Official name: Solomon Islands
Capital city: Honiara
Internet country code: .sb
Flag description: Divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
Geographical description: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Total area: 11,599 sq. mi. (27,556 sq. km.); archipelago: 280,000 sq. mi. (725,197 sq. km.)
Climate: Tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Nationality: noun: Solomon Islander(s); adjective: Solomon Islander
Population: 566,842 (July 2007 CIA est.)
Ethnic groups: Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, other 1.5%
Languages spoken: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official, but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population; 120 indigenous languages
Religions: Anglican Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church (Methodist) 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2%
| Christmas | Dec 25 |
| Good Friday - Easter Monday | Apr 22, 2011; Apr 6, 2012; Mar 29, 2013; Apr 18, 2014; Apr 3, 2015; Mar 25, 2016; Apr 14, 2017; Mar 30, 2018; Apr 19, 2019; Apr 10, 2020; Apr 2, 2021; Apr 15, 2022; Apr 7, 2023 |
| Independence Day | Jul 7 |
| National Day of Thanksgiving | Dec 26 |
| New Year's Day | Jan 1 |
| Queen's Birthday | Jun 17, 2011; Jun 15, 2012; Jun 21, 2013; Jun 20, 2014; Jun 19, 2015; Jun 17, 2016; Jun 16, 2017; Jun 15, 2018; Jun 21, 2019; Jun 19, 2020; Jun 18, 2021; Jun 17, 2022; Jun 16, 2023 |
an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, east of New Guinea in Melanesia. The principal islands are Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Santa Isabel, Malaita, San Cristobal, Choiseul, and New Georgia. Area, 40,400 sq km. Population, 263,200 (1971). The northern islands, including Bougainville, Buka, Nissan, and several atolls, are part of Papua New Guinea. The rest, the larger part of the islands, has been an independent state since 1978. It has an area of 28,400 sq km and a population of 200,000 (1977). The state’s capital is Honiara.
The Solomons are inhabited by several dozen ethnic groups, most of whom belong to the Melanesian race and speak Austronesian or Papuan languages. In addition, there are also Polynesians and Micronesians. Most of the inhabitants of the Solomon Islands are Christians, chiefly Protestants.
Most of the islands are of volcanic origin; the Balbi and Bagana volcanoes are still active. The maximum elevation, 2,743 m, is on Bougainville. The climate is subequatorial and very humid, with mean monthly temperatures of 26°–28°C. The annual precipitation ranges from 2,300 mm to 7,500 mm. Southeasterly trade winds prevail from May to October and northwesterly equatorial monsoons from December to March. The rivers are short and deep.
The islands are extensively covered with evergreen forests of palms, figs, and other trees. Savannas are found in the drier areas, and mangroves fringe the coast. The fauna includes rats, bats, crocodiles, lizards, snakes, giant frogs, wild pigeons, and parrots. The main economic activities are the growing of coconut palms, pineapples, cacao trees, and cotton, as well as fishing and lumbering. Copper is mined on Bougainville.
The Solomon Islands were discovered in 1568 by the Spanish navigator A. Mendaña de Neyra, who obtained gold from the natives and named the islands Islas de Solomón after Solomon’s Land of Gold.