Solomon Islands

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Solomon Islands

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Timeline

1942 World War II: Battle of Guadalcanal begins - US Marines initiate the first American offensive of the war with a landing on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

1943 World War II: In Operation Goodtime, United States Marines land on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.

1978 The Solomon Islands become independent from the United Kingdom.

2003 The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, Operation Helpem Fren, led by Australia, begins.

Encyclopedia

The Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands are believed to have been inhabited by MelanesiaMelanesia

Melanesia is a region extending from the western side of East Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and north-east of Australia....
n people for thousands of years. The United KingdomUnited Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast...
established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
occurred in the Solomon Islands campaignSolomon Islands campaign

The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of World War II....
of 1942–45, including the Battle of Guadalcanal. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. The country is a Commonwealth realmCommonwealth Realm

A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations that separately recognise Queen El...
.

Since 1998 ethnic violence, government misconduct and crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003 (following the Invasion of Iraq) an AustraliaAustralia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland o...
n-led "multinational" force, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon IslandsRegional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands

The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, also known as Operation Helpem Fren, was created in 2003 in resp...
(RAMSI), arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias.

The North Solomon IslandsNorth Solomon Islands

and ); Santa Ana; Rennell and BellonaRennell and Bellona

Rennell and Bellona is a province of the Solomon Islands comprised of two atolls, Rennell and Bellona, or Mu Nggava an...
; the Santa Cruz IslandsSanta Cruz Islands

The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands....
and three remote, tiny outliers, TikopiaTikopia

Tikopia is the southernmost of the Santa Cruz Islands, located in the province of Temotu....
, AnutaAnuta

Anuta is a small high island in the southeastern part of the Solomon Islands province of Temotu....
, and FatutakaFatutaka

Fatutaka or Fatu Taka is a small high island in the Solomon Islands province of Temotu....
. The distance between the westernmost and easternmost islands is about 1,500 kilometres (930 miMile

A mile is the name of a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Englis...
). The Santa Cruz Islands (of which TikopiaTikopia

Tikopia is the southernmost of the Santa Cruz Islands, located in the province of Temotu....
is part), are situated north of VanuatuVanuatu

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is a Melanesian island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean....
and are especially isolated at more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) from the other islands. BougainvilleBougainville Island

Bougainville is part of Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Solomon Islands group....
is geographically part of the Solomon Islands, but politically Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea or PNG, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupyin...
.

The islands' ocean-equatorial climate is extremely humid throughout the year, with a mean temperature of 27 °C (80 °F) and few extremes of temperature or weather. June through August is the cooler period. Though seasons are not pronounced, the northwesterly winds of November through April bring more frequent rainfall and occasional squalls or cyclones. The annual rainfall is about 3050 mm (120 in).

The Solomon Islands archipelagoArchipelago

An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands....
is part of two distinct terrestrial ecoregionTerrestrial ecoregion

Ecoregions are defined by World Wildlife Fund as "relatively large units of land or water containing a distinct assemblage o...
s. Most of the islands are part of the Solomon Islands rain forestsSolomon Islands rain forests

The Solomon Islands rain forests are a terrestrial ecoregion which includes most of the Solomon Islands and the islands of B...
ecoregion, which also includes the islands of BougainvilleFacts About Bougainville Island

Bougainville is part of Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Solomon Islands group....
and Buka, which are part of Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea or PNG, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupyin...
, these forests have come under pressure from forestry activities. The Santa Cruz IslandsFacts About Santa Cruz Islands

The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands....
are part of the Vanuatu rain forestsVanuatu rain forests

The Vanuatu rain forests are a terrestrial ecoregion that includes the islands of Vanuatu, as well as the Santa Cruz Islands...
ecoregion, together with the neighboring archipelago of VanuatuVanuatu

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is a Melanesian island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean....
. Soil quality ranges from extremely rich volcanic (there are volcanoVolcano Summary

A volcano is a geological landform on the surface of the Earth where magma from the planet's interior erupts to the surfac...
es with varying degrees of activity on some of the larger islands) to relatively infertile limestone. More than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers brighten the landscape.

The islands contain several active and dormant volcanoes. The Tinakula and Kavachi volcanoes are the most active.

Economy

Its per capita GDP of $600 ranks Solomon Islands as a lesser developed nation, and more than 75% of its labor force is engaged in subsistence and fishing. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. Until 1998, when world prices for tropical timber fell steeply, timber was Solomon Islands main export product, and, in recent years, Solomon Islands forests were dangerously overexploited. Other important cash crops and exports include copraCopra

Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut....
and palm oilPalm oil

Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the Oil palm tree....
. In 1998 Ross Mining of Australia began producing gold at Gold RidgeGold Ridge

Gold Ridge is a mine located at 936S, 16008E, in 30km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands. The Gold Ridge mine is owned by Delta ...
on Guadalcanal. Minerals exploration in other areas continued. However in the wake of the ethnic violence in June 2000, exports of palm oil and gold ceased while exports of timber fell. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineralMineral

Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes....
resources such as leadLead

Lead is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Pb and atomic number 82....
, zincZinc

Zinc is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30....
, nickelFacts About Nickel

Nickel is a metallic chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Ni and atomic number 28....
, and goldGold Summary

Gold is a highly sought-after precious metal that for many centuries has been used as money, a store of value and in jewelry...
.

Solomon Islands' fisheries also offer prospects for export and domestic economic expansion. However, a Japanese joint venture, Solomon Taiyo Ltd., which operated the only fish cannery in the country, closed in mid-2000 as a result of the ethnic disturbances. Though the plant has reopened under local management, the export of tuna has not resumed. Negotiations are underway which may lead to the eventual reopening of the Gold Ridge mine and the major oil-palm plantation.

