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Villages on the coast near Auki, Malaita island
Villages on the coast near Auki, the capital of Malaita island.
Image: Irene Scott, DFAT Australia
 

___ Solomon Islands


Solomon Islands Flag
Flag of Solomon Islands
Location map of Solomon Islands. Where in Oceania are the Solomon Islands
Location map of Solomon Islands

Destination Solomon Islands, a virtual guide to this Melanesian islands state in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea, formerly known as the British Solomon Islands.

The islands have a combined area of 28,896 km², compared it is about the size of Albania, or slightly smaller than the US state of Maryland.

The archipelago has a population of 642,000 (in 2015), capital and largest city is Honiara on Guadalcanal Island.

The islands have a tropical monsoon climate which is extremely humid throughout the year, mean temperatures are at 27 °C (80 °F).


Solomon Islands

Country Profile



Background:
The Solomon Islands consist of six major and approximately 900 smaller volcanic islands, coral atolls and reefs, more than 300 of them are inhabited. They stretch about 900 miles in a south-easterly direction from Papau New Guinea toward Fiji. The former UK protectorate, established in the 1890s, is one of the poorest countries in the South Pacific; 85 percent of the country's population live in isolated rural villages on undeveloped outer islands.

Self-government was achieved in 1976 followed by independence in 1978.
Government malfeasance, etnic armed conflicts and civil unrest left the country in danger of a total collapse. Following an urgent request from the Solomons government for help, Australian-led regional forces landed in the capital Honiara on July 2003 to rescue the Solomon Islands from collapse. After one year of the Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI) in 2004 the law and order situation and indeed the fiscal situation remains fragile.

related countries: Australia, New Zealand,United Kingdom

other Melanesian islands: Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu

 
 
Official Name:
Solomon Islands
short form: Solomons
former: British Solomon Islands

ISO Country Code: sb

Time:
Local Time = UTC +11h
Actual Time: Mon-Mar-18  19:03

Country Calling Code: +677

Capital City: Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal.

Government:
Type: Parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth.
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir John LAPLI (since NA 1999)
Constitution: May 1978.
Independence: 7 July 1978 (from the United Kingdom).

Geography:
Location: Oceania; group of South Pacfic islands east of Papua New Guinea.
Area: Land -- 29,000 km² (11,200 sq. mi.). Archipelago--725,197 sq. km. (280,000 sq. mi.).
Terrain: rugged mountains, volcanoes, rainforests, some low coral atolls.

Climate: Tropical with average daytime temperatures around 27 degrees and high humidity, monsoonal wet season occurring between November and March.

People:
Nationality: Solomon Islander(s).
Population: 642 000 (2015)
GNI per capita PPP: $ 1 922 (year)
Ethnic groups: predominantly Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%.
Religions: Christian 95%--more than one-third Anglican, indigenous beliefs 4%.
Languages: English (official, but spoken by only 1%-2%); Melanesian pidgin is lingua franca spoken in much of the islands; 87 indigenous languages.
Literacy: 64%

Natural resources: Fish, forests, palm products (oil and kernels) as well as cocoa, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel.

Exports - commodities: timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa.

Exports - partners: China 61.7%, India 5.9%, Italy 5.9% (2015)

Imports - commodities: food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals.

Imports - partners: Australia 24.7%, China 18.4%, Malaysia 6.3%, Singapore 5.8%, Fiji 4.7%, NZ 4.6%, Papua New Guinea 4.6% (2015)

Currency: Solomon Islands dollar (SBD)

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Official Sites of Solomon Islands


National Parliament of Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands' supreme legislative power.

Ministry of Commerce, Employment & Tourism
The Solomon Islands has been called the last Paradise on Earth, find more information on this site.

Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO)

Solomon Islands High Commission in Canberra, Australia
Provides information on the Solomon Islands for business and leisure.


Stockholm Challenge Award People First Network (2000-2008)
Solomon Islands peace building wireless email network for distance education, farmer's networking, grassroots news, business and market advisory, consultations on constitutional and policing reform, rights awareness women's networking and more.

Intergovernmental organizations:
Pacific Islands Forum
Inter-governmental organization for the cooperation between the countries of the Pacific Ocean.
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
Intergovernmental organization of the Pacific islands.

