Solomon Islands
Introduction
Background
Settlers from Papua arrived on Solomon Islands around 30,000 years ago. About 6,000 years ago, Austronesian settlers came to Solomon Islands and the two groups mixed extensively. Despite significant inter-island trade, no attempts were made to unite the islands into a single political entity. In 1568, Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA became the first European to spot the islands. After a failed Spanish attempt at creating a permanent European settlement on the islands in the late 1500s, Solomon Islands remained free of European contact until 1767 when British explorer Philip CARTERET sailed by the islands. The islands were regularly visited by European explorers and American and British whaling ships into the 1800s, followed by missionaries in the 1850s.
Germany declared a protectorate over the northern Solomon Islands in 1885, and the UK established a protectorate over the southern islands in 1893. In 1899, Germany transferred its Solomon Islands to the UK in exchange for the UK relinquishing all claims in Samoa. The UK tried to encourage plantation farming, but few Europeans were willing to go to Solomon Islands and the UK left most services - such as education and medical services - to missionaries. In 1942, Japan invaded Solomon Islands and significant battles against Allied forces during the Guadalcanal Campaign proved a turning point in the Pacific war. World War II destroyed large parts of Solomon Islands and a nationalism movement emerged near the end of the war. By 1960, the British relented to allow for some local autonomy. The islands were granted self-government in 1976 and independence two years later under Prime Minister Sir Peter KENILOREA.
In 1999, longstanding ethnic tensions between ethnic Guale in Honiara and ethnic Malaitans in Honiara’s suburbs erupted in civil war, leading thousands of Malaitans to take refuge in Honiara and Guale to flee the city. In 2000, newly-elected Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE focused on peace agreements and distributing resources equally among groups, but his actions bankrupted the government in 2001 and led to SOGAVARE’s ouster. In 2003, Solomon Islands requested international assistance to reestablish law and order. The Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, which ended in 2017, was generally effective in improving the security situation. In 2006, riots broke out in Honiara and the city’s Chinatown burned over allegations that the prime minister took money from China. SOGAVARE was reelected prime minister for a fourth time following elections in 2019 and that same year announced Solomon Islands would switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. In late November 2021, protestors, mostly from the island of Malaita, calling for SOGAVARE’s removal and more development in Malaita, sparked rioting in Honiara.
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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 - comparative
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
5,313 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Climate
tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes
Terrain
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation
highest point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,335 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural resources
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Land use
agricultural land: 3.9% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.9% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.3% (2018 est.)
forest: 78.9% (2018 est.)
other: 17.2% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Population distribution
most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas, and of these some two-thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port
Natural hazards
tropical cyclones, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis
volcanism: Tinakula (851 m) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal
Geography - note
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; Rennell Island, the southernmost in the Solomon Islands chain, is one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls; the island’s Lake Tegano, formerly a lagoon on the atoll, is the largest lake in the insular Pacific (15,500 hectares)
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Solomon Islander(s)
adjective: Solomon Islander
Ethnic groups
Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)
Languages
Melanesian pidgin (in much of the country is lingua franca), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages
Religions
Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 31.06% (male 114,104/female 107,900)
15-64 years: 63.82% (male 233,501/female 222,640)
65 years and over: 5.12% (2023 est.) (male 17,238/female 19,383)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 74.8
youth dependency ratio: 68.8
elderly dependency ratio: 6
potential support ratio: 16.5 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 23.5 years
male: 23.2 years
female: 23.7 years (2020 est.)
Population distribution
most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas, and of these some two-thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port
Urbanization
urban population: 26% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
82,000 HONIARA (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
22.6 years (2015 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29
Maternal mortality ratio
122 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64Infant mortality rate
total: 19.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 23.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.96 years
male: 74.32 years
female: 79.73 years (2023 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
1.38 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
29.3% (2015)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 95% of population
rural: 65.9% of population
total: 73.1% of population
unimproved: urban: 5% of population
rural: 34.1% of population
total: 26.9% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
4.4% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
0.19 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Hospital bed density
1.4 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 95.6% of population
rural: 22.6% of population
total: 40.6% of population
unimproved: urban: 4.4% of population
rural: 77.4% of population
total: 59.4% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: malaria
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 36.5% (2020 est.)
male: 53.8% (2020 est.)
female: 19.2% (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
64.1% (2023 est.)
