1924 Original Solomon Islands Photo Shortland Harbor Vintage Islands

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Seller: memorabilia111 ✉️ (808) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 176270374216 1924 ORIGINAL SOLOMON ISLANDS PHOTO SHORTLAND HARBOR VINTAGE ISLANDS. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL 1924 PHOTO MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 6 3/8 X  8 1/4 INCHES OF SOLDIERS AND NATIVES OF SHORTLAND HARBOR, SOLOMON ISLANDS
The Shortland Islands archipelago is part of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, at 6.92°S 155.88°E. The island group lies in the extreme northwest of the country's territory, close to the southeast edge of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea.[1] The largest island in the archipelago is Shortland Island (originally called Alu).[2] Other large islands include Balalae, Faisi, Fauro, Magusaiai, Masamasa, Ovau, Pirumeri and Poporang. Contents 1 Early European involvement 2 World War II 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Early European involvement The island group, and the largest island, were named by Royal Navy officer John Shortland in 1788. Shortland was the naval commander of a 1777–79 voyage by the First Fleet to establish a penal colony at Botany Bay, Australia.[3] Germany later claimed the islands and owned them as part of the North Solomon Islands Protectorate until 1900. World War II On March 30, 1942, Japanese war ships entered Shortland Harbor and landed two special naval landing force platoons and met no resistance. One platoon remained in the area to begin establishing Shortland Harbor Seaplane Base. They established the base, seaplane moorings and fortifications in Tuha Channel and the adjoining land on the southeastern portion of Shortland Island, on Faisi and on the northern portion of Poporang.[4] On the night of 29–30 June 1943, USS Montpelier (CL-57) and three other cruisers bombarded Poporang Island in preparation for the invasion of New Georgia. The Allies considered invading the seaplane base in August 1943, but chose instead to bypass the Shortlands for Bougainville and the Treasury Islands, leaving the Shortlands under Japanese control until the war's end. On 1 November 1943, Montpelier shelled the Japanese defenses on Poporang and Balalae. On 8 January 1944, an Allied force of two light cruisers and five destroyers bombarded the installations on Faisi, Poporang, and Shortland Island.[5] In March 1944, planes from the USAAF's 70th Fighter Squadron used reconnaissance photographs taken by the 17th Reconnaissance Squadron to strike the seaplane base, claiming eight float planes and an IJN destroyer.[6] On 20 May 1944, Montpelier received light damage from return fire when she and two other light cruisers, along with eight destroyers, bombarded shore installations on Shortland, Poporang, and Magusaiai Islands.[5] On 1 October 1944, the US Navy's Special Air Task Force (SATFOR)[7] launched four TDR drones on antiaircraft gun positions on Poporang and Balalae.[5] The Shortland Islands lie in the extreme north of Solomon Islands, just south and in sight of Bougainville (q.v.) in Papua New Guinea. The largest island is named Shortland (or Alu); others include Ovau, Pirumeri, Magusaiai, Fauro and Ballale. Lieutenant John Shortland named them in 1788. Several early explorers passed near them, such as D'Entrecasteaux in 1792. Ships passing from New South Wales to Asia after 1788 sometimes passed through Bougainville Strait between the Shortlands and Choiseul. The present inhabitants are descended from people from Mono in the nearby Treasury Islands, who led by Poreesi invaded Shortland (Alu) and Fauro about six or seven generations ago. Some of the inhabitants fled to Buin on the south coast of Bougainville and the Mono invaders intermarried with other local people. There was a strong chiefly system in place and in the second half of the nineteenth century 'Big' Joni Gorai (q.v.) was the dominant chief of Alu, and had one hundred wives, but Bagara from Mono wanted to rule supreme over both island groups and control trade in iron goods with whalers and traders seeking turtle shell, as well as that in the shells needed to make shell valuables. Ceremonial killings to launch new canoes were common and fratricidal warfare became excessive. Gorai made an alliance with local traders such as the McDonald family, who had settled in the Shortlands in 1886, and allowed his daughter Tanutanu Galaga to marry a son of John C. McDonald. When she died in childbirth it caused the McDonalds difficulties. (Allan 1989, pt. 1, 29; Bennett 1987, 37, 60; Oliver 1955) The Germans claimed the islands in 1886 and they remained within German New Guinea (q.v.) until 1899 when, along with the north of the Solomon Archipelago down as far as Isabel Island, they were transferred to the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. The Catholic Mission on Bougainville opened a base in the Shortlands in 1898 and the Methodist Mission from Roviana Lagoon in New Georgia arrived a few years later. HMS Torch raised the British flag there in 1900. During the years of German control, the largely British-origin planter families (McDonald, Tindal, and Atkinson) dealt financially with the company of Eduard Hernsheim from Rabaul. Burns Philp & Co. (q.v.) took over Hernsheim's mortgages in the Shortlands and in the 1900s gained control of the local plantations and the area's best harbour, Faisai. The Shortlands men participated little in the indentured labour trade, probably because they could obtain trade goods easily and locally. Only twelve went to Queensland in the 1870s and 1880s (Price with Baker 1976), and there is no record of any going to Fiji. (Siegel 1985) Many did work on local plantations during the twentieth century. The Protectorate opened a new station at Faisai in 1906 under Resident Magistrate N. S. Heffernan until 1911, William Bell took over for several months in 1911-1912, and several other officers occupied the position before the war. District Medical Officer Dr Nathaniel Crichlow (q.v.) was also based at the Shortlands for many years and used it as a base from which to supervise plantation labour in the Western Solomons. At the beginning of the Second World War, the Shortlands had many plantations: Kamaleai (Laminiai), Harapa, Saeghangmono, Laomona, Taukuna, Kokonai, Kepiai, Lagugu, Lofang, Nila, Alu (Tapokai), Tuial, Bambagiai, Orlofi, Faisi and Parolang, Purupuru and Sivilou all on or contiguous with Stortland (Alu) Island; Balalai, Munia and Nusave between Shortland and Fauro Islands; Piru on Piru Island to the east of Fauro Island; and Sinasoro on Fauro Island. (Bennett 1987, 64, 114, 129; Golden 1993, 350-354) The Japanese took over the Shortland Islands on 13 March 1942, and set up a seaplane base at Faisi and an airfield on Ballala Island. Faisi became the headquarters for the Japanese 8th Fleet and five thousand men were garrisoned there. The Allies considered invading in August 1943, but chose instead to bypass the Shortlands for Bougainville and the Treasury Islands, and the Japanese controlled the Shortland Islands until war's end. After the war, the Shortlands was re-established as a leading copra producing area. They were part of the Western District, and from 1978 Western Province. Solomon Islands is a sovereign state consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania lying to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu and covering a land area of 28,400 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi).The country has a population of 652,858 [7] and its capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the North Solomon Islands (a part of Papua New Guinea), but excludes outlying islands, such as Rennell and Bellona, and the Santa Cruz Islands. In 1568, the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña was the first European to visit them, naming them the Islas Salomón.[8] Britain defined its area of interest in the Solomon Islands archipelago in June 1893, when Captain Gibson R.N., of HMS Curacoa, declared the southern Solomon Islands a British protectorate.[9][10] During World War II, the Solomon Islands campaign (1942–1945) saw fierce fighting between the United States, Commonwealth forces and the Empire of Japan, such as in the Battle of Guadalcanal. The official name of the then British administration was changed from the British Solomon Islands Protectorate to the Solomon Islands in 1975, and self-government was achieved the following year. Independence was obtained, and the name changed to just "Solomon Islands" (without the definite article), in 1978. At independence, Solomon Islands became a constitutional monarchy. The Queen of Solomon Islands is Elizabeth II, represented by the Governor-General. Contents 1 Name 2 History 2.1 Early history 2.2 European contact (1568) 2.3 Second World War and post-war era 2.4 Independence (1978) 2.5 Ethnic violence (1998–2003) 2.6 Earthquakes 3 Politics 3.1 Judiciary 3.2 Foreign relations 3.3 Military 3.4 Administrative divisions 3.5 Human rights 4 Geography 4.1 Climate 4.2 Ecology 4.3 Water and sanitation 5 Economy 5.1 Energy 6 Infrastructure 6.1 Flight connections 6.2 Roads 6.3 Ferries 7 Demographics 7.1 Ethnic groups 7.2 Languages 7.3 Religion 7.4 Health 7.5 Education 8 Culture 8.1 Gender inequality and domestic violence 8.2 Literature 8.3 Media 8.4 Music 8.5 Sport 9 See also 10 References 11 External links Name In 1568, the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña was the first European to visit the Solomon Islands archipelago, naming it Islas Salomón ("Solomon Islands") after the wealthy biblical King Solomon.[8] It is said that they were given this name in the mistaken assumption that they contained great riches,[11] and he believed them to be the Bible-mentioned city of Ophir.[12] During most of the colonial period the territory’s official name was “British Solomon Islands Protectorate” until 1975 when it was changed to “Solomon Islands”.[13][14] The definite article, "the", is not part of the country's official name but is sometimes used, both within and outside the country. Colloquially, and during the Solomon Islands campaign, the islands are (were) referred to simply as "the Solomons".[15] History Main article: History of Solomon Islands Early history It is believed that Papuan-speaking settlers began to arrive around 30,000 BC.[16] Austronesian speakers arrived c. 4000 BC also bringing cultural elements such as the outrigger canoe. Between 1200 and 800 BC the ancestors of the Polynesians, the Lapita people, arrived from the Bismarck Archipelago with their characteristic ceramics.[17] European contact (1568) Main articles: German New Guinea, British Western Pacific Territories, and British Solomon Islands Solomon Island warriors, armed with spears, on board an ornamented war canoe (1895) The first European to visit the islands was the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, coming from Peru in 1568. Some of the earliest and most regular foreign visitors to the islands were whaling vessels from Britain, the United States and Australia.[18] They came for food, wood and water from late in the 18th century and, later, took aboard islanders to serve as crewmen on their ships.[19] Relations between the islanders and visiting seamen was not always good and sometimes there was violence and bloodshed.[20] Missionaries began visiting the Solomons in the mid-19th century. They made little progress at first, because "blackbirding" (the often brutal recruitment or kidnapping of labourers for the sugar plantations in Queensland and Fiji) led to a series of reprisals and massacres. The evils of the slave trade prompted the United Kingdom to declare a protectorate over the southern Solomons in June 1893.[21] In 1898 and 1899, more outlying islands were added to the protectorate; in 1900 the remainder of the archipelago, an area previously under German jurisdiction, was transferred to British administration, apart from the islands of Buka and Bougainville, which remained under German administration as part of German New Guinea. Traditional trade and social intercourse between the western Solomon Islands of Mono and Alu (the Shortlands) and the traditional societies in the south of Bougainville, however, continued without hindrance. Missionaries settled in the Solomons under the protectorate, converting most of the population to Christianity. In the early 20th century several British and Australian firms began large-scale coconut planting. Economic growth was slow, however, and the islanders benefited little. Journalist Joe Melvin visited in 1892, as part of his undercover investigation into blackbirding. In 1908 the islands were visited by Jack London, who was cruising the Pacific on his boat, the Snark. Second World War and post-war era From 1942 until the end of 1943, the Solomon Islands were the scene of several major land, sea and air battles between the Allies and the Japanese Empire's armed forces. Tens of thousands of Allied and Japanese combatants as well as local civilians lost their lives as a result of the conflict. The Guadalcanal (1942-1943) and New Georgia campaigns (1943) were turning points in the Pacific War, stopping and then countering the Japanese advance. The Islands became one of the major staging areas in the South Pacific. Coastwatchers from the Solomon Islands played a major role in providing intelligence and rescuing other Allied servicemen. U.S. Admiral William Halsey, the commander of Allied forces during the Battle for Guadalcanal, recognized the coastwatchers' contributions by stating "The coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal and Guadalcanal saved the South Pacific."