Languages: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population note: 120 indigenous languages
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Solomon Islands
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands
Government type: parliamentary democracy tending toward anarchy
Capital: Honiara
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central,
Choiseul (Lauru), Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita,
Rennell/Bellona, Temotu, Western
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution: 7 July 1978