Literacy
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 1.9%
male: 1.6%
female: 2.3% (2021 est.)
Environment
Environment - current issues
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying, exhibiting the effects of climate change and rising sea levels
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 10.67 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.17 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.43 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes
Land use
agricultural land: 3.9% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 2.9% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.3% (2018 est.)
forest: 78.9% (2018 est.)
other: 17.2% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 26% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: malaria
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 179,972 tons (2013 est.)
Total renewable water resources
44.7 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Solomon Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Solomon Islands
former: British Solomon Islands
etymology: Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA named the isles in 1568 after the wealthy biblical King SOLOMON in the mistaken belief that the islands contained great riches
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital
name: Honiara
geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name derives from "nagho ni ara," which in one of the Guadalcanal languages roughly translates as "facing the eastern wind"
Administrative divisions
9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Independence
7 July 1978 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Constitution
history: adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978; note - in late 2017, provincial leaders agreed to adopt a new federal constitution; progress has been stalled, but as of February 2023, the draft constitution was with the Constitutional Review Unit in the prime minister's office
amendments: proposed by the National Parliament; passage of constitutional sections, including those on fundamental rights and freedoms, the legal system, Parliament, alteration of the constitution and the ombudsman, requires three-fourths majority vote by Parliament and assent of the governor general; passage of other amendments requires two-thirds majority vote and assent of the governor general; amended several times, last in 2018
Legal system
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Solomon Islands
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General David VUNAGI (since 8 July 2019)
head of government: Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 24 April 2019)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Parliament for up to 5 years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the National Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Parliament
election results: Manasseh SOGAVARE elected prime minister on 24 April 2019
Legislative branch
description: unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
elections: last held on 3 April 2019 (next to be held in April 2023)
election results: percent of vote by party - UDP 10.7%, DAP 7.8%, PAP 4.4%, independent 56.3%, other 20.8%; seats by party - DAP 7, UDP 5, PAP 3, KPSI 1, SIPFP 1, SIPRA 1, independent 32; composition - men 46, women 4, percent of women 8%
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and ex officio members including the High Court chief justice and its puisne judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges, as prescribed by the National Parliament)
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court president, chief justices, and puisne judges appointed by the governor general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, chaired by the chief justice and includes 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges serve until retirement at age 60
subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court; local courts
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Steve ABANA]
Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KPSI [Peter BOYERS]
People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Nathaniel WAENA]
Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Manasseh MAELANGA]
Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP [Dr. Jimmie RODGERS]
United Democratic Party or UDP [Sir Thomas Ko CHAN]
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
International organization participation
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Jane Mugafalu Kabui WAETARA (since 16 September 2022)
chancery: 685 Third Avenue, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192; [1] (212) 599-6193
FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
email address and website:
simun@solomons.com
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: the US does not have an embassy in the Solomon Islands; the US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Flag description
divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green; blue represents the ocean, green the land, and yellow sunshine; the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands
National symbol(s)
national colors: blue, yellow, green, white
National anthem
name: "God Save Our Solomon Islands"
lyrics/music: Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA
note: adopted 1978
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: East Rennell
Economy
Economic overview
lower middle-income Pacific island economy; natural resource rich; primarily subsistence agriculture and fishing; land rights conflicts; fairly low public debt; underdeveloped financial sector; large, state-owned enterprise presence
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.703 billion (2021 est.)
$1.707 billion (2020 est.)
$1.766 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
-0.2% (2021 est.)
-3.38% (2020 est.)
1.75% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$2,400 (2021 est.)
$2,500 (2020 est.)
$2,600 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$1.298 billion (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-0.12% (2021 est.)
2.96% (2020 est.)
1.63% (2019 est.)
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: B3 (2015)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 34.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 7.6% (2017 est.)
services: 58.1% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: NA
government consumption: NA
investment in fixed capital: NA
investment in inventories: NA
exports of goods and services: 25.8% (2011 est.)
imports of goods and services: -49.6% (2011 est.)
Agricultural products
oil palm fruit, sweet potatoes, coconuts, taro, yams, fruit, pulses, vegetables, cocoa, cassava
Industries
fish (tuna), mining, timber
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 75%
industry: 5%
services: 20% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate
1.03% (2021 est.)
