Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% to 1.7% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: maritime border dispute with Croatia over direct access to the sea in the Adriatic; the border issue is currently under negotiation; Italy is negotiating with Slovenia over property and minority rights issues dating from World War II
Illicit drugs: transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe and for precursor chemicals ______________________________________________________________________
SOLOMON ISLANDS
@Solomon Islands:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S, 159 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km