[22] Around 3,200 men served in the Solomon Islands Labour Corps during the war and their exposure to Americans led to several social and political transformations. The Pijin language was heavily influenced by the communication between Americans and the Islands inhabitants. Ideas about self-determination and class consciousness took hold and several former members of the Labour Corps formed the anti-colonial Maasina Rule movement after the war. Massina Rule would go on to play a major role during the post-war period when political unrest in Malaita and elsewhere led to the colonial government's 1952 reforms in which local government councils, regular elections and universal adult suffrage were all established.[23] The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) under aerial attack during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons   American Marines rest during the 1942 Guadalcanal Campaign.   American forces landing at Rendova Island   The Cactus Air Force at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal in October 1942.   The coastwatcher Jacob C. Vouza on Guadalcanal. Independence (1978) In addition to the 1952 establishment of local councils, a new constitution was established in 1970 and elections were held, although the constitution was contested and a new one was created in 1974. In 1973 the first oil price shock occurred, and the increased cost of running a colony became apparent to British administrators. Following the independence of neighbouring Papua New Guinea from Australia in 1975, the Solomon Islands gained self-government in 1976. Under the terms of the Solomon Islands Act 1978 the country was annexed to Her Majesty’s dominions and granted independence on 7 July 1978. The first Prime Minister was Sir Peter Kenilorea. Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands Independence Ceremony on 7 July 1978   The Five Dollar Proof Coin   The Five Dollar Proof Coin of the Solomon Islands 24 October 1977 Ethnic violence (1998–2003) Commonly referred to as the tensions or the ethnic tension, the initial civil unrest was mainly characterised by fighting between the Isatabu Freedom Movement (also known as the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army) and the Malaita Eagle Force (as well as the Marau Eagle Force). (Although much of the conflict was between Guales and Malaitans, Kabutaulaka (2001)[24] and Dinnen (2002) argue that the 'ethnic conflict' label is an oversimplification.) In late 1998, militants on the island of Guadalcanal began a campaign of intimidation and violence towards Malaitan settlers. During the next year, thousands of Malaitans fled back to Malaita or to the capital, Honiara (which, although situated on Guadalcanal, is predominantly populated by Malaitans and Solomon Islanders from other provinces). In 1999, the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF) was established in response. The reformist government of Bartholomew Ulufa'alu struggled to respond to the complexities of this evolving conflict. In late 1999, the government declared a four-month state of emergency. There were also a number of attempts at reconciliation but to no avail. Ulufa'alu also requested assistance from Australia and New Zealand in 1999 but his appeal was rejected. In the June 2000 coup d'état, Ulufa'alu was kidnapped by militia members of the MEF who felt that, although he was a Malaitan, he was not doing enough to protect their interests. Ulufa'alu subsequently resigned in exchange for his release. Manasseh Sogavare, who had earlier been Finance Minister in Ulufa'alu's government but had subsequently joined the opposition, was elected as Prime Minister by 23–21 over the Rev. Leslie Boseto. However, Sogavare's election was immediately shrouded in controversy because six MPs (thought to be supporters of Boseto) were unable to attend parliament for the crucial vote (Moore 2004, n.5 on p. 174). In October 2000, the Townsville Peace Agreement[25] was signed by the Malaita Eagle Force, elements of the IFM, and the Solomon Islands Government. This was closely followed by the Marau Peace agreement in February 2001, signed by the Marau Eagle Force, the Isatabu Freedom Movement, the Guadalcanal Provincial Government, and the Solomon Islands Government. However, a key Guale militant leader, Harold Keke, refused to sign the agreement, causing a split with the Guale groups. Subsequently, Guale signatories to the agreement led by Andrew Te'e joined with the Malaitan-dominated police to form the 'Joint Operations Force'. During the next two years the conflict moved to the Weathercoast of Guadalcanal as the Joint Operations unsuccessfully attempted to capture Keke and his group. New elections in December 2001 brought Allan Kemakeza into the Prime Minister's chair with the support of his People's Alliance Party and the Association of Independent Members. Law and order deteriorated as the nature of the conflict shifted: there was continuing violence on the Weathercoast while militants in Honiara increasingly turned their attention to crime and extortion. The Department of Finance would often be surrounded by armed men when funding was due to arrive. In December 2002, Finance Minister Laurie Chan resigned after being forced at gunpoint to sign a cheque made out to some of the militants. Conflict also broke out in Western Province between locals and Malaitan settlers. Renegade members of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) were invited in as a protection force but ended up causing as much trouble as they prevented. The prevailing atmosphere of lawlessness, widespread extortion, and ineffective police prompted a formal request by the Solomon Islands Government for outside help. With the country bankrupt and the capital in chaos, the request was unanimously supported in Parliament. In July 2003, Australian and Pacific Island police and troops arrived in Solomon Islands under the auspices of the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). A sizeable international security contingent of 2,200 police and troops, led by Australia and New Zealand, and with representatives from about 20 other Pacific nations, began arriving the next month under Operation Helpem Fren. Since this time some commentators have considered the country a failed state.[26] However, other academics argue that rather than being a 'failed state', it is an unformed state: a state that never consolidated even after decades of independence.[27] In April 2006, allegations that the newly elected Prime Minister Snyder Rini had used bribes from Chinese businessmen to buy the votes of members of Parliament led to mass rioting in the capital Honiara. A deep underlying resentment against the minority Chinese business community led to much of Chinatown in the city being destroyed.[28] Tensions were also increased by the belief that large sums of money were being exported to China. China sent chartered aircraft to evacuate hundreds of Chinese who fled to avoid the riots. Evacuation of Australian and British citizens was on a much smaller scale. Additional Australian, New Zealand and Fijian police and troops were dispatched to try to quell the unrest. Rini eventually resigned before facing a motion of no-confidence in Parliament, and Parliament elected Manasseh Sogavare as Prime Minister. Earthquakes Main articles: 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake and 2013 Solomon Islands earthquake On 2 April 2007 at 07:39:56 local time (UTC+11) an earthquake with magnitude 8.1 occurred at hypocenter S8.453 E156.957, 349 kilometres (217 miles) northwest of the island's capital, Honiara and south-east of the capital of Western Province, Gizo, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).[29] More than 44 aftershocks with magnitude 5.0 or greater occurred up until 22:00:00 UTC, Wednesday, 4 April 2007. A tsunami followed killing at least 52 people, destroying more than 900 homes and leaving thousands of people homeless.[30] Land upthrust extended the shoreline of one island, Ranongga, by up to 70 metres (230 ft) exposing many once pristine coral reefs.[31] On 6 February 2013, an earthquake with magnitude of 8.0 occurred at epicentre S10.80 E165.11 in the Santa Cruz Islands followed by a tsunami up to 1.5 metres. At least nine people were killed and many houses demolished. The main quake was preceded by a sequence of earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 6.0. Politics Main article: Politics of Solomon Islands Solomon Islands' National Parliament building was a gift from the United States. Ministry of the Interior Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary system of government. As Queen of Solomon Islands, Elizabeth II is head of state; she is represented by the Governor-General who is chosen by the Parliament for a five-year term. There is a unicameral parliament of 50 members, elected for four-year terms. However, Parliament may be dissolved by majority vote of its members before the completion of its term. Parliamentary representation is based on single-member constituencies. Suffrage is universal for citizens over age 21.[32] The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is elected by Parliament and chooses the cabinet. Each ministry is headed by a cabinet member, who is assisted by a permanent secretary, a career public servant who directs the staff of the ministry. Solomon Islands governments are characterised by weak political parties (see List of political parties in Solomon Islands) and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. They are subject to frequent votes of no confidence, leading to frequent changes in government leadership and cabinet appointments. Land ownership is reserved for Solomon Islanders. The law provides that resident expatriates, such as the Chinese and Kiribati, may obtain citizenship through naturalisation. Land generally is still held on a family or village basis and may be handed down from mother or father according to local custom. The islanders are reluctant to provide land for nontraditional economic undertakings, and this has resulted in continual disputes over land ownership. No military forces are maintained by Solomon Islands although a police force of nearly 500 includes a border protection unit. The police also are responsible for fire service, disaster relief, and maritime surveillance. The police force is headed by a commissioner, appointed by the governor-general and responsible to the prime minister. On 27 December 2006, the Solomon Islands Government took steps to prevent the country's Australian police chief from returning to the Pacific nation. On 12 January 2007, Australia replaced its top diplomat expelled from Solomon Islands for political interference in a conciliatory move aimed at easing a four-month dispute between the two countries. On 13 December 2007, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare was toppled by a vote of no confidence in Parliament,[33] following the defection of five ministers to the opposition. It was the first time a prime minister had lost office in this way in Solomon Islands. On 20 December, Parliament elected the opposition's candidate (and former Minister for Education) Derek Sikua as Prime Minister, in a vote of 32 to 15.[34][35] Judiciary Main article: Judiciary of Solomon Islands The Governor General appoints the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The Governor General appoints the other justices with the advice of a judicial commission. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (based in the United Kingdom) serves as the highest appellate court.[contradictory] The current Chief Justice is Sir Albert Palmer. Since March 2014 Justice Edwin Goldsbrough has served as the President of the Court of Appeal for Solomon Islands. Justice Goldsbrough has previously served a five-year term as a Judge of the High Court of Solomon Islands (2006–2011). Justice Edwin Goldsbrough then served as the Chief Justice of the Turks and Caicos Islands.