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
water: 910 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 5,313 km

Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM

Climate tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m

Natural resources fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Land use
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 98% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea

NOTE: The information regarding Solomon Islands on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Solomon Islands Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Solomon Islands Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.