0.92% (2020 est.)
0.75% (2019 est.)
NA
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 1.9%
male: 1.6%
female: 2.3% (2021 est.)
Population below poverty line
12.7% (2012 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
37.1 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Budget
revenues: $532.5 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: $570.5 million (2017 est.)
Public debt
11.46% of GDP (2020 est.)
7.74% of GDP (2019 est.)
7.69% of GDP (2018 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$78.192 million (2021 est.)
-$25.06 million (2020 est.)
-$153.998 million (2019 est.)
Exports
$413.657 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$428.834 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$591.293 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - partners
China 65%, Italy 9%, India 6% (2019)
Exports - commodities
lumber, fish, aluminum, palm oil, cocoa beans (2019)
Imports
$619.46 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$556.26 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$752.909 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners
China 24%, Australia 13%, South Korea 12%, Singapore 12%, Malaysia 10% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, fish, insulated wiring, broadcasting equipment, excavation machinery (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$694.515 million (31 December 2021 est.)
$660.996 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$571.632 million (31 December 2019 est.)
Debt - external
$757 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$643 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -
8.03 (2021 est.)
8.213 (2020 est.)
8.173 (2019 est.)
7.953 (2018 est.)
7.887 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 66.7% (2018)
electrification - urban areas: 76.7% (2018)
electrification - rural areas: 63.5% (2018)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 40,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 93.527 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 14 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 94.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 2,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
333,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 333,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
6.955 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 7,000 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 478,116 (2019)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 71 (2019)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: mobile services have continually expanded in the Solomon Islands; 3G services became available in 2010, leading to an increase in mobile broadband uptake; Solomon Islands currently host three ISPs; fixed broadband services are largely limited to government, corporations, and educational organizations in the Solomon Islands; telecommunication infrastructure in the Solomon Islands requires significant investment due to the geographical make-up of the islands; this presents a great challenge to rural connectivity in the country; although various international organizations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have taken a special interest in having communication services improved in both the Solomon Islands and the Pacific region in general, internet and broadband penetration remain low; the provision of broadband infrastructure, particularly to rural areas, is also hindered by land disputes; internet services have, improved with the build-out of the Coral Sea Cable System linking Papua New Guinea to the Solomon Islands, as also with a connecting cable to a landing station at Sydney; the Australian government provided most of the funding for the Coral Sea Cable System, with contributions and support from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea governments; the launch of the Kacific-1 satellite in late 2019 also improved broadband satellite capacity for the region, though for telcos in Solomon Islands satellite services are now largely used as backup for international traffic; in recent years, the country has stabilized both politically and economically and this, along with improvements to mobile infrastructure, has led to a rise in mobile services and the slow uptake of broadband services; while the first LTE services were launched in late 2017 in the capital Honiara, the main platform for mobile voice and data services remains 3G, while in outlying areas GSM is still an important technology for the provision of services (2022)
domestic: fixed-line is just over 1 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular telephone density is about 69 per 100 persons; domestic cable system to extend to key major islands (2020)
international: country code - 677; landing points for the CSCS and ICNS2 submarine cables providing connectivity from Solomon Islands, to PNG, Vanuatu and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)
Broadcast media
Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) does not broadcast television; multi-channel pay-TV is available; SIBC operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; there are 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite feed (since 2009) (2019)
Internet users
total: 80,379 (2019 est.)
percent of population: 12% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 1,000 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.2 (2020 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 427,806 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3.84 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 24 (2021)
Heliports
3 (2021)
Roadways
total: 1,390 km (2011)
paved: 34 km (2011)
unpaved: 1,356 km (2011)
note: includes 920 km of private plantation roads
Merchant marine
total: 24
by type: general cargo 8, oil tanker 1, other 15 (2021)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Honiara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor, Tulagi
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force is responsible for internal and external security and reports to the Ministry of Police, National Security, and Correctional Services (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
China and Australia have provided equipment to the Solomons Islands Police Force; the maritime branch operates patrol boats provided by Australia (2022)
Military - note
Australia and New Zealand provide material and training assistance to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (2022)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
from 2003 to 2017, at the request of the Solomon Islands Governor-General, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn from 15 countries, assisted in reestablishing and maintaining civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and security