[36] Foreign relations Main article: Foreign relations of Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare meets with Republic of China (Taiwan) President Tsai Ing-wen in July 2016 Solomon Islands is a member of the United Nations, Interpol, Commonwealth, Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Community, International Monetary Fund, and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries (ACP) (Lomé Convention). Until September 2019, it was one of the few countries to recognise the Republic of China (Taiwan) and maintain formal diplomatic relations with the latter.[37] Relations with Papua New Guinea, which had become strained because of an influx of refugees from the Bougainville rebellion and attacks on the northern islands of Solomon Islands by elements pursuing Bougainvillean rebels, have been repaired. A 1998 peace accord on Bougainville removed the armed threat, and the two nations regularised border operations in a 2004 agreement.[citation needed] In March 2017, at the 34th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, Vanuatu made a joint statement on behalf of Solomon Islands and some other Pacific nations raising human rights violations in the Western New Guinea, which has been occupied by Indonesia since 1963,[38] and requested that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights produce a report.[39][40] Indonesia rejected Vanuatu's allegations.[40] More than 100,000 Papuans have died during a 50-year Papua conflict.[41] In September 2017, at the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, the Prime Ministers of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu once again raised human rights abuses in Indonesian-occupied West Papua.[42] Military Although the locally recruited British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force was part of Allied Forces taking part in fighting in the Solomons during the Second World War, the country has not had any regular military forces since independence. The various paramilitary elements of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) were disbanded and disarmed in 2003 following the intervention of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). RAMSI has a small military detachment headed by an Australian commander with responsibilities for assisting the police element of RAMSI in internal and external security. The RSIPF still operates two Pacific class patrol boats (RSIPV Auki and RSIPV Lata), which constitute the de facto navy of Solomon Islands. In the long term, it is anticipated that the RSIPF will resume the defence role of the country. The police force is headed by a commissioner, appointed by the governor general and responsible to the Minister of Police, National Security & Correctional Services. The police budget of Solomon Islands has been strained due to a four-year civil war. Following Cyclone Zoe's strike on the islands of Tikopia and Anuta in December 2002, Australia had to provide the Solomon Islands government with 200,000 Solomon dollars ($50,000 Australian) for fuel and supplies for the patrol boat Lata to sail with relief supplies. (Part of the work of RAMSI includes assisting the Solomon Islands government to stabilise its budget.) Administrative divisions Main article: Provinces of Solomon Islands For local government, the country is divided into ten administrative areas, of which nine are provinces administered by elected provincial assemblies and the tenth is the capital Honiara, administered by the Honiara Town Council. # Province Capital Premier Area (km²) Population census 1999 Population per km² (2009) Population census 2009 1 Central Province Tulagi Patrick Vasuni 615 21,577 42.4 26,051 2 Choiseul Province Taro Island Jackson Kiloe 3,837 20,008 6.9 26,371 3 Guadalcanal Province[1] Honiara Anthony Veke 5,336 60,275 17.5 93,613 4 Isabel Province Buala James Habu 4,136 20,421 6.3 26,158 5 Makira-Ulawa Province Kirakira Stanley Siapu 3,188 31,006 12.7 40,419 6 Malaita Province Auki Peter Ramohia 4,225 122,620 32.6 137,596 7 Rennell and Bellona Province Tigoa George Tuhaika 671 2,377 4.5 3,041 8 Temotu Province Lata Fr. Charles Brown Beu 895 18,912 23.9 21,362 9 Western Province Gizo David Gina 5,475 62,739 14.0 76,649 – Capital Territory Honiara Mua (Mayor) 22 49,107 2,936.8 64,609   Solomon Islands Honiara – 28,400 409,042 14.7 515,870 [1] excluding the Capital Territory of Honiara Human rights See also: Human rights in Solomon Islands There are human rights concerns and issues in regards to education, water, sanitation, women, and domestic violence. Homosexuality is illegal in Solomon Islands.[43] Geography This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Main article: Geography of Solomon Islands UNESCO declared East Rennell World Heritage Site in 1998. Aerial view of Solomon Islands. Malaita island Solomon Islands is an island nation that lies east of Papua New Guinea and consists of many islands: Choiseul, the Shortland Islands; the New Georgia Islands; Santa Isabel; the Russell Islands; Nggela (the Florida Islands); Malaita; Guadalcanal; Sikaiana; Maramasike; Ulawa; Uki; Makira (San Cristobal); Santa Ana; Rennell and Bellona; the Santa Cruz Islands and the remote, tiny outliers, Tikopia, Anuta, and Fatutaka. The country's islands lie between latitudes 5° and 13°S, and longitudes 155° and 169°E. The distance between the westernmost and easternmost islands is about 1,500 kilometres (930 mi). The Santa Cruz Islands (of which Tikopia is part) are situated north of Vanuatu and are especially isolated at more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) from the other islands. Bougainville is geographically part of the Solomon Islands archipelago but politically part of Papua New Guinea. Climate The islands' ocean-equatorial climate is extremely humid throughout the year, with a mean temperature of 26.5 °C (79.7 °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 3,050 millimetres (120 in). Ecology The Solomon Islands archipelago is part of two distinct terrestrial ecoregions. Most of the islands are part of the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion, which also includes the islands of Bougainville and Buka; these forests have come under pressure from forestry activities. The Santa Cruz Islands are part of the Vanuatu rain forests ecoregion, together with the neighbouring archipelago of Vanuatu. Soil quality ranges from extremely rich volcanic (there are volcanoes 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. Mammals are scarce on the islands, with the only terrestrial mammals being bats and small rodents. Birds and reptiles, however, are abundant.[citation needed] The islands contain several active and dormant volcanoes. The Tinakula and Kavachi volcanoes are the most active. Water and sanitation Solomon Islands government information poster in Pijin language, from the mid-1970s See also: Human rights in Solomon Islands Scarcity of fresh water sources and lack of sanitation has been a constant challenge facing Solomon Islands. Reducing the number of those living without access to fresh water and sanitation by half was one of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) implemented by the United Nations through Goal 7, to ensure environmental sustainability.[44] Though the islands generally have access to fresh water sources, it is typically only available in the state's capital of Honiara,[44] and it is not guaranteed all year long. According to a UNICEF report, even the capital's poorest communities do not have access to adequate places to relieve their waste, and an estimated 70% Solomon Island schools have no access to safe and clean water for drinking, washing and relieving of waste.[44] Lack of safe drinking water in school-age children results in high risks of contracting fatal diseases such as cholera and typhoid.[45] The number of Solomon Islanders living with piped drinking water has been decreasing since 2011, while those living with non-piped water increased between 2000 and 2010. Nevertheless, one improvement is that those living with non-piped water has been decreasing consistently since 2011.[46] In addition, the Solomon Islands Second Rural Development Program, enacted in 2014 and active until 2020, has been working to deliver competent infrastructure and other vital services to rural areas and villages of the Solomon Islands,[47] which suffer the most from lack of safe drinking water and proper sanitation. Through improved infrastructure, services and resources, the program has also encouraged farmers and other agricultural sectors, through community-driven efforts, to connect them to the market, thus promoting economic growth.[45] Rural villages such as Bolava, found in the Western Province of Solomon Islands, have benefited greatly from the program, with the implementation of water tanks and rain catchment and water storage systems.[45] Not only has the improved infrastructure increased the quality of life in Solomon Islands, the services are also operated and developed by the community, thus creating a sense of communal pride and achievement among those previously living in hazardous conditions. The program is funded by various international development actors such as the World Bank, European Union, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Australian and Solomon Islands governments.[45] Economy Main article: Economy of Solomon Islands This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Plantation of oil palms near Tetere on Guadalcanal Subsistence agriculture near Honiara One of the most important roads on the North coast of Guadalcanal in Tamboko Solomon Islands' per-capita GDP of $600 ranks it as a lesser developed nation, and more than 75% of its labour force is engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. Only 3.9% of the area of the islands are used for agriculture, and 78.1% are covered by forests making the Solomon Islands the 103th ranked country covered by forests worldwide.[48] Export 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. In the wake of the ethnic violence in June 2000, exports of palm oil and gold ceased while exports of timber fell. Recently,[when?] Solomon Islands 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 resulted in criticism from both Australia and New Zealand as well as several conservation organisations. Agriculture Other important cash crops and exports include copra, cacao and palm oil. In 2017 317,682 tons of coconuts were harvested making the country the 18th ranked producer of coconuts worldwide, and 24% of the exports corresponded to copra.[49] Cocoa beans are mainly grown on the islands Guadalcanal, Makira and Malaita. In 2017 4,940 tons of cocoa beans were harvested making the Solomon Islands the 27th ranked producer of cocoa worldwide.[50] Growth of production and export of copra and cacao, however, is hampered by old age of most coconut and cacao trees. In 2017 285,721 tons of palm oil were produced,making Solomon Islands the 24th ranked producer of palm oil worldwide.[51] The agriculture on the Solomon Islands is hampered by a very severe lack of agricultural machines. For the local market but not for export many families grow taro (2017: 45,901 tons),[52] rice (2017: 2,789 tons),[53] yams (2017: 44,940 tons)[54] and bananas (2017: 313 tons).[55] Tobacco (2017: 118 tons)[56] and spices (2017: 217 tons).[57] are grown for the local market as well. Mining In 1998 gold mining began at Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal. Minerals exploration in other areas continued.The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. Negotiations are underway that may lead to the eventual reopening of the Gold Ridge mine which was closed after the riots in 2006. Fisheries Solomon Islands' fisheries also offer prospects for export and domestic economic expansion. 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. Tourism Tourism, particularly diving, could become an important service industry for Solomon Islands. Tourism growth, however, is hampered by lack of infrastructure and transportation limitations. In 2017 the Solomon Islands were visited by 26,000 tourists making the country one of the least frequently-visited countries of the world.[58] The Government hopes to increase the number of tourists up to 30,000 by the end of 2019 and up to 60,000 tourists per year by the end of 2025.[59] Currency The Solomon Islands dollar (ISO 4217 code: SBD) was introduced in 1977, replacing the Australian dollar at par. Its symbol is "SI$", but the "SI" prefix may be omitted if there is no confusion with other currencies also using the dollar sign "$". It is subdivided into 100 cents. Local shell money is still important for traditional and ceremonial purposes in certain provinces and, in some remote parts of the country, for trade. Shell money was a widely used traditional currency in the Pacific Islands, in Solomon Islands, it is mostly manufactured in Malaita and Guadalcanal but can be bought elsewhere, such as the Honiara Central Market.