Tourism, particularly diving, is an important service industry for Solomon Islands. Growth in that industry is hampered, however, by lack of infrastructure and transportation limitations.

The Solomon Islands Government was insolvent by 2002. Since the RAMSI intervention in 2003, the government has recast its budget, and has taken a hard look at priorities. It has consolidated and renegotiated its domestic debt and with Australian backing, is now seeking to renegotiate its foreign obligations. Principal aid donors are Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Japan, and the Republic of China.

Recently, the Solomons courts have re-approved the export of live dolphins for profit, most recently to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This practice was originally stopped by the government in 2004 after international uproar over a shipment of 28 live dolphins to Mexico. The move has resulted in criticism from both Australia and New Zealand as well as several conservation organisations.

Demographics

As of 2006 the majority 552,438 people on the Solomon Islands are ethnically Melanesian (94.5%), PolynesianPolynesian

Polynesian is an adjectival form which refers variously to:...
(3%) and Micronesian (1.2%) are the two other significant groups.

There were 74 languages spoken in the Solomon Islands, although four of these are extinct. On the central islands, Melanesian languagesMelanesian languages

The Melanesian languages are the indigenous languages of Melanesia....
(predominantly of the Southeast Solomonic groupSoutheast Solomonic languages

The family of Southeast Solomonic languages is a branch of the Central-Eastern Oceanic languages....
) are spoken, on the outliers Rennell and BellonaBellona

Bellona may refer to:*The goddess Bellona, the Roman counterpart of to the Greek goddess Enyo....
to the south, TikopiaTikopia

Tikopia is the southernmost of the Santa Cruz Islands, located in the province of Temotu....
, AnutaAnuta

Anuta is a small high island in the southeastern part of the Solomon Islands province of Temotu....
and FatutakaFatutaka

Fatutaka or Fatu Taka is a small high island in the Solomon Islands province of Temotu....
to the far east, SikaianaSikaiana

Sikaiana formerly called Stewart Islands is a small atoll 212 km NE of Malaita....
to the north east, and Luaniua to the north, Polynesian languagesPolynesian languages

The Polynesian languages are a language family spoken in the region known as Polynesia....
. Immigrant populations of Gilbertese and TuvaluTuvalu Overview

Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway betwee...
ans speak Micronesian languagesMicronesian languages

The family of Micronesian languages is a branch of the Central-Eastern Oceanic languages....
. While EnglishEnglish language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England but is now the primary language in numerous countries....
is the official language, only 1-2% of the population speak English; the lingua francaLingua franca

A lingua franca is any language widely used beyond the population of its native speakers....
is Solomons PijinPijin

Pijin is a language spoken in the Solomon Islands....
.

Religion

The religion of Solomon Islands is about 97% ChristianChristianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New...
with following denominations: the Anglican Church of MelanesiaChurch of the Province of Melanesia

The Church the Province of Melanesia, usually called the Church of Melanesia or COM, is the Anglican Province in the Melanes...
32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical ChurchSouth Seas Evangelical Church

The South Seas Evangelical Church is an evangelical, Pentecostal church in the Solomon Islands....
17%, Seventh-day AdventistSeventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination which, as its name suggests, is best-known for its teaching tha...
11.2%, United ChurchUnited Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

The United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is merged denomination dating from 1968 consisting of the form...
10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%. The remaining 2.9% practice indigenous religious beliefs and other faiths such as the Bahá'í FaithBahá'í Faith

The Bah' Faith is a religion founded by Bah'u'llh in 19th century Persia....
. According to the most recent reports, Islam in the Solomon IslandsIslam in the Solomon Islands

The United States Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report states that according to the most recent reports, t...
is made up of approximately 350 Muslims.

Culture

In the traditional culture of the Solomon Islands, age-old customs are handed down from one generation to the next, allegedly from the ancestral spirits themselves, to form the cultural values to Solomon Islands.

The most popular sport in the Solomon Islands is soccer, with netball also quite popular.

Radio is the most influential type of media in the Solomons Islands due to language differences and illiteracy. the Solomon Islands Broadcasting CorporationSolomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation Overview

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation is the official radio and television broadcaster of the Solomon Islands....
(SIBC) operates public radio services, including the national stations Radio Happy Isles and Wantok FM, and the provincial stations Radio Happy Lagoon and Radio Temotu. There is one commercial station, PAOA FM, that broadcasts in the Solomons. There is one daily newspaper Solomon Star (www.solomonstarnews.com) and one daily online news website Solomon Times Online (www.solomontimes.com), 2 weekly papers Solomons Voice and Solomon Times, and 2 monthly papers Agrikalsa Nius and the Citizen's Press. There are no TV services based in the Solomon Islands, although satellite TV stations can be received. There is free-to-air access to ABC Asia Pacific (from Australia's ABC) and BBC World News.

Solomon Islands writers include the novelists Rexford OrotaloaRexford Orotaloa Summary

Rexford Orotaloa is a Solomon Islands writer best known for the novel Two Times Resurrection and the story collection '...
and John Saunana and the poet Jully Makini.

External links

This article incorporates public domain text from the websites of the United States Department of State & CIA World FactbookThe World Factbook

The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-...
.

from the Ministry of Provincial Government and Rural Development
daily newspaper
online newspaper
Travel Wiki with information on bushwalking, mountain biking, camping, kayaking and village stays
Online gallery on Pbase.com

Solomon Islands

Economy

Demographics

Religion

Culture

See also

External links