# Solomon Islands

| Solomon Islands |
| --- |
|
Flag

Coat of arms

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| **Motto:**"To Lead is to Serve" |
| **Anthem:God Save Our Solomon Islands* |
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| Capitaland largest city | Honiara |
| Official languages | English |
| Ethnic groups (1999) | Melanesian 94.5% Polynesian 3% Micronesian 1.2% other 1.1% unspecified 0.2% |
| Demonym(s) | Solomon Islander |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system |
|  |
| • Monarch  | Charles III |
| • Governor General  | David Tiva Kapu |
| • Prime Minister  | Matthew Wale |
|  |
| Independence |
|  |
| • from the United Kingdom  | 7 July 1978 |
|  |
| Area |
| • Total | 28,400 km2 (11,000 sq mi) (142nd) |
| • Water (%) | 3.2% |
| Population |
| • 2023 estimate | 734,887 (167th) |
| • Density | 26/km2 (67.3/sq mi) (204th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
| • Total | $2.056 billion |
| • Per capita | $2,912 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
| • Total | $2.707 billion |
| • Per capita | $2,252 |
| HDI (2023) |  0.562 medium · 156th |
| Currency | Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) |
| Time zone | UTC+11:00 |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +677 |
| ISO 3166 code | SB |
| Internet TLD | .sb |

**Solomon Islands** (Pijin: *Solomon Ailans*) are a group of islands in the South Pacific that make up a country. They are known for their beauty and for the many languages spoken there. The capital of Solomon Islands is Honiara.

## History

In the 1890s the islands became a protectorate of the British Empire.

The Empire of Japan forces arrived in early 1942 and the United States Marine Corps attacked them, starting the Guadalcanal Campaign.

### Civil unrest

There was civil unrest between 1998 and 2003, commonly called *the tensions* or *the ethnic tension*; it included 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, two research papers say that the 'ethnic conflict' label is an oversimplification.

In 2006, riots broke out following the election of Snyder Rini as Prime Minister, destroying part of the capital's Chinatown and displacing more than 1,000 Chinese residents; 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 motion 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 army part of RAMSI was removed and rebuilding took shape.

### 2007 change of Prime Minister

On 13 December 2007, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare was toppled by a vote of no confidence in Parliament, 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.

### Earthquakes

On 2 April 2007 at 07:39:56 local time (UTC+11:00), 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). 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. Land upthrust extended the shoreline of one island, Ranongga, by up to 70 metres (230 ft) exposing many once pristine coral reefs.

On 6 February 2013, an earthquake with magnitude of 8.0 occurred at epicenter 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.

## Provinces

Provinces of the Solomon Islands, as of 1989 (click to enlarge).
The country is divided into nine provinces and the town of Honiara:

1. Central
2. Choiseul
3. Guadalcanal
4. Isabel
5. Makira-Ulawa
6. Malaita
7. Rennell and Bellona
8. Temotu
9. Western
10. Honiara City