Solomon Islands | |
|---|---|
Motto: "To Lead is to Serve" | |
.svg) | |
| Capital and largest city | Honiara 9°28′S 159°49′E / 9.467°S 159.817°E |
| Official languages | English |
| Ethnic groups (2009 Census) |
|
| Religion (2016)[3] |
|
| Demonym(s) | Solomon Islander |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| David Vunagi | |
| Manasseh Sogavare | |
| Legislature | National Parliament |
| Independence | |
• from the United Kingdom | 7 July 1978 |
| Area | |
• Total | 28,400 km2 (11,000 sq mi) (139th) |
• Water (%) | 3.2% |
| Population | |
• 2018 estimate | 652,857[4][5] (167th) |
• Density | 18.1/km2 (46.9/sq mi) (200th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2019 estimate |
• Total | $1.479 billion[6] |
• Per capita | $2,307[6] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2019 estimate |
• Total | $1.511 billion[6] |
• Per capita | $2,357[6] |
| HDI (2019) |  0.567[7]medium · 151st |
| Currency | Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) |
| Time zone | UTC+11 |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +677 |
| ISO 3166 code | SB |
| Internet TLD | .sb |
Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands are a sovereign state consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. It has a land area of 28,400 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi), and a population of 652,858. Its capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the North Solomon Islands, but excludes outlying islands, such as the Santa Cruz Islands and Rennell and Bellona.