| Ethnic dating siteon Islands, a former British protectorate in the Pacific, is striving to recover from a civil conflict that brought it to the brink of collapse.
More than 90% of the islanders are ethnic Melanesians, but there has been intense and bitter rivalry between the Isatabus on Guadalcanal, the largest island, and migrant Malaitans from the neighbouring island.
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Fighting broke out in 1998 when the Isatabu Freedom Movement began to force Malaitans out, accusing them of taking land and jobs. Around 20,000 people abandoned their homes, with many subsequently leaving Guadalcanal.
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AT-A-GLANCE
Politics: PM Manasseh Sogavare’s predecessor spent eight days in office before rioting prompted his resignation
Ethnic dating site: Australia leads a mission which aims to ensure security; the force arrived in 2003 when violence between ethnic militias threatened to spiral into anarchy
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A rival militia group, the Malaitan Eagle Force, staged a coup in June 2000 and forced the then prime minister to resign, saying he had failed to deal with the crisis, which had left up to 100 dead.
An Dating ethnic site peace deal was signed in October 2000. But lawlessness continued and an Australian-led peacekeeping force arrived in July 2003.
The force arrested many rebel commanders, collected thousands of illegally-held weapons and oversaw a slow return to order.
The Australian intervention also provided for the appointment of foreign nationals to government posts and included financial assistance; Canberra says it aims to make the country self-sustaining.
But prosperity is elusive. Civil war left the country almost bankrupt, and post-election riots in April 2006 sent some of the advances made since 2003 up in smoke.
The economy relies heavily on timber exports, which are vulnerable to price fluctuations. Economic hopes have been pinned on the resumption of palm oil production and gold mining.
The Solomon Islands chain consists of several large volcanic islands to the south-east of Papua New Guinea, as well as outlying islands and atolls. The terrain is mountainous and heavily forested.
During World War II the island of Guadalcanal saw some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific theatre as the US battled to wrest control of the territory from Japanese occupiers.
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- Full name: Solomon Islands
- Population: 504,000 (UN, 2005)
- Capital: Honiara
- Area: 27,556 sq km (10,639 sq miles)
- Major language: English (official), Melanesian dialects
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 62 years (men), 63 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 Solomon Islands dollar = 100 cents
- Main exports: Timber, fish, palm oil and kernels, copra
- GNI per capita: US $590 (World Bank, 2006)
- Internet domain: .sb
- International dialling code: +677
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Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Nathaniel Waena
Prime minister: Manasseh Sogavare
Parliament elected Manasseh Sogavare as prime minister, the country’s second in less than a month, in May 2006. He hailed his selection as “a decision for change”.
Manasseh Sogavare has had rocky relations with Australia
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Relations between his government and Australia have been strained. Mr Sogavare has demanded that Australia exercise less influence over international peacekeepers.
Australia has accused the government of trying to undermine the mission’s work. It also opposes Mr Sogavare’s plan to re-arm the police, who were disarmed in 2003.
Mr Sogavare’s predecessor, Snyder Rini, resigned in April 2006, eight days into his premiership and just ahead of a confidence vote in parliament which he was expected to lose.
Two days of rioting and looting in the capital had followed his appointment. Demonstrators said he favoured local Chinese businessmen. The violence left parts of the capital, including much of the Chinatown area, in ruins.
Mr Sogavare leads the Social Credit Party and served as premier between 2000-2001. He campaigned on promises to tackle widespread corruption.
Foreign minister: Patteson Oti
Finance minister: Gordon Darcy Lilo
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The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) operates a public radio service. A high rate of illiteracy means that the SIBC has more influence than the press.
In 2004 the media rights body Reporters Without Borders said the Australian-led mission to restore order had improved working conditions for local journalists. Militia leaders who had threatened the press had been jailed, it added.
The Australian government has donated equipment to SIBC and has sponsored programmes aimed at promoting peace. Taiwan has also granted technical aid.
There are no TV services based in the Solomon Islands, although Australia’s ABC, BBC World and other satellite TV stations can be received.
The press
Solomon Star - daily
Solomons Voice - weekly
Solomon Times - weekly
Agrikalsa Nius - monthly
Citizen’s Press - monthly
Radio
Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) - public, operates national station Radio Happy Isles, Wantok FM and provincial stations Radio Happy Lagoon and Radio Temotu
Paoa FM - commercial
ZFM 100 - commercial
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