Population: 480,442 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population

Background: The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Current issues include...

Currency: Solomon Islands dollar (SBD, No information)

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.