[60] The barter system often replaces money of any kind in remote areas. The Solomon Islands Government was insolvent by 2002. Since the RAMSI intervention in 2003, the government has recast its budget. 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 Taiwan. Energy A team of renewable energy developers working for the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and funded by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), have developed a scheme that allows local communities to access renewable energy, such as solar, water and wind power, without the need to raise substantial sums of cash. Under the scheme, islanders who are unable to pay for solar lanterns in cash may pay instead in kind with crops.[61] Infrastructure Flight connections Solomon Airlines connects Honiara to Nadi in Fiji, Port Vila in Vanuatu and Brisbane in Australia as well as to more than 20 domestic airports in each province of the country. To promote tourism Solomon Airlines introduced a weekly direct flight connection between Brisbane and Munda in 2019.[62] Virgin Australia connects Honiara to Brisbane twice a week. Most of the domestic airports are accessible to small planes only as they have short, grass runways. Roads The road system in Solomon Islands is insufficient and there are no railways. The most important roads connect Honiara to Lambi (58 km) in the western part of Guadalcanal and to Aola (75 km) in the eastern part.[63] There are few buses and these do not circulate according to a fixed timetable. In Honiara there is no bus terminus. The most important bus stop is in front of the Central Market. Ferries Most of the islands can be reached by ferry from Honiara. There is a daily connection from Honiara to Auki via Tulagi by a high speed catamaran. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Solomon Islands Population[3][4] Year Million 1950 0.09 2000 0.4 2018 0.7 As of 2018, there were 652,857 people in Solomon Islands.[3][4] Ethnic groups Ethnic Groups in The Solomon Islands Ethnic Groups percent Melanesian   95.3% Polynesian   3.1% Micronesian   1.2% Chinese   0.1% European   0.1% Other   0.1% Solomon Islander boys from Honiara. People with brown or blond hair are quite common among Solomon Islander without any European admixture, especially among children. The majority of Solomon Islanders are ethnically Melanesian (95.3%). Polynesian (3.1%) and Micronesian (1.2%) are the two other significant groups.[64] There are a few thousand ethnic Chinese.[28] Languages Further information: Languages of Solomon Islands While English is the official language, only 1–2% of the population are able to communicate fluently in English. However, an English creole, Solomons Pijin, is a de facto lingua franca of the country spoken by the majority of the population, along with local tribal languages. Pijin is closely related to Tok Pisin spoken in Papua New Guinea. The number of local languages listed for Solomon Islands is 74, of which 70 are living languages and 4 are extinct, according to Ethnologue, Languages of the World.[65] Melanesian languages (predominantly of the Southeast Solomonic group) are spoken on the central islands. Polynesian languages are spoken on Rennell and Bellona to the south, Tikopia, Anuta and Fatutaka to the far east, Sikaiana to the north east, and Luaniua to the north (Ontong Java Atoll, also known as Lord Howe Atoll). The immigrant population of Gilbertese (i-Kiribati) speaks a Micronesian language. Religion Main article: Religion in Solomon Islands Catholic Church in Tanagai on Guadalcanal The religion of Solomon Islands is mainly Christian (comprising about 92% of the population). The main Christian denominations are: the Anglican Church of Melanesia (35%), Roman Catholic (19%), South Seas Evangelical Church (17%), United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (11%) and Seventh-day Adventist (10%). Other Christian denominations are Jehovah's Witnesses, New Apostolic Church (80 churches) and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Another 5% adhere to aboriginal beliefs. The remaining adhere to Islam, the Baha'i Faith. According to the most recent reports, Islam in Solomon Islands is made up of approximately 350 Muslims,[66] including members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.[67] Health Female life expectancy at birth was at 66.7 years and male life expectancy at birth at 64.9 in 2007.[68] 1990–1995 fertility rate was at 5.5 births per woman.[68] Government expenditure on health per capita was at US$99 (PPP).[68] Healthy life expectancy at birth is at 60 years.[68] Blond hair occurs in 10% of the population in the islands.[69] After years of questions, studies have resulted in the better understanding of the blond gene. The findings show that the blond hair trait is due to an amino acid change of protein TYRP1.[70] This accounts for the highest occurrence of blond hair outside of European influence in the world.[71] While 10% of Solomon Islanders display the blond phenotype, about 26% of the population carry the recessive trait for it as well.[72] Education Children at the school in Tuo village, Fenualoa Kindergarten in Honiara School in Tanagai on Guadalcanal Education in Solomon Islands is not compulsory, and only 60 percent of school-age children have access to primary education.[73][74] There are kindergartens in various places, e.g. in the capital, but they are not free. Campus of the University of the South Pacific in Honiara From 1990 to 1994, the gross primary school enrolment rose from 84.5 percent to 96.6 percent.[73] Primary school attendance rates were unavailable for Solomon Islands as of 2001.[73] While enrolment rates indicate a level of commitment to education, they do not always reflect children's participation in school.[73] The Department of Education and Human Resource Development efforts and plans to expand educational facilities and increase enrolment. However, these actions have been hindered by a lack of government funding, misguided teacher training programs, poor co-ordination of programs, and a failure of the government to pay teachers.[73] The percentage of the government's budget allocated to education was 9.7 percent in 1998, down from 13.2 percent in 1990.[73] Male educational attainment tends to be higher than female educational attainment.[74] The University of the South Pacific has a Campus at Guadalcanal as a foothold in the country while this University has established by Papua New Guinea.[75] The literacy rate of the adult population amounted to 84.1% in 2015 (men 88,9%, women 79,23%).[76] Culture Main article: Culture of Solomon Islands Traditional painting and wood carving in the National Museum in Honiara The culture of Solomon Islands reflects the extent of the differentiation and diversity among the groups living within the Solomon Islands archipelago, which lies within Melanesia in the Pacific Ocean, with the peoples distinguished by island, language, topography, and geography. The cultural area includes the nation state of Solomon Islands and the Bougainville Island, which is a part of Papua New Guinea.[77] Solomon Islands includes some culturally Polynesian societies which lie outside the main region of Polynesian influence, known as the Polynesian Triangle. There are seven Polynesian outliers within the Solomon Islands: Anuta, Bellona, Ontong Java, Rennell, Sikaiana, Tikopia, and Vaeakau-Taumako. Solomon Islands arts and crafts cover a wide range of woven objects, carved wood, stone and shell artefacts in styles specific to different provinces. : Laundry Basket   Carved fish   Bukhaware trays   Carved dish inlaid with mother-of-pearl   Carved Longboat   Gnusu Gnusu Heads   Salad Bowl and serving spoon and fork   Wooden religious objects in front of All Saints' Church, Honiara Gender inequality and domestic violence Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates of family and sexual violence (FSV) in the world, with 64% of women aged 15–49 having reported physical and/or sexual abuse by a partner.[78] As per a World Health Organization (WHO) report issued in 2011, "the causes of Gender Based Violence (GBV) are multiple, but it primarily stems from gender inequality and its manifestations."[79] The report stated: "In Solomon Islands, GBV has been largely normalized: 73% of men and 73% of women believe violence against women is justifiable, especially for infidelity and 'disobedience,' as when women do 'not live up to the gender roles that society imposes.' For example, women who believed they could occasionally refuse sex were four times more likely to experience GBV from an intimate partner. Men cited acceptability of violence and gender inequality as two main reasons for GBV, and almost all of them reported hitting their female partners as a 'form of discipline,' suggesting that women could improve the situation by '[learning] to obey [them].'" Another manifestation and driver of gender inequality in Solomon Islands is the traditional practice of bride price. Although specific customs vary between communities, paying a bride price is considered similar to a property title, giving men ownership over women. Gender norms of masculinity tend to encourage men to "control" their wives, often through violence, while women felt that bride prices prevented them from leaving men. Another report issued by the WHO in 2013 painted a similarly grim picture.[80] In 2014, Solomon Islands officially launched the Family Protection Act 2014, which was aimed at curbing domestic violence in the country.[81] While numerous other interventions are being developed and implemented in the healthcare system as well as the criminal justice system, these interventions are still in their infancy and have largely stemmed from Western protocols. Therefore, for these models to be effective, time and commitment is needed to change the cultural perception of domestic violence in Solomon Islands.[78] Literature Further information: Solomon Islands literature Writers from Solomon Islands include the novelists Rexford Orotaloa and John Saunana and the poet Jully Makini. Media Newspapers There is one daily newspaper, the Solomon Star, one daily online news website, Solomon Times Online (www.solomontimes.com), two weekly papers, Solomons Voice and Solomon Times, and two monthly papers, Agrikalsa Nius and the Citizen's Press. Radio Radio is the most influential type of media in Solomon Islands due to language differences, illiteracy,[82] and the difficulty of receiving television signals in some parts of the country. The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) operates public radio services, including the national stations Radio Happy Isles 1037 on the dial and Wantok FM 96.3, and the provincial stations Radio Happy Lagoon and, formerly, Radio Temotu. There are two commercial FM stations, Z FM at 99.5 in Honiara but receivable over a large majority of island out from Honiara, and, PAOA FM at 97.7 in Honiara (also broadcasting on 107.5 in Auki), and, one community FM radio station, Gold Ridge FM on 88.7. Television There are no TV services that cover the entire Solomon Islands but are available in six main centres in four of the nine Provinces. Satellite TV stations can be received. In Honiara, there is a free-to-air HD digital, analogue TV and online service called Telekom Television Limited, operated by Solomon Telekom Co. Ltd.. and rebroadcast a number of regional and international TV srevices including ABC Australia and BBC World News. Residents can also subscribe to SATSOL, a digital pay TV service, re-transmitting satellite television. Music Further information: Music of Solomon Islands A pan flute, nineteenth century, MHNT Traditional Melanesian music in Solomon Islands includes both group and solo vocals, slit-drum and panpipe ensembles. Bamboo music gained a following in the 1920s. In the 1950s Edwin Nanau Sitori composed the song "Walkabout long Chinatown", which has been referred to by the government as the unofficial "national song" of the Solomon Islands.