Solomon Islands.

The land area is 28400 square kilometers, and the marine exclusive economic zone covers 1.6 million square kilometers.

The population is about 720000. 94.5% are Melanesians, mostly practicing Protestantism and Catholicism. The official language is English, and Pidgin is commonly used.

【 Capital 】 Honiara.

The head of state is King Charles III of England, who appoints the Governor General as his representative. The current Governor General David Tiva Kapu will take office in July 2024 for a term of 5 years.

Independence Day: July 7th.

【 Overview 】 Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, it belongs to the Melanesian Islands. It is 1600 kilometers southwest of Australia, 485 kilometers west of Papua New Guinea, and faces Vanuatu across the sea to the southeast. There are over 900 islands of various sizes in the entire region, with the largest being Guadalcanal Island, which covers an area of 6475 square kilometers. There are many volcanoes and rivers within the territory. It belongs to the tropical rainforest climate, with hot weather all year round and no dry season. The average annual temperature in the capital Honiara is 28 ℃, and the average annual precipitation is 3000-3500 millimeters.

People have been living here for over 3000 years. Discovered and named by the Spanish in 1568. Later, colonizers from the Netherlands, Britain, Germany, and other countries arrived one after another. In 1885, Northern Solomon became a German protectorate and was transferred to Britain the same year. The British Solomon Islands Protectorate was established in 1893. During World War II, it was occupied by Japan. In June 1975, it was renamed Solomon Islands. Internal autonomy was implemented on January 2, 1976. Independence was achieved on July 7th, 1978. Member of the Commonwealth.

In April 2024, Solomon Islands held elections and Jeremiah Manele was elected as Prime Minister.

On June 8, 1978, the British Parliament passed a new constitution for the Solomon Islands, which came into effect on July 7 of the same year.

The unicameral system, known as the National Assembly, is the highest authority composed of 50 members with a term of 4 years. The current parliament will hold its first meeting in May 2024 and elect Patteson Oti as its 12th Speaker.

The current government was formed in May 2024, with key members including Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mines, Energy and Electrification Bradley Tovosia, Minister of Infrastructure and Development Manasseh Maelanga, Minister of Communications and Civil Aviation Frederick Kologeto, Minister of Finance and Treasury Manasseh Sogovare, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Agovaka, Minister of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration Harry Kuma, and others.

The judiciary follows the British judicial system, with the High Court (also known as the National Court) composed of a Lord Chancellor and one jury judge. The appellate court was established in 1978. Each administrative region has district courts and local courts. Current Chief Justice Albert Rocky Palmer.

The main political parties include Our Party, Kadere Party, Democratic Alliance Party, United Democratic Party, People First Party, etc.

David Tiva Cap: Governor. Appointed in July 2024. Born in December 1969, he is a member of the Melanesian Episcopal Church and holds a Bachelor's degree in Theology from the Paterson Theological Seminary and a Master's degree in Theology from the Pacific Theological Seminary in Fiji. I have been working in the church for a long time and have served as a regional pastor, missionary secretary, and financial manager. Since 2020, he has served as a lecturer, head of the history department, and dean of academic affairs at the Paterson Episcopal Theological Seminary.

Jeremiah Manele: Prime Minister. Born in 1968, elected as a member of the Solomon Islands Parliament in 2014, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2019. In April 2024, Solomon Islands held general elections, and Manele was elected as Prime Minister and formed a government to govern.

Since its independence, the Solomon Islands' economy has gradually transformed from a single economy to a diversified economy that includes agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, tourism, and more. Beef, grains, and vegetables are basically self-sufficient. From 2003 to 2008, the average annual economic growth rate was nearly 6%, making it one of the countries with the highest economic growth rates in the Pacific Island region. Affected by the international financial crisis, the economic growth rate dropped to -2.2% in 2009. In recent years, the government has taken multiple development measures to promote land reform, improve management methods, actively attract foreign investment, effectively control inflation, and achieve economic recovery. However, it is still greatly affected by the international economic environment. Under the double attack of the COVID-19 and the riots in the capital region, economic development difficulties increased, and negative growth occurred for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022.

The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 1.63 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 2200 US dollars.

Economic growth rate: 3%.

Currency name: Solomon Islands Dollar (abbreviated as SI Dollar).