Maps

Map of Solomon Islands
Political map of Solomon Islands.
Google Earth Google Earth Solomon Islands
Searchable map and satellite view of Solomon Islands.
Google Earth Google Earth Honiara
Searchable map and satellite view of Solomon Islands' capital.

Map of Melanesia
Map of the Island States of Melanesia.
profile Map of Oceania and the Pacific Islands
Reference Map of Oceania and the Pacific Islands.


Malu'u, the village on Malaita, Cape Astolabe, Solomon Islands
Shop in Malu'u, the village is located at the northern tip of Malaita Island at Cape Astolabe, Solomon Islands.
Image: Rob Maccoll for AusAID
 
 
Solomon Island News

Solomon Star
Solomon Island News.

Pacific Islands Report
Pacific Islands related News.
Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation
Island news (only for subscribers).
 

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Arts & Culture


Oceanic Tribal Art : New Hebrides Solomon Vanuatu Art
Suzanne Bastien Melanesian art collections, shows rare objects from the Solomon islands.

 

 

Business & Economy


Central Bank of Solomon Islands
Official website of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands.

Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration
Official website of the ministry.

__Transportation
Airlines

Solomon Airlines
Solomon Islands National Airline.
 
 
 
Travel and Tour Consumer Information


Destination Solomon Islands - Islands Guides


Adventure Solomon Islands: Honiara, Guadalcanal, Charapoana, rain forests, vulcanos.
Accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, cruising, diving, tours and much more.

The Solomon Islands
Official visitors guide to the Solomon Islands.

In And Around Honiara
A small guide to the Solomons capital.

Where to stay
accommodation Options, list of Hotels, Motels, Lodges and resthouses.

Island Hopping
Travel information on the SI Provinces: Western Province and Marovo Lagoon, Guadalcanal, Malaita, Santa Isabel, Choiseul, Rennell and Bellona, Central Province with the islands of Savo, Russells and Nggela, Temotu, Makira, Ulawa.

Dive Gizo
Exotic diving in and around the Solomon Islands.

Tetepare
Site about the island of Tetepare part of the Western Province.

Jane's Solomon Islands Home Page
Jane Resture's Solomon Islands culture and history site.

Finding Solomon Islands
David Stanley's Solomon Islands guide.

South Pacific Tourism Organisation
Inter-governmental body for the tourism sector in the South Pacific Islands, find information on: accommodation, activities, online bookings and news.

Travel advice
Travel advice for the Solomon Islands
Travel advice for the Solomon Islands by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia.


Solomon Islands Indigenous
Group of singers
© Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau
 

Education


Solomon Islands National University
The Solomon Islands National University online.

Solomon Islands Association of Rural Training Centres
The Association's aim is to improve the standard of vocational training in the Solomon Islands, and to seek development partners to help us achieve this.

University of the South Pacific
Premier institution of tertiary education in the Pacific region, jointly owned by the governments of twelve island countries, USP is an international centre of excellence for teaching, research and consulting on all aspects of Pacific life.

University of the South Pacific Libraries
The Main Library of the University of the South Pacific based at Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji.
 
Melanesia Charapoana Island
Charapoana Island
© Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau
 

Environment & Nature

Conservation Activities and Information
About the marine resources of the main archipelago.

WWF Solomon Islands Country Programme
A work in partnership with all stakeholders to protect the natural environment and the rich web of life in Solomon Islands.

South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
The Pacific region's major intergovernmental organisation charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources.
 
Solomon Islands - Clown Fish
 

History

Battle of Guadalcanal
Tour of the WWII Guadalcanal Battlegrounds.
History of the Solomons
Solomon Islands' history by Visit Solomons Tourism website.
History of the Solomon Islands
Wikipedia entry on Solomon Islands' history.
 
 
 

Additional Information on Solomon Islands



Wikipedia: Solomon Islands

The World Factbook -- Solomon Islands
 
 Support UNICEF

Other island territories and states in the South Pacific:
American Samoa | Fiji | Kiribati | New Caledonia | Papua New Guinea | Pitcairn
Samoa | Tahiti | Tonga | Tuvalu | Vanuatu
 
 
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