Solomon Islands | history - geography - islands and nation, Pacific Ocean | Britannica.com islands and nation, Pacific Ocean Written By: Alternative Title: Islas de Solomón Solomon Islands constitutional monarchy with one legislative house (National Parliament [50]) Head of state British Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II , represented by Governor-General: Sir Frank Kabui Head of government Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate Male: (2009) 88.9% Country Data Overview (PDF) 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 . Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Reef island off Malaita, Solomon Islands. Jim Lounsbury 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. 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 . Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Islands with fringing coral reefs, New Georgia Islands, Sol.Is. Michael Pitts/Nature Picture Library 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. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest 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. 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 ). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Oceania: Fact or Fiction?

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. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 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. Related Topics Commonwealth 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. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 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. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 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.

Tim Page/Corbis 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 . U.S. Marines landing on Guadalcanal, August 1942. UPI/Bettmann Archive 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. 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. By the late 19th century the islands were being exploited for labour to work the plantations of Fiji and other islands and of Queensland , Austl. 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. 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. 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. In 1999 Solomon Islands became embroiled in ethnic violence, with rebels on Guadalcanal fighting to overthrow the island’s dominant Malaitan minority. Ulufa’alu, an ethnic Malaitan, was deposed in a June 2000 coup, and civil disorder reigned. Later that year New Zealand and Australian forces arrived, and a peace accord was signed. Although sporadic violence continued, efforts began to rebuild the heavily damaged country.

The conflict 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. Damaged buildings in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Honiara, Sol.Is., after postelection rioting, … AP Solomon Islands - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Consisting of eight large islands and island groups, the Solomon Islands are situated about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) northeast of Australia in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The islands are arranged in two parallel chains located between Papua New Guinea on the northwest and Vanuatu on the southeast. The islands are volcanic and mountainous and nearly 90 percent of the land is forested. The hot and humid climate has a mean annual temperature of 80F (27C). Average annual rainfall ranges from 120 to 140 inches (300 to 350 centimeters). Area 10,954 square miles (28,370 square kilometers). Population (2016 est.) 658,000.

Article Contributors In World War II, what happened at Guadalcanal? - Quora Quora In the Solomon Islands chapter of America Invades ( )we wrote this about Guadalcanal… “Although many Americans may be unfamiliar with the Solomon Islands, most will recognize the name of one of the islands, one of the biggest names in American military history—Guadalcanal. The Solomon Islands are an island nation in the South Pacific. Different islands within the nation have different histories. Britain ended up being the main Western colonial power in the history of the Solomons, but on its Sikaiana Atoll, some inhabitants reckon they have been American since the nineteenth century. According to one view, Sikaiana is part of the Malaita Province of the Solomon Islands. But Hawaii was offered sovereignty over Sikaiana in 1856 and to some extent accepted it. Some, therefore, argue that when Hawaii became part of the United States, so did Sikaiana. However, the United States doesn’t accept this. ￼Yankee whalers fished the waters off the Solomon Islands in the nineteenth century. Jack London visited with his famous boat, the Snark, in 1907.

However, it was during World War II that we were to have the most extensive involvement with the Solomons. Soon after Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces occupied some of the Solomon Islands as part of an eventual plan to interdict shipping lanes from the United States to the eastern coast of Australia. Something had to be done about it, and a start had to be made on recovering territory from the Japanese. In the summer of 1942, it was. The marines stormed ashore on August 7, 1942. After fierce fighting, they took Tulagi and some other small islands. On Guadalcanal, they encountered little opposition at first and soon took control of the island’s vital airfield, which our forces would call Henderson Field. However, things were soon going to change. The fighting raged at sea, in the air, and on the land. At sea, ferocious battles took place near Savo Island, and the waters around it and Guadalcanal are known as “Ironbottom Sound” due to the number of ships and sailors that are entombed beneath its waves. USN and cruise ships in the area still observe silence while cruising these waters.

Japanese and US carrier forces also clashed in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. In the air, Japanese fighters and bombers flying from Rabaul clashed with US aircraft based at Henderson. The Cactus Air Force, commanded by Admiral John McCain Sr., was the name given to the mainly marine aviators who defended the airspace over Guadalcanal with obsolete Wildcat fighters. On land, fighting raged on Guadalcanal as the Japanese began to bring in reinforcements in an attempt to retake the island. The so-called Tokyo Express saw Japanese troops rushed to the island on fast warships, and on occasions, US and Japanese warships clashed as the Japanese tried to land troops and supplies and to bombard US positions on Guadalcanal. Ferocious battles followed as the Japanese desperately tried to retake the airfield and our forces desperately tried to stop them. Eventually, however, the Japanese command concluded that it was going to be impossible to retake the island and it would be necessary to evacuate what remained of their forces on the island. By the time the Japanese finally withdrew from Guadalcanal in February 1943, ending a bitter campaign fought in a sometimes difficult environment, more than seven thousand Americans and twenty-one thousand Japanese were dead.