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 8 US dollars.

(Source: International Monetary Fund, Central Bank of Solomon Islands)

【 Resources 】 There are mineral deposits such as bauxite, nickel, copper, gold, phosphate, etc. The proven reserves of bauxite are 58 million tons and phosphate is 10 million tons. Abundant water resources. Forest coverage accounts for 90% of the land area, approximately 2.63 million hectares. The total volume of forest timber is 127 million cubic meters, and the volume of commercial timber is 48.1 million cubic meters. In recent years, forestry has developed rapidly and has become a major economic pillar and export industry.

[Industry] includes small factories such as fish products, furniture, plastics, clothing, wooden boats, spices, food and beverage factories, as well as mining industries. Industry only accounts for 5% of the gross domestic product.

[Agriculture] The agricultural population accounts for more than 90% of the national population. Agricultural income accounts for 60% of the gross domestic product. The main crops are dried coconut, palm oil, cocoa, etc.

The production of tuna is one of the countries with the richest fishery resources in the world, with an annual catch of about 80000 tons of tuna. Seafood is the third largest export product, mainly exported to Japan and the European Union. In 2011, the Coral Reef and Fishery Safety Plan was launched to effectively protect marine and fishery resources.

The coastal terrain is relatively flat and the seawater is not polluted, making it one of the best diving areas in the world with great potential for tourism development. However, the infrastructure is outdated, transportation is inconvenient, and social security is poor, which seriously restricts the development of the tourism industry.

Highway: Land transportation is underdeveloped. There are a total of 1900 kilometers of main roads on each island.

Air freight: In addition to the capital Honiara International Airport, there are over 30 small airports. International flight operators mainly include Papua New Guinea Airlines and Nauru Airlines, while Qantas and Solomon Airlines also have joint international flights.

Water transportation: It has maritime connections with Australia, Japan, Singapore, other Pacific island countries, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and other countries and regions. There are regular sea transport ships to Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and Europe. Honiara is the main port.

Finance heavily relies on foreign aid. As of the end of the first quarter of 2023, the government's external debt was 140 million US dollars.

The Central Bank and the Development Bank are two major banks. In addition, ANZ Bank, West Pacific Bank, and other banks have branches in their respective locations.

In 2023, the total import and export volume was 1.47 billion US dollars, including 920 million US dollars in imports and 550 million US dollars in exports. The main export products are wood, seafood, palm oil, aluminum ore, etc. The main imported products are petroleum products, rice, ships, engineering machinery, etc. The main trading partners are China, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, etc.

[Foreign aid] Strive for multilateral aid, emphasizing that the right to use foreign aid must be determined by the parties involved. At present, Australia is the largest aid donor, providing AUD 175 million in aid to Australia in the 2022/2023 fiscal year (data source: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). Other major aid providers include the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the Asian Development Bank.

Solomon Islands maintains the traditional culture of Melanesia. The national literacy rate is about 51%, with 52 primary schools, 20 secondary schools, 1 technical college and 1 normal college, and 1 university. Primary and secondary school students account for about one-third of eligible children and adolescents.

There are privately operated English daily newspapers, Solomon Star and Island Sun. The government run Solomon Radio broadcasts in English and Pidgin.

Solomon Islands has no military and over 1500 police officers. The Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI), consisting of Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific island countries, deployed its military and police forces to the capital city of Honiara in July 2003 to assist in maintaining law and order. It withdrew from the mission in June 2017.

[External Relations] Support the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone proposal, maintain traditional friendly relations with countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, while emphasizing the development of friendly and cooperative relations with other Pacific island countries, actively developing relations with countries such as Japan, the European Union, the United States, Cuba, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. At present, it has established diplomatic relations with 123 countries and is a member of international and regional organizations such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community, the Melanesian Pioneer Group, and the Pacific Islands Development Forum. There are diplomatic institutions in the United Nations, Australia, the European Union, and Papua New Guinea.

Solomon Islands has close relations with the United Kingdom. Originally a colony of Britain, it was ruled by Britain for 85 years. After independence in 1978, British people still served as government advisers. Britain is an important aid donor and trading partner. In April 2011, Governor Kabuy and his wife went to the UK to attend Prince William's wedding. In June, Governor Kabui and his wife went to the UK to attend the 60th anniversary celebration of the Queen's coronation. In September 2012, Prince William and his wife visited the UK. In April 2013, the Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, Swell, visited the office. In November 2019, Prince Charles of the United Kingdom visited the institution. In April 2023, the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Cleverley, visited the office.