[83] Modern Solomon Islander popular music includes various kinds of rock and reggae as well as island music. Sport Main article: Sport in Solomon Islands Rugby union: The Solomon Islands national rugby union team has played internationals since 1969. It took part in the Oceania qualifying tournament for the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups, but did not qualify on either occasion. Association football: The Solomon Islands national football team has proved among the most successful in Oceania and is part of the OFC confederation in FIFA. They are currently ranked 141st out of 210 teams in the FIFA World Rankings. The team became the first team to beat New Zealand in qualifying for a play-off spot against Australia for qualification to the World Cup 2006. They were defeated 7–0 in Australia and 2–1 at home. Futsal: Closely related to Association Football. On 14 June 2008, the Solomon Islands national futsal team, the Kurukuru, won the Oceania Futsal Championship in Fiji to qualify them for the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup, which was held in Brazil from 30 September to 19 October 2008. Solomon Islands is the futsal defending champions in the Oceania region. In 2008 and 2009 the Kurukuru won the Oceania Futsal Championship in Fiji. In 2009 they defeated the host nation Fiji 8–0 to claim the title. The Kurukuru currently hold the world record for the fastest ever goal scored in an official futsal match. It was set by Kurukuru captain Elliot Ragomo, who scored against New Caledonia three seconds into the game in July 2009.[84] They also, however, hold the less enviable record for the worst defeat in the history of the Futsal World Cup,[clarification needed] when in 2008 they were beaten by Russia with two goals to thirty-one.[85] Beach soccer: The Solomon Islands national beach soccer team, the Bilikiki Boys, are statistically the most successful team in Oceania. They have won all three regional championships to date, thereby qualifying on each occasion for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The Bilikiki Boys are ranked fourteenth in the world as of 2010, higher than any other team from Oceania.[86] Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in the Melanesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. This page is about the history of the nation state rather than the broader geographical area of the Solomon Islands archipelago, which covers both Solomon Islands and Bougainville Island, a province of Papua New Guinea. For the history of the archipelago not covered here refer to the former administration of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, the North Solomon Islands and the History of Bougainville. The Solomon Islands in Oceania. Contents 1 Earliest inhabitants in Solomon Islands 2 European contact 3 Colonization 4 World War II 4.1 Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana 4.2 War consequences 5 Post war (1945–1978) 6 Independence (1978) 6.1 Ethnic violence (1999–2003) 7 Cyclones 7.1 Cyclone Ita 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading Earliest inhabitants in Solomon Islands Two warriors in battle dress (1895) The human history of Solomon Islands begins with the first Papuan settlement at least 30,000 years ago from New Guinea. They represented the furthest expansion of humans into the Pacific until the expansion of Austronesian-language speakers through the area around 4000 BC, bringing new agricultural and maritime technology. Most of the languages spoken today in Solomon Islands derive from this era, but some thirty languages of the pre-Austronesian settlers survive. Most of the people that settled there back then were Papuans (see East Papuan languages). There are preserved numerous pre-European cultural monuments in Solomon Islands, notably Bao megalithic shrine complex (13th century AD), Nusa Roviana fortress and shrines (14th – 19th century), Vonavona Skull island – all in Western province. Nusa Roviana fortress, shrines and surrounding villages served as a hub of regional trade networks in 17th – 19th centuries. Skull shrines of Nusa Roviana are sites of legends. Better known is Tiola shrine – site of legendary stone dog which turned towards the direction where enemy of Roviana was coming from.[1] This complex of archaeological monuments characterises fast development of local Roviana culture, through trade and head hunting expeditions turning into regional power in 17th – 18th centuries.[2] European contact Ships of the Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira first sighted Santa Isabel island on 7 February 1568. Finding signs of alluvial gold on Guadalcanal, Mendaña believed he had found the source of King Solomon's wealth, and consequently named the islands "The Islands of Solomon". In 1595 and 1605 Spain again sent several expeditions to find the islands and establish a colony; however these were unsuccessful. In 1767 Captain Philip Carteret rediscovered the Santa Cruz Islands and Malaita. Later, Dutch, French and British navigators visited the islands; their reception was often hostile. Museums with significant collections of Solomon Islands artifacts include the Bishop Museum, the Peabody Museum of Salem and the South Sea Islands Museum. Colonization Postage stamp with portrait of King George VI, 1939 Sikaiana, then known as the Stewart Islands, was annexed to the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1856. Hawai'i did not formalize the annexation, and the United States refused to recognize Hawaiian sovereignty over Sikaiana when the United States annexed Hawai'i in 1898. Missionary activity then started at the mid 19th century and European colonial ambitions led to the establishment of a German Protectorate over the North Solomon Islands, which covered parts of what is now Solomon Islands, following an Anglo-German Treaty of 1886. A British Solomon Islands Protectorate over the southern islands was proclaimed in June 1893. German interests were transferred to the United Kingdom under the Samoa Tripartite Convention of 1899, in exchange for recognition of the German claim to Western Samoa. In 1927 District Commissioner William R. Bell was killed on Malaita, along with a cadet named Lillies and 13 Solomon Islanders in his charge. A massive punitive expedition, known as the Malaita massacre, ensued; at least 60 Kwaio were killed, nearly 200 detained in Tulagi (the protectorate capital),and many sacred sites and objects were destroyed or desecrated. Basiana, who had killed Bell, was hanged publicly on 29 June 1928. World War II American B-17 bombers over Gizo. Main articles: Solomon Islands campaign and Guadalcanal Campaign Japanese forces occupied the Solomon Islands in January 1942. The counter-attack was led by the United States; the 1st Division of the US Marine Corps landed on Guadalcanal and Tulagi in August 1942. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War II took place on the islands for almost three years. Tulagi, the seat of the British administration on the island of Nggela Sule in Central Province was destroyed in the heavy fighting following landings by the US Marines. Then the tough battle for Guadalcanal, which was centred on the capture of the airfield, Henderson field, led to the development of the adjacent town of Honiara as the United States logistics centre. Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana Islanders Biuku Gasa (deceased 2005) and Eroni Kumana (Gizo) (deceased 2014) were Allies scouts during the war. They became famous when they were noted by National Geographic for being the first men to find the shipwrecked John F. Kennedy and his crew of the PT-109 using a traditional dugout canoe. They suggested the idea of using a coconut which was later kept on the desk of the president to write a rescue message for delivery. Their names had not been credited in most movie and historical accounts, and they were turned back before they could visit President Kennedy's inauguration, though the Australian coastwatcher would also meet the president. They were visited by a member of the Kennedy family in 2002, where they lived in traditional huts without electricity. War consequences The impact of the war on islanders was profound. The destruction caused by the fighting and the longer-term consequences of the introduction of modern materials, machinery and western cultural artefacts, transformed traditional isolated island ways of life. The reconstruction was slow in the absence of war reparations and with the destruction of the pre-war plantations, formerly the mainstay of the economy. Significantly, Solomon Islanders' experience as labourers with the Allies led some to a new appreciation of the importance of economic organisation and trade as the basis for material advancement. Some of these ideas were put into practice in the early post-war political movement "Maasina Ruru" – often corrupted to "Marching Rule". Post war (1945–1978) In 1956 a movement for social economic and political improvement using co-operatives economic enterprises in combination with a regard for custom and tradition to synthesise a new social order called Moro Movement began on Guadalcanal. Stability was restored during the 1950s, as the British colonial administration built a network of official local councils. On this platform Solomon Islanders with experience on the local councils started participation in central government, initially through the bureaucracy and then, from 1960, through the newly established Legislative and Executive Councils. Positions on both Councils were initially appointed by the High Commissioner of the British Protectorate but progressively more of the positions were directly elected or appointed by electoral colleges formed by the local councils. The first national election was held in 1964 for the seat of Honiara, and by 1967 the first general election was held for all but one of the 15 representative seats on the Legislative Council (the one exception was the seat for the Eastern Outer Islands, which was again appointed by electoral college). Elections were held again in 1970 and a new constitution was introduced. The 1970 constitution replaced the Legislative and Executive Councils with a single Governing Council. It also established a 'committee system of government' where all members of the Council sat on one or more of five committees. The aim of this system was to reduce divisions between elected representatives and the colonial bureaucracy, provide opportunities for training new representatives in managing the responsibilities of government. It was also claimed that this system was more consistent with the Melanesian style of government. However this was quickly undermined by opposition to the 1970 constitution and the committee system by elected members of the council. As a result, a new constitution was introduced in 1974 which established a standard Westminster form of government and gave the Islanders both Chief Ministerial and Cabinet responsibilities. Solomon Mamaloni became the country's first Chief Minister in July 1974. The Solomon Islands, circa 1989 (click to enlarge). Independence (1978) As late as 1970, the British Protectorate did not envisage independence for Solomon Islands in the foreseeable future. Shortly thereafter, the financial costs of supporting the Protectorate became more trying, as the world economy was hit by the first oil price shock of 1973. The imminent independence of Papua New Guinea (in 1975) was also thought to have influenced the Protectorate's administrators. Outside of a very small educated elite in Honiara, there was little in the way of an indigenous independence movement in the Solomons. Self-government was granted in January 1976 and after July 1976, Sir Peter Kenilorea became the Chief Minister who would lead the country to independence. Independence was granted on 7 July 1978, and Kenilorea automatically became the country's first Prime Minister. Ethnic violence (1999–2003) Before WWII the provincial capital of Guadalcanal was located at Aola, further down the coast from the present capital, Honiara. That area was then still occupied by the tribal owners of the land. Unfortunately for them Point Cruz had a deep-water harbour and was only a few miles away from the Guadalcanal Plains, where Henderson airfield was built by the Americans during the War. The landowners accepted the need for such military effort based on their land, presuming it would be returned to them afterwards. In the meantime they moved out, over to the Weather Coast on the opposite side of the island, settling in and around an area called Bambanakira. But they were never compensated. Efforts to resolve this issue as late as 1998 by Ezekiel Alebua, then Guadalcanal Premiere, were thwarted and for just a few million dollars ($SBD). Ethnic bias within the bureaucracy and authorities at the time was well known. As well, in the late 90s suburban development had been accelerating on the outskirts of Honiara, whole suburbs of squatters mainly of Malaitan origin. To exacerbate the problem the police had refused to properly investigate a growing series of violent murders, all of Guadalcanal men in and around Honiara. In early 1999 long-simmering tensions between the local Gwale people on Guadalcanal and more recent migrants from the neighbouring island of Malaita erupted into violence. The 'Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army', later called Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM), began terrorising Malaitans in the rural areas of the island to make them leave their homes. About 20,000 Malaitans fled to the capital and others returned to their home island; Gwale residents of Honiara fled. The city became a Malaitan enclave. Meanwhile, the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF) was formed to uphold Malaitan interests. The Government appealed to the Commonwealth Secretary General for assistance. The Honiara Peace Accord was agreed on 28 June 1999. Despite this apparent success the underlying problems remained unresolved and had already resulted in the death or serious injury of 30,000 civilians.