Solomon Islands Facts

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Where is Solomon Islands located?

A sovereign state, Solomon Islands, is a group of islands situated in Oceania.

Who are Solomon Islands’ neighboring countries?

Solomon Islands lies to the north-west of Vanuatu and towards Papua New Guinea’s east.

What is Solomon Islands archipelago?

The group of Melanesian Islands, including Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville Island, together form the Solomon Islands archipelago.

What is the capital of Solomon Islands?

The capital is Honiara.

Which is the largest island in the country?

Guadalcanal is the biggest of all the islands in Solomon Islands. Other prominent islands include San Cristobal, Choiseul, Malaita, Santa Isabel, New Georgia, and the Santa Cruz group.

What is the area and population of Solomon Islands?

The total land area is 10,965 square miles and as per the 2014 estimates, the Solomon Islands has a population of 609,883 people.

What type of government does Solomon Islands have?

The country has a constitutional monarchy.

Who is Solomon Islands’ Head of State? Who is the Prime Minister of the country?

The Head of the State of the country is Queen Elizabeth II. The Prime Minister is Gordon Darcy Lilo.

Which is the currency of Solomon Islands?

The official currency of Solomon Islands is the Solomon Islands Dollar.

What are the official languages of Solomon Islands?

English is the country’s official language.

Which religions are followed in Solomon Islands?

Christianity is the main religion in Solomon Islands. Around 92% of the total population follows Christianity. Other religions followed in the country are Baha’i Faith, Islam, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Which ethnic groups are present in Solomon Islands?

As per the 2006 estimates, Solomon Islanders are predominantly Melanesian. They constitute 94.5% of the total population. Other ethnic groups present are Polynesian and Micronesian which constitute 3% and 1.2% of the total population respectively.

When did Solomon Islands become an independent country?

Solomon Islands gained independence on 7 July 1978.

Which is the highest point in Solomon Islands?

Mount Popomanaseu is Solomon Islands’ highest point. Located on Guadalcanal Island, it has a height of 2,335 meters.

What is Kavachi?

A submarine volcano, also one of the most active of its kind, Kavachi is situated south of Vangunu Island in Solomon Islands. The volcano is referred to as Rejo te Kavachi. The first eruption in the volcano was recorded in the year 1939 and ever since then it emerged and eroded back into the sea at least eight times.
In the year 2003, a 15 meters high island was formed because of the eruption in Kavachi. It soon disappeared.

What is Marovo Lagoon?

A huge lagoon of salt water, Marovo Lagoon, is situated in the country’s New Georgia Islands. The lagoon covers an area of seven hundred square kilometers. It is also a part of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Several islands exist in the lagoon few of which have been inhabited. The lagoon is also a popular tourist attraction.

Which is the world’s biggest raised coral atoll?

Solomon Islands’ East Rennell is the world’s biggest raised coral atoll.

Which is South Pacific’s largest lake?

A former lagoon, Lake Tegano in Solomon Islands is South Pacific’s largest lake.

Into how many administrative areas has the country been segregated?

The government has segregated Solomon Islands in 10 administrative areas. Nine of these provinces are administrated by provincial assemblies which are elected. Honiara Town Council administers the tenth one, the capital Honiara. The administrative provinces are:

• Temotu
• Guadalcanal
• Choiseul
• Rennell and Bellona
• Makira-Ulawa
• Isabel
• Malaita
• Western
• Central
• Honiara City

When was the Solomon Islands’ flag adopted?

The flag of Solomon Islands was officially adopted on 18 November 1977. The five white stars on the blue patch are symbolic of the five island groups. The color blue represents the ocean. The green and the yellow represent land and sunshine respectively.

What type of economy does Solomon Islands have?

The economy of Solomon Islands is mainly engaged in fishing and subsistence. Many of the petroleum and manufactured products are imported. Palm Oil and Copra are the significant cash crops and exports of the country. Solomon Islands is rich in mineral resources like nickel, zinc, lead, and gold.

Tourism, especially diving, is another important industry. However, the growth in this sector has been hampered due to the lack of transportation and infrastructure limitations.

The services sector contributes to 55.9% of the GDP growth followed by agriculture and industry which contribute for 37.7% and 6.4% respectively. The exports are fish, timber, cocoa, palm oil, and copra whereas the main imports are plant & equipment, food, fuels, manufactured goods, and chemicals.