Solomon Islands has close relations with Australia, which operates banks, shipping, and sawmills. In January 2009, Australia signed a development partnership agreement with the institution. In April 2012, Australian Defense Minister Smith visited the institute. In July 2012, the "Seasonal Worker Plan" was signed with Australia. In December 2015, Australian Minister for International Development and Pacific Affairs Joe Bo visited the office. In December 2016, Australian Foreign Minister Bishop visited the office. In June 2019, Australian Prime Minister Morrison visited the institution. In June 2017, Australian Governor General Cosgrove, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Bennett, and others attended the evacuation ceremony of the Regional Assistance Mission. In June 2022, Australian Foreign Minister Huang Yingxian visited the institute. In October 2022, Prime Minister Sogavare visited Australia. In June 2023, Australian Defense Minister Mars visited the institute. In May 2024, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mars visited the institute. In June 2024, Australian Foreign Minister Huang Yingxian visited the office. In the same month, Prime Minister Manele visited Australia.

New Zealand has close diplomatic and economic exchanges with Solomon Islands, providing assistance for the development of the economy, improvement of people's livelihoods, and social governance. In February and November 2010, as well as January 2012, New Zealand Foreign Minister McCully visited the office. In February 2013, the new Minister of Trade, Groze, visited the institute. In February 2017, New Zealand Foreign Minister McCully visited the office. In June 2019, the new Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Peters visited the institute. In October 2022, Foreign Minister Manele visited Singapore. In April 2023, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Sepuloni visited the office. In May 2024, New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Peters visited the office.

In March 1988, Solomon Islands signed the "Declaration of Principles of Cooperation among Melanesian Countries" and a mutual visa exemption agreement with Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Vanuatu in the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila. In March 2007, Prime Minister Sogavare signed the Melanesian Pioneer Group Charter with Vanuatu Prime Minister Lini, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Somare, and Fiji Interim Government Foreign Minister Naratikao in the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila. In June 2015, the 20th Melanesian Pioneer Group Leaders' Summit was held in the capital city of Honiara. In July 2016, Prime Minister Sogavare took over as the Chairman of the Pacific Islands Development Forum; In the same month, the Fourth Pacific Islands Development Forum Summit was held in the capital city of Honiara. In February 2020, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Malape made an official visit to the country.

As early as before the independence of the Solomon Islands, Japan had signed a fisheries agreement with the Solomon Islands and jointly established the Solomon Ocean Fisheries Company. The company's export value accounts for more than 1/4 of its total export value. I am still operating a wood processing and logging plant, exploring bauxite mines, and providing assistance, personnel training, etc. for the company. In May 2012, Prime Minister Taro visited Japan to attend the 6th Japan Pacific Island Leaders' Meeting. In May 2015, Deputy Prime Minister Etter went to Japan to attend the 7th Japan Pacific Island Leaders' Meeting. In May 2018, Prime Minister Honipowera went to Japan to attend the 8th Japan Pacific Island Leaders' Meeting. In March 2023, Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng visited the office. In July 2024, Prime Minister Manele went to Japan to attend the 10th Japan Pacific Island Leaders' Meeting.

In late February to early March 2010, Prime Minister Sikoa visited the European Union and attended the third Solomon Islands EU Dialogue. The EU provided 40 million euros in aid to the organization from 2014 to 2020 through the 11th European Development Fund. In September 2020, the European Union announced an aid of 8 million euros to enhance the governance capacity and public service level of provincial governments.

Guadalcanal Island, where the capital of the Solomon Islands is located, was a strategic location contested by the US and Japanese during World War II. In April 2022, Campbell, the coordinator of Indo Pacific affairs for the White Palace National Security Council, visited the institute. In August 2022, US Deputy Secretary of State Sherman visited the institute. In September 2022, Prime Minister Sogavare will attend the first US Pacific Island Leaders' Summit in the United States. In March 2023, Campbell, the coordinator of Indo Pacific affairs for the White Palace National Security Council, visited the office.