[citation needed] The accord soon broke down and fighting broke out again in June 2000. Malaitans took over some armouries at their home island and Honiara and helped by that, on 5 June 2000 the MEF seized the parliament by force. Through their spokesman Andrew Nori, they claimed that the government of the then Prime Minister, Bartholomew Ulufa'alu, had failed to secure compensation for loss of Malaitan life and property. Ulufa’alu was forced to step down. On 30 June 2000 Parliament elected by a narrow margin a new Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare. He established a Coalition for National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace, which released a program of action focused on resolving the ethnic conflict, restoring the economy and distributing the benefits of development more equally. However, Sogavare's government was deeply corrupt and its actions led to the downward economic spiral and the deterioration of law and order. The conflict was foremost about access to land and other resources and was centered on Honiara. Since the beginning of the civil war it is estimated[when?] that 100 have been killed. About 30,000 refugees, mainly Malaitans, had to leave their homes, and economic activity on Guadalcanal was severely disrupted. Continuing civil unrest led to an almost complete breakdown in normal activity: civil servants remained unpaid for months at a time, and cabinet meetings had to be held in secret to prevent local warlords from interfering. The security forces were unable to reassert control, largely because many police and security personnel were associated with one or another of the rival gangs. In July 2003 the Governor General of Solomon Islands issued an official request for international help, which was subsequently endorsed by a unanimous vote of the parliament. Technically, only the Governor General's request for troops was necessary. However, the government then passed legislation to provide the international force with greater powers and resolve some legal ambiguities. On 6 July 2003, in response to a proposal to send 300 police and 2,000 troops from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea to Guadalcanal, warlord Harold Keke announced a ceasefire by faxing a signed copy of the announcement to the Solomons Prime Minister, Allan Kemakeza. Keke ostensibly leads the Guadalcanal Liberation Front, but has been described as marauding bandit based on the isolated southwestern coast (Weather Coast) of Guadalcanal. Despite this ceasefire, on 11 July 2003 the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation broadcast unconfirmed reports that supporters of Harold Keke razed two villages. In mid-July 2003, the Solomons parliament voted unanimously in favour of the proposed intervention. The international force began gathering at a training facility in Townsville. In August 2003, an international peacekeeping force, known as the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and Operation Helpem Fren, entered the islands. Australia committed the largest number of security personnel, but with substantial numbers also from other South Pacific Forum countries such as New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea (PNG). It acts as an interim police force and is responsible for restoring law and order in the country because the Royal Solomon Islands Police force failed to do so for a variety of reasons. Peacekeeping forces have been successful in improving the country's overall security conditions, including brokering the surrender of a notorious warlord Harold Keke in August 2003. In 2006, riots broke out following the election of Snyder Rini as Prime Minister, destroying part of Chinatown and displacing more than 1,000 Chinese residents; the large Pacific Casino Hotel was also totally gutted.[3] The commercial heart of Honiara was virtually reduced to rubble and ashes.[4] Three National Parliament members, Charles Dausabea, Nelson Ne'e, and Patrick Vahoe,[5] were arrested during or as a result of the riots. The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), the 16-country Pacific Islands Forum initiative set up in 2003 with assistance from Australia, intervened, sending in additional police and army officers to bring the situation under control. A vote of no confidence was passed against the Prime Minister. Following his resignation, a five-party Grand Coalition for Change Government was formed in May 2006, with Manasseh Sogavare as Prime Minister, quelling the riots and running the government. The military part of RAMSI was withdrawn in 2013 and rebuilding took shape.[6] In 2009, the government is scheduled to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, with the assistance of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to "address people’s traumatic experiences during the five-year ethnic conflict on Guadalcanal".[7][8] The government continues to face serious problems, including an uncertain economic outlook, deforestation, and malaria control. At one point, prior to the deployment of RAMSI forces, the country was facing a serious financial crisis. While economic conditions are improving, the situation remains unstable. Cyclones In 1992, Cyclone Tia struck the island of Tikopia, wiping out most housing and food crops. In 1997, the Government asked for help from the US and Japan to clean up more than 50 sunken World War II shipwrecks polluting coral reefs and killing marine life. In December 2002, Severe Tropical Cyclone Zoe struck the island of Tikopia and Anuta, cutting off contact with the 3,000 inhabitants. Due to funding problems, the Solomon Islands government could not send relief until the Australian government provided funding. Cyclone Ita Main article: Cyclone Ita In April 2014 the islands were struck by the tropical low that later became Cyclone Ita. Throughout the Solomons, at least 23 people were killed while up to 40 others remained unaccounted for as of 6 April. An estimated 49,000 people were affected by the floods, of whom 9,000 were left homeless.[9][10] As the precursor tropical low to Ita affected the Islands, local authorities issued heavy flood warnings, tropical disturbance and cyclone watches.[11] Nearly two days of continuous heavy rains from the storm caused flash flooding in the Islands.[12] Over a four-day span, more than 1,000 mm (39 in) fell at the Gold Ridge mine in Guadalcanal, with 500 mm (20 in) falling in a 24‑hour span.[13] The Matanikau River, which runs through the capital city Honiara, broke its banks on 3 April and devastated nearby communities. Thousands of homes along with the city's two main bridges were washed away, stranding numerous residents.[12] The national hospital had to evacuate 500 patients to other facilities due to flooding.[14] Graham Kenna from Save the Children stated that, "the scale of destruction is like something never seen before in the Solomon Islands."[15] According to Permanent Secretary Melchoir Mataki, the majority of homes destroyed in Honiara were built on a flood plain where construction was not allowed.[9] Severe flooding took place on Guadalcanal.[12] Immediately following the floods, Honiara and Guadalcanal were declared disaster areas by the Solomon Government.[16] Debris left behind by the floods initially hampered relief efforts, with the runway at Honiara International Airport blocked by two destroyed homes. Food supplies started running low as the Red Cross provided aid to the thousands homeless. The airport was reopened on 6 April, allowing for supplies from Australia and New Zealand to be delivered.[10] Roughly 20 percent of Honiara's population relocated to evacuation centers as entire communities were swept away.[17] There were fears that the flooding could worsen an already ongoing dengue fever outbreak and cause outbreaks of diarrhea and conjunctivitis.[9] New Zealand offered an immediate NZ$300,000 in funds and deployed a C-130 Hercules with supplies and emergency response personnel.[17] Australia donated A$250,000 on 6 April and sent engineers and response teams to aid in relief efforts.[18] On 8 April, Australia increased its aid package to A$3 million while New Zealand provided an additional NZ$1.2 million.[9][19] Taiwan provided US$200,000 in funds.[20] Politics of Solomon Islands takes place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic, constitutional monarchy. Solomon Islands is an independent Commonwealth realm, where executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and a multi-party parliament. The head of state, the King or Queen of Solomon Islands, is represented by the Governor-General. The head of government is the Prime Minister. Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Contents 1 Executive branch 1.1 Attorney General of the Solomon Islands 1.2 Solicitor General of the Solomon Islands 1.3 Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs 2 Legislative branch 2.1 Cabinet and ministries 3 Judiciary 4 Political parties and elections 5 Administrative divisions 6 Political history 7 Land ownership 8 Military 9 See also 10 References 11 External links Executive branch As head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is represented in Solomon Islands by a governor general who acts on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. The Governor-General of Solomon Islands is elected by parliament. Solomon Islands governments are characterized by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. They are subject to frequent votes of no confidence, and government leadership changes frequently as a result. Cabinet changes are common. The Prime Minister, elected by Parliament, chooses the other members of the cabinet. Each ministry is headed by a cabinet member, who is assisted by a permanent secretary, a career public servant, who directs the staff of the ministry. The cabinet consists members, including the Prime Minister and ministers of executive departments. They answer politically to the House of Assembly. Main office holders Office Name Party Since Monarch Queen Elizabeth II 7 July 1978 Governor General Frank Kabui 7 July 2009 Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare Independent 24 April 2019 Attorney General of the Solomon Islands As described in the Constitution of the Solomon Islands (1978), the Attorney General is appointed by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission and acts as the principal legal adviser to the government Government. The Attorney General of the Solomon Islands may serve in an advisory capacity to the Parliament, but does possess any voting rights.[1] Attorney General - Solomon Islands (Complete Table) Name Term Francis Lenton Daly[2][3] c. 1979-1980 Frank Kabui[4] (1st Solomon Islander male) c. 1980-1994 Primo Afeau[5][6][7][8] c. 1995-2006 Julian Moti[9] c. 2006-2007 Gabriel Suri[10][11] c. 2008-2010 Billy Titulu[11][12] c. 2010-2015 James Apaniai[13] c. 2015- Solicitor General of the Solomon Islands The Solicitor General of the Solomon Islands is the law officer that is below the Attorney General of the Solomon Islands. Solicitor General - Solomon Islands (Incomplete Table) Name Term Ranjit Hewagama[14] c. 1998-2001 Nathan Moshinsky[15] c. 2003-2006 Reginald Teutao[16][17] c. 2007-2010 Savenaca Banuve[18][19] c. 2011- Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs See Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs (Solomon Islands) Legislative branch Parliament house in Honiara. National Parliament of Solomon Islands (2008) in Honiara The National Parliament has 50 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies. Solomon Islands have a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone. Political parties must work with each other to form coalition governments. Parliament may be dissolved by a majority vote of its members before the completion of its term. Parliamentary representation is based on single-member constituencies. Suffrage is universal for citizens over age 18. Cabinet and ministries Further information: Cabinet of the Solomon Islands Judiciary Main article: Judiciary of Solomon Islands The Governor General appoints the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The Governor General appoints the other justices with the advice of a judicial commission. Political parties and elections Further information: List of political parties in the Solomon Islands and Elections in the Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Parliament 2019.svg Party Votes % Seats +/– Solomon Islands Democratic Party 42,245 13.64 8 New Solomon Islands United Party 32,302 10.43 2 New Kadere Party 29,426 9.50 8 +7 United Democratic Party 25,295 8.17 4 –1 Democratic Alliance Party 19,720 6.37 3 –4 People's Alliance Party 18,573 6.00 2 –1 People First Party 11,419 3.69 1 – Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement 9,878 3.19 1 – Pan Melanesian Congress Party 1,514 0.49 0 – Green Party Solomon Islands 619 0.20 0 New New Nation Party 593 0.19 0 – Peoples Progressive Party 381 0.12 0 – National Transformation Party 4,622 1.49 0 – Independents 113,178 36.54 21 –11 Invalid/blank votes 902 – – – Total 310,667 100 50 0 Registered voters/turnout 359,523 86.41 – – Source: Solomon Islands Election Resources Administrative divisions Further information: Provinces of the Solomon Islands For local government, the country is divided into 10 administrative areas, of which nine are provinces administered by elected provincial assemblies, and the 10th is the city of Honiara, administered by the Honiara City Council. Political history Solomon Islands governments are characterized by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. They are subject to frequent votes of no confidence, and government leadership changes frequently as a result. Cabinet changes are common. The first post-independence government was elected in August 1980. Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea was head of government until September 1981, when he was succeeded by Solomon Mamaloni as the result of a realignment within the parliamentary coalitions. Following the November 1984 elections, Kenilorea was again elected Prime Minister, to be replaced in 1986 by his former deputy Ezekiel Alebua following shifts within the parliamentary coalitions. The next election, held in early 1989, returned Solomon Mamaloni as Prime Minister. Francis Billy Hilly was elected Prime Minister following the national elections in June 1993, and headed the government until November 1994 when four Cabinet Ministers were allegedly bribed by a foreign logging company to shift their parliamentary loyalties and bring Solomon Mamaloni back to power.[20][21] The national election of 6 August 1997 resulted in Bartholomew Ulufa'alu’s election as Prime Minister, heading a coalition government, which christened itself the Solomon Islands Alliance for Change. In June 2000, an insurrection mounted by militants from the island of Malaita resulted in the brief detention of Ulufa’alu and his subsequent forced resignation. Prior to this Ulufa'alu had requested Australian intervention to stabilise the deteriorating situation in Solomon Islands, which was refused. Manasseh Sogavare, leader of the People's Progressive Party, was chosen Prime Minister by a loose coalition of parties. New elections in December 2001 brought Sir Allan Kemakeza into the Prime Minister’s chair with the support of a coalition of parties. Bartholomew Ulufa’alu was Leader of the Opposition. Kemakeza, attempted to address the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, but the prevailing atmosphere of lawlessness, widespread extortion, and ineffective police, prompted a formal request by the Solomon Islands Government for outside help. In July 2003, Australian and Pacific Island police and troops arrived in the Solomon Islands under the auspices of the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). The mission, consisting of a policing effort, military support, and a large development component, largely restored law and order to Honiara and the other provinces of Solomon Islands. Efforts are now underway to identify a donor base and reestablish credible systems of governance and financial management. In the 2006 legislative election Kemakeza's People's Alliance Party suffered a major defeat, losing more than half its seats. However Deputy Prime Minister Synder Rini succeeded in gaining the support of enough Independent Members of Parliament to form government. This resulted in rioting in the capital of Honiara. Much of the violence was directed at Chinese businessmen who were accused of influencing the election result. Reinforcements to RAMSI stabilised the situation, but not before serious damage was done to the nation's already fragile economy. Rini resigned shortly before a motion of no confidence was due to take place, and was succeeded by Manasseh Sogavare, a former Prime Minister. The inability of RAMSI to oversee a peaceful election has raised serious doubts about the success of the mission. Land ownership Land ownership is reserved for Solomon Islanders. At the time of independence, citizenship was granted to all persons whose parents are or were both British protected persons and members of a group, tribe, or line indigenous to Solomon Islands. The law provides that resident expatriates, such as the Chinese and Kiribati, may obtain citizenship through naturalization. Land generally is held on a family or village basis and may be handed down from mother or father according to local custom. The islanders are reluctant to provide land for nontraditional economic undertakings, and this has resulted in continual disputes over land ownership. Military No military forces are maintained by Solomon Islands, although the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIP) of nearly 500 includes a border protection element. The police also have responsibility for fire service, disaster relief, and maritime surveillance. The police force is headed by a commissioner, appointed by the Governor General and responsible to the prime minister. See also Solomon Islands, country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of a double chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in Melanesia. The country comprises most of the Solomons chain, with the exception of Buka and Bougainville, two islands at the northwestern end that form an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea. Roman numerals of the hours on sundial (ancient clock; timepiece; sun dial; shadow clock) BRITANNICA QUIZ Geography and Science: Fact or Fiction? Cotton is a native plant of India. Once a British protectorate, Solomon Islands achieved independence as a republic in 1978. Honiara, on the north coast of Guadalcanal Island, is Solomon Islands’ capital and largest city. Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Land The main islands of the group are large and rugged, rising to 7,644 feet (2,330 metres) at Mount Popomanaseu on Guadalcanal. They lie in two parallel chains running northwest-southeast: the southern chain includes Vella Lavella, the New Georgia Islands, Savo, and Guadalcanal; the northern, Choiseul, Santa Isabel, and Malaita. The chains converge on San Cristobal (Makira Island). The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of small islands located some 345 miles (555 km) east of Guadalcanal; the largest island in the group is Nendö (also called Ndeni Island or Santa Cruz Island). Geologically, the Solomon Islands are part of the volcanic arc extending from New Ireland in Papua New Guinea to Vanuatu. 00:00 02:45 The climate is tropical oceanic—that is, hot and humid but relieved by cool winds and abundant, year-round rainfall. Temperatures seldom exceed 90 °F (32 °C), and rainfall generally averages 120–140 inches (3,000–3,500 mm) a year. Heavily wooded, mountainous terrain is characteristic, and, although there are extensive plains, only those on the northern side of Guadalcanal have been developed for large-scale agriculture. As in most island groups, animal life is limited. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Subscribe today There are hot springs on Savo, where a volcano last erupted in the 1840s. Solomon Islands has a number of other volcanoes. For example, Tinakula in the Santa Cruz group and Kavachi, a submarine volcano near New Georgia, have erupted regularly every few years, and Simbo Island has a solfatara (a volcanic area or vent that yields only hot vapours and sulfurous gases). Earthquakes and destructive cyclones also occur regularly. Earthquakes and a subsequent tsunami in April 2007 killed several dozen people and displaced thousands; in January 2010 a less-severe series of earthquakes and the tsunami that followed left more than 1,000 people homeless. People Most of the people live in small rural villages. They engage mainly in subsistence gardening, pig raising, and fishing but are also involved in the cash economy. Solomon Islands: Urban-rural Solomon Islands: Urban-rural Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. The vast majority of the population is ethnically Melanesian. Polynesians, who form a small minority, live mainly on outlying atolls, principally Ontong Java Atoll, Bellona, Rennell Island, the Reef Islands, the Stewart Islands (Sikaiana), Tikopia, and Anuta. There are also small numbers of Chinese and Europeans and of Gilbertese from Micronesia who were resettled on Ghizo and Vaghena islands between 1955 and 1971 by British administrators seeking to alleviate overpopulation in the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati). Solomon Islands: Ethnic composition Solomon Islands: Ethnic composition Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Almost all Solomon Islanders are Christian; most are Protestant (mainly Church of Melanesia [Anglican]), with smaller numbers of Roman Catholics and members of other denominations. A small minority practices traditional beliefs. More than 60 languages and dialects are spoken. English is the official language, but Pijin, an English-based Melanesian pidgin, is the language that is most widely used and understood. Economy Civil unrest in the late 1990s and early 21st century, including a coup in 2000, led to the near collapse of the country’s economy. Damage to infrastructure on Guadalcanal resulted, disrupting transportation, commerce, and agriculture, and many enterprises were forced out of business. The 2007 earthquakes and tsunami caused further economic setbacks. In the early 21st century the service sector employed the majority of the active workforce and contributed almost half of the country’s gross domestic product. Tourism has been developed but is not a major source of income. Solomon Islands’ main resources, fish and timber, have been exploited excessively, which has resulted in their depletion. Its other export products are derived from plantation crops: palm oil, copra, and cacao (the source of cocoa). China and Australia are the major recipients. The chief imports are machinery, fuels, manufactured goods, and food, and Australia, Singapore, and China are the main suppliers. The islands have significant reserves of bauxite (on Rennell Island) and phosphates (on Bellona), and some gold has been extracted on Guadalcanal. Manufacturing primarily involves the processing of coconut and other vegetable oils and of cocoa. Traditional handicrafts, including woodwork, shell inlay, mats, baskets, and shell jewelry, are made both for the tourist market and for export. The Solomon Islands dollar is the official currency; indigenous currencies such as shell money (from Malaita) and red-feather money (from Santa Cruz) are also made for use in customary transactions. The principal airport is Honiara International Airport, although there are several airfields throughout the islands that may also serve as international points of entry. The government-owned Solomon Airlines provides domestic and regional air service. Ports handling overseas cargoes include Honiara, Tulagi (the former capital), and Gizo Harbour. Aola Bay, Viru Harbour, and Graciosa Bay are used mainly for log exports. Interisland shipping is operated both privately and by the government. Government And Society Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch, represented by a governor-general, serving as the formal head of state. Still, the country, a member of the Commonwealth, is independent, and the governor-general is appointed on the advice of the unicameral National Parliament. The governor-general, who serves a term of up to five years, must be a citizen of Solomon Islands. Members of the Parliament are elected by universal adult suffrage and serve for four years (unless Parliament is dissolved sooner). Executive power is exercised by a prime minister (elected by and from Parliament) and a cabinet appointed by the governor-general from among the members of Parliament on the recommendation of the prime minister. Although political parties exist in name, their organization and discipline tend to be loose. The prime minister rarely commands a clear majority in Parliament, and so governments are usually formed of a coalition of parties or factions. Local government councils control