Solomon Islands (GPS: 8 00 S, 159 00 E) is located in Oceania, a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea. The country’s area measurements are total: 28,896 sq km; land: 27,986 sq km, water: 910 sq km. This sovereign state is slightly smaller than Maryland. The total irrigated land is 0 sq km N/A (2012).
One of the essential features of the Solomon Islands: strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea.
It’s significant, and simultaneously, the principal city, Honiara’s GPS coordinates are 9 26 S 159 57 E. Honiara’s local time is 16 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time. The capital’s time difference: UTC+11.
The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fightings of World War II occurred on this archipelago, and the Guadalcanal Campaign (August 1942-February 1943) proved a turning point in the Pacific War since, after the operation, the Japanese lost their strategic initiative and remained on the defensive until their final defeat in 1945. Self-government for the Solomon Islands came in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, endemic crime, and a narrow economic base have undermined stability and civil society.
In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought Australia’s assistance in reestablishing law and order; The following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), which ended in June 2017, was generally effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Solomon Islands’s names conventional long form: none, traditional short way: the Solomon Islands, local long form: none, local short form: the Solomon Islands, former: British Solomon Islands, etymology: Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA named the isles in 1568 after the wealthy biblical King SOLOMON in the mistaken belief that the islands contained great riches. Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA named the isles in 1568 after the wealthy biblical King SOLOMON in the false belief that the islands had great riches.
Solomon Islands’s terrain is typically mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls. The country’s mean elevation: N/A, elevation extremes; lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m, highest point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,310 m.
The general climate in the country; tropical monsoon: few temperature and weather extremes.
The total number of border countries is 0; none are the neighboring nations with the indicated border lengths. Solomon Islands’s coastline is 5,313 km, while its marital claims are: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nautical miles, exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles, continental shelf: 200 nautical miles. Waterways: N/A. Land use: agricultural land: 3.9%; arable land 0.7%; permanent crops 2.9%; permanent pasture 0.3%; forest: 78.9%; other: 17.2% (2011 estimate).
The population in Solomon Islands 660,121 (July 2018 estimate), urban population: 22.3% of total population (2015), central metropolitan area’s population: HONIARA (capital) 73,000 (2014), while Solomon Islands has N/A. Their spoken languages are Melanesian pidgin (in much of the country is lingua franca), English (official language but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages.
Main religions in Solomon Islands are Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, none 0.03%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 estimate). The nation uses a mixed legal system of English common law and customary law. It is a(n) parliamentary democracy (National Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm, National holiday(s) Independence Day, 7 July (1978).
Economic overview for the country: The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of its livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. Before the arrival of The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closure of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI’s efforts, which concluded in Jun 2017, to restore law and order and financial stability have led to modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
Main export partners for the Solomon Islands, Oceania are China 61.7%, India 5.9%, Italy 5.9% (2015) for timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa, while the main import partners for the country are: Australia 24.7%, China 18.4%, Malaysia 6.3%, Singapore 5.8%, Fiji 4.7%, NZ 4.6%, Papua New Guinea 4.6% (2015) for food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals.
When you visit this country in Oceania, consider the natural hazards in the Solomon Islands: Typhoons, but rarely destructive, geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity, tsunamis volcanism: Tinakula (elevation 851 m) has regular eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (height 485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal, while infectious diseases are N/A. Also, note that the Solomon Islands faces the following environmental issues: Deforestation, Soil erosion, Many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying, Effects of climate change, and rising sea-levels.
You may also be interested in the countries next to the Solomon Islands around its 0 km border – No border countries.