After the Japanese withdrawal, we developed extensive air, sea, and land facilities in the area. The P-38 Lightning fighters that shot down Yamamoto in April 1943 (see “Papua New Guinea”) were based on Henderson Field. In August 1943, JFK’s motor torpedo boat, PT-109, was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer, and members of the crew had to hide on assorted islands in the Solomons until they could be saved in an epic rescue with the help of brave Solomon Islanders. Part of PT-109 was finally located in the waters of the Solomon Islands in 2002. All in all, the Solomons saw large numbers of US troops, equipment, and infrastructure during the war, and strong links were established.” In the Solomon Islands chapter of Italy Invades: How Italians Conquered the World ( ) we noted this… “The most famous Italian American soldier of World War II was surely Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, who grew up in Raritan, New Jersey. He had enlisted in the US Army in the 1930s but subsequently joined the US Marine Corps.

Basilone won a Medal of Honor on Guadalcanal for manning a machine gun nest that helped to defend Henderson Field in 1942. He returned to the Unites States after the campaign on Guadalcanal to support war bond drives. He met and married Lena Mae Riggi, who was a sergeant in the Women’s Marine Corps Reserve. Basilone insisted on rejoining his unit to participate in the invasion of Iwo Jima, where he won a Navy Cross and was killed in action. His story was featured in Stephen Spielberg’s 2010 TV miniseries, The Pacific. Every year residents of Raritan, New Jersey, celebrate John Basilone Day with a parade to commemorate his life.” John Basilone statue, Raritan, NJ Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands : A Tourism, Travel and Information Guide : Basecamp International Introduction to Guadalcanal: Guadalcanal is the largest island in the Solomon Islands, the third largest archipelago in the South Pacific, with 992 islands and a total area of 28,450 square kilometers.

The capital of the Solomon Islands, Honiara, a picturesque seaport with a population of 54,600, is located on the northern coast of Guadalcanal. The island of Guadalcanal is mountainous and covered in tropical rainforests and its coasts are lined with palms and white sandy beaches... Guadalcanal is well-known for its pivotal role in World War II, with the Battle of Guadalcanal turning the tide in favor of the Allies in the Pacific theater. Guadalcanal today is still filled with many World War II relics and monuments. Learn more about the importance of Guadalcanal in World War II. Trivia & Quick Points: Guadalcanal is a tropical island with an average temperature of 29 °C and high humidity. Guadalcanal's wet season runs from November to May. At this time of year, the island is more prone to experiencing cyclones. On April 1, 2007, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred about 215 miles west north west of Honiara. A tsunami hit the Solomon Islands, killing at least 40 people, leaving many others missing, and destroying several villages.

About 300 homes, schools, and a hospital were destroyed in the Solomon Islands city of Sasamunga in Choiseul Province. Guadalcanal is 90 miles long and about 25 miles wide. It has coral reefs on the south shores and mountains up to 8000 feet high in the interior The western and eastern coasts of Guadalcanal were the sites of many World War II battles. Many of these sites have war relics, monuments, and memorials. The northern coast is the heart of the province, whereas the southern coast, called the "weather coast" because of heavy rainfall, is host to small villages and is less accessible. SEE LOTS MORE GREAT PHOTOS of GUADALCANAL HERE Facts & Information: On Guadalcanal, you can see well preserved American made WILDCAT F4F fighter planes... Photo courtesy of John Shively History: The Solomon Islands have been inhabited for thousands of years, initially by settlers from New Guinea.

The islands were named by a Spanish explorer, Alvaro de Mendaña de Neira, who, on finding alluvial gold on Guadalcanal in 1568, believed he had found the biblical King Solomon's source of gold. For two hundred years after this, there were few visits to the island by Europeans. Then, in the 1800's the British took an interest in the islands. A trade in laborers began, with workers from the Solomon Islands being taken sometimes brutally to Fiji and Australia to work on sugar plantations. The British created the Western Pacific High Commission in Fiji in 1877, to protect British interests and British subjects in the Solomons. Germany also took an interest in the Solomon Islands during the late 1800's. These Japanese helmets are collected by the locals and sold as souvenirs... Photo courtesy of John Shively Britain and Germany both vied for control of these islands and eventually divided them. The northernmost island, Bougainville, became part of the German islands of New Guinea, and then a province of independent Papua New Guinea. The rest of the Solomon Island chain became a British Protectorate in 1893.

In the last years of the century, more islands were added to the British Protectorate of the Solomon Islands. In 1900, Germany transferred the islands they had controlled to Britain. The island of Guadalcanal was the scene of a pivotal battle when it was invaded by the Japanese in World War II. Read more about the Battle of Guadalcanal here . After the war, in 1945, the British regained control of the Solomon Islands. In 1976, the islands became self-governing. They gained independence in 1978. In 1999, a militia group made up of people from the Isatabus tribe on Guadalcanal, called the Isatabu Freedom Movement, began to expel people from the nearby island of Malaita. The Isatabus had become resentful of the Malaitans, who moved to Guadalcanal and obtained jobs in Honiara. In response, a Malaitan militia was formed, called the Malaita Eagle Force.