matters regarding transportation, economic development, health, and education. Education is not compulsory. Schools are run both by the national and provincial governments and by various churches. Many secondary schools provide practical training in fields such as agriculture and development studies. There are several teacher-training schools and a technical institute, as well as a campus of the University of the South Pacific in Honiara. Some students attend universities overseas, especially in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. There is a hospital at Honiara. Cultural Life Much of traditional culture endures. Crafts are promoted by the Solomon Islands National Museum, established in 1969 in Honiara, and dances and music are regularly performed. Panpipes and percussive “bamboo bands” (assemblages of drums made of bamboo) are popular. An indigenous literary movement developed in the late 20th century; the writing is in English and mostly published in Solomon Islands. For a more detailed discussion of the culture of Solomon Islands, see Melanesian culture. Traditionally dressed dancers in Honiara, Sol.Is. Traditionally dressed dancers in Honiara, Sol.Is. © Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock.com Learn More! Solomon Islands ISLANDS AND NATION, PACIFIC OCEAN Solomon Islands flag of the Solomon Islands OFFICIAL NAME Solomon Islands FORM OF GOVERNMENT constitutional monarchy with one legislative house (National Parliament [50]) HEAD OF STATE British Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General: David Vunagi HEAD OF GOVERNMENT Prime Minister: Manasseh Sogavare CAPITAL Honiara OFFICIAL LANGUAGE English OFFICIAL RELIGION none MONETARY UNIT Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) POPULATION (2019 est.) 674,900 POPULATION RANK (2018) 169 POPULATION PROJECTION 2030 825,000 TOTAL AREA (SQ MI) 11,740 TOTAL AREA (SQ KM) 30,407 DENSITY: PERSONS PER SQ MI (2018) 56.8 DENSITY: PERSONS PER SQ KM (2018) 21.9 URBAN-RURAL POPULATION Urban: (2018) 23.7% Rural: (2018) 76.3% LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH Male: (2017) 72.9 years Female: (2017) 78.3 years LITERACY: PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION AGE 15 AND OVER LITERATE Male: (2009) 88.9% Female: (2009) 79.2% GNI (U.S.$ ’000,000) (2017) 1,172 GNI PER CAPITA (U.S.$) (2017) 1,920 History This section focuses specifically on the history and development of the area and country now known as Solomon Islands. For a discussion of the history of Solomon Islands in its broader, regional context, see Pacific Islands. Battle of Guadalcanal Battle of Guadalcanal U.S. Marines landing on Guadalcanal, August 1942. UPI/Bettmann Archive Prehistory The Solomon Islands were initially settled by at least 2000 BCE—well before the archaeological record begins—probably by people of the Austronesian language group. Pottery of the Lapita culture was in use in Santa Cruz and the Reef Islands about 1500 BCE. Material dating to about 1000 BCE has also been excavated at Vatuluma Cave (Guadalcanal), on Santa Ana Island, and on the outlying islands of Anuta and Tikopia. European presence on the islands The first European to reach the islands was the Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira in 1568. Subsequently, unjustified rumours led to the belief that he had not only found gold there but had also discovered where the biblical king Solomon obtained the gold for his temple in Jerusalem. The islands thus acquired the name Islas de Solomón. Later Spanish expeditions to the southwest Pacific in 1595 and 1606 were unable to confirm the discoveries reported by Mendaña. Geographers came to doubt the existence of the group, and it was not until the late 18th century, after further sightings by French and English navigators, that the Solomons were accurately charted. After the settlement of Sydney by the English in 1788, naval and commercial shipping began increasingly to pass through the Solomons’ waters. Roman Catholic missionaries failed to establish a settlement in the 1840s but did so in 1898. Anglican missionaries, who had been taking islanders to New Zealand for training since the 1850s, began to settle in the Solomons in the 1870s. Other missions arrived later. Establishment of colonial rule By the late 19th century the islands were being exploited for labour to work the plantations of Fiji and other islands and of Queensland, Australia. About 30,000 labourers were recruited between 1870 and 1910. To protect their own interests, Germany and Britain divided the Solomons between them in 1886, but in 1899 Germany transferred the northern islands, except for Buka and Bougainville, to Britain (which had already claimed the southern islands) in return for recognition of German claims in Western Samoa (now Samoa) and parts of Africa. The British Solomon Islands Protectorate was declared in 1893, partly in response to abuses associated with labour recruitment and partly to regulate contacts between islanders and European settlers but mainly to forestall a threat of annexation by France. Colonial rule began in 1896. Although generally humane, administrators were more concerned with promoting the interests of European traders and planters than those of the islanders, and islanders were punished harshly for offenses against colonial law and order. The murder of government tax collectors by members of the Kwaio ethnic group on Malaita in 1927 was answered with a savage punitive expedition, backed by an Australian warship, that burned and looted villages and killed many of the Kwaio. Together with some of his associates, Basiana, the leader of the tax collectors’ killers, was hanged, and his young sons were forced to witness the execution. World War II With the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific, the Japanese began occupying the protectorate early in 1942, but their advance farther southward was stopped by U.S. forces, which invaded on August 7. Fighting in the Solomons over the next 15 months was some of the most bitter in the Pacific; the long Battle of Guadalcanal was one of the crucial conflicts of the Pacific War. Throughout the campaign the U.S. forces and their allies were strongly supported by the islanders. After the war, because of the proximity of an airfield and the availability of flat land and of the military’s buildings, Honiara on Guadalcanal became the new capital, replacing Tulagi. Independence Another result of the war was to stimulate political consciousness among the islanders and so inspire a nationalist movement known as Maasina Rule, which lasted from 1944 to 1952. Subsequently, in response to the worldwide movement for decolonization, the Solomons set out on the path of constitutional development. The country was formally renamed Solomon Islands in 1975, and independence was attained on July 7, 1978. Peter Kenilorea, who had helped lead Solomon Islands to independence, became its first prime minister (1978–81) and served a second term from 1984 to 1986. Solomon Mamaloni, another pre-independence leader, served as prime minister several times in the 1980s and ’90s; resigning from his final term in August 1997 amid allegations of corruption, he was replaced by Bartholomew Ulufa’alu. The Tensions (1998–2003): ethnic violence, 2000 coup, arrival of RAMSI, and 2001 election In 1998 Solomon Islands became embroiled in ethnic violence, with rebels on Guadalcanal fighting to overthrow the island’s dominant Malaitan minority. This gave birth to a period in the country’s history that came to be known as the Tensions. During the ongoing civil disorder, Ulufa’alu, an ethnic Malaitan, was deposed in a June 2000 coup and succeeded by Manasseh Sogavare. Later that year New Zealand and Australian forces arrived, and a peace accord was signed. Efforts began to rebuild the heavily damaged country while sporadic violence continued. The Tensions had led to the near-collapse of the country’s government, which was unable to provide services or ensure public safety. Foreign aid was secured to repair the extensive property and infrastructure damage. Hugh Michael Laracy Sophie Foster The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Sir Allen Kemakeza became prime minister in December 2001 after a general election was held earlier that month. As economic, political, and civil instability continued to plague Solomon Islands, in mid-2003 Kemakeza asked the countries of the Pacific Islands Forum for assistance. In response, they formed a multinational Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), led by Australia. RAMSI deployed troops in July to help maintain order. Efforts toward recovery and reform and the 2006 and 2010 general elections The country’s recovery progressed slowly, supported by an influx of foreign aid, particularly from Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and the European Union. After the 2006 general election, antigovernment riots broke out, and parts of Honiara were burned and looted; the new prime minister, Snyder Rini, resigned after eight days in office and was replaced by Sogavare, who opposed the presence of RAMSI. Conflict arose between RAMSI and the government over one of the prime minister’s political appointments, and Sogavare threatened to expel the multinational force. A compromise was brokered late in the year, and RAMSI remained. After Sogavare lost a confidence vote in 2007, Derek Sikua became prime minister. Consideration of a new constitution was ongoing; it would address provincial and ethnic tensions by changing the governmental structure to that of a federation of states. A general election was held in August 2010, after which Danny Philip, the leader of a parliamentary coalition, became prime minister. Philip stated that constitutional reform would be a priority of his administration, but he left before it could be completed, resigning a little more than a year later in the face of corruption allegations. He was succeeded by Gordon Darcy Lilo. Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission Meanwhile, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, tasked with investigating the causes and events of the Tensions (1998–2003) and helping the country to heal from the conflict, had been created and began work in 2009. Hearings were held in 2010 and 2011, and the commission submitted its final report to Lilo in February 2012. However, he did not send the report to Parliament for approval or release the report to the public, actions required by the legislation that created the commission. After the public waited for more than a year to see the report, in April 2013 one of the editors of the report controversially released an unofficial copy of it. Biometric voter registration, 2014 election, and departure of RAMSI During Lilo’s premiership, RAMSI ended its military operations in July 2013 but left personnel in place to continue assistance with policing operations. Lilo also oversaw a biometric voter registration initiative, which was intended to tackle the problem of voter fraud in the country’s elections. The initiative was completed in time to be used in the 2014 general election and was commended. Lilo lost his seat in that election, however, and Parliament elected Sogavare to succeed him. Sogavare saw the long-awaited departure of RAMSI, which formally ended its mission in June 2017. Manasseh Sogavare Manasseh Sogavare Solomon Islands Pres. Manasseh Sogavare addressing the 2015 Sustainable Development Summit at United Nations headquarters. Crag Ruttle/AP Images Anti-corruption efforts, 2019 general election, and progress with a new federal constitution Anti-corruption measures, introduced under Sogavare in 2016, were passed in 2018 under the next prime minister, Rick (“Hou”) Houenipwela, who had succeeded Sogavare after Sogavare lost a vote of confidence in 2017. While passage of the highly anticipated legislation was welcomed by many, some expressed concern over what they perceived to be its limitations. A general election was held in April 2019, the first since the departure of RAMSI, and saw the return of Sogavare to the post of prime minister. Meanwhile, progress in the long-running efforts to draft a new constitution advanced in the 2010s, though it had yet to be promulgated by the decade’s end. Climate change concerns As an island country, Solomon Islands was particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, and the effects of climate change on Solomon Islands were a significant concern in the 21st century. The government prepared a plan of action to adapt to the challenges presented by the changing climate, which included efforts toward better management of water sources, taking measures to improve crop resilience and food security, and working to relocate communities in low-lying coastal areas and other vulnerable areas.
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