Using stolen police weapons, the Malaita Eagle Force ousted Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu in June, 2000, and seized control of the capital. The rival militias signed the Townsville Peace Agreement in October 2000, but lawlessness persisted. In July 2003, the prime minister requested intervention by an international peacekeeping force. Australia led this force, and on August 13, 2003, the Isatabu Free Movement leader, Harold Keke, surrendered to the peacekeepers. Since then, the country has been relatively stable, although in April, 2006, rioting took place after Snyder Rini was appointed prime minister. Opponents claimed that Rini was beholden to Chinese interests and forced him to resign 8 days later. The parliament then elected opposition candidate, Manasseh Sogavare, to be the prime minister. Culture Some Solomon Islanders maintain a traditional lifestyle in small villages around the island. Some maintain traditional religious beliefs or a combination of these beliefs and Christianity, which was taught by missionaries who began arriving in the late 1800's.

These traditional beliefs were passed to the five clans, which came from each of the five sons of the heroine, Koevasi, who is believed to have created the first humans. Each clan has spirits of the dead, shark spirits, and snake spirits. Each of these spirits is believed to possess nanama, a supernatural power that they can wield over the living. Practitioners pray to each spirit for different purposes. For example, they pray to the shark spirits for issues related to fishing. Priests guide clan members in sacrifices and divinations, but other clan members can cast spells. In the traditional religion, believers hold feasts for weddings, funerals, births, and the completion of new homes. The afterlife is important, and practitioners pray to deceased ancestors in the belief that they can intervene on behalf of the living through nanama. Health Concerns Malaria is endemic to the Solomon Islands. Yellow fever is another disease of concern, also transmitted by mosquitos. Travelers should consult a physician before traveling to Guadalcanal. Travel & Tourism: Guadalcanal is known as a top diving spot, with clear water and a rich array of wildlife, as well as shipwrecks to explore.

The island is also a wildlife and bird watcher's paradise, where over 200 species of birds can be seen. Many tourists also come to Guadalcanal to visit World War II battle sites and museums and take in the culture of the island at traditional performances. Highlights & Features of the Capital, Honiara: - A cultural treat awaits at the Mendana Hotel in Honiara, which hosts weekly panpipe performances. - The National Museum is located across from the Mendana Hotel, and contains traditional handicrafts and historical artefacts. - A variety of traditional architectural styles of the Solomon Islands are on display at the Cultural Centre behind the museum. - The former Old Government House is now the National Art Gallery and offers painting exhibitions. - The National Archives contain the most extensive collection of historic information in the Solomon Islands. Located next to the National Museum, the National Archives are open to the public. - The Botanical Gardens, located near the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) studios (through the Rove prison gate and down the road), have collections of orchids and tropical plants as well as an herbarium.

What to Do & See Outside Honiara Visitors interested in the military history of Guadalcanal can take guided tours of historic sites from the Battle of Guadalcanal, including Bloody Ridge, Henderson Field (now the Solomon's international airport), Mataniko River, Red Beach, and the Western and Eastern Battlefields. The Battle of Guadalcanal was featured in the recent film "The Thin Red Line", which was filmed partly on Guadalcanal. The Vilu War Museum, 25 km west of Honiara, is home to both US and Japanese artefacts. Tourists can dive and snorkel in the clear, warm waters where a variety of marine life live, including barracuda, trevally, lion fish, giant clams, hammerhead sharks, and whale sharks. One popular dive spot is Bonegi Beach, a few miles west of Honiara. A dive spot where military relics can be explored is Iron Bottom Sound. Divers can explore sunken battleships, including the Bonegi I and II, and aircraft, incling B17 bomber wrecks. One famous recent wreck is the world Discoverer cruise ship, which ran aground on a reef in 2001.

Snorkelers can enjoy a coral reef called Marau Sound, which is home to tropical fish, giant clams, and rare sea shells. Tourists can enjoy many other water sports on Guadalcanal, including sea kayaking, yachting, sailing, and canoeing on sheltered waterways. At the Betikama High School, outside Honiara, tourists can see and purchase handicrafts, including wood carvings, trays, shell jewelry, ebony carvings, pottery, and WWII relics. Guadalacanal offers excellent opportunities for hikers and bird watchers. Hikers can see turtles, flying foxes, and many birds, including white-eyes, rails, honeyeaters, fantails, coucal (the world's largest cuckoo), thrushes, and megapodes (birds that lays eggs in volcanic sands and whose chicks can fly right after digging themselves out). In addition, there are several stunning waterfalls to visit, including Mataniko Falls, which is a two-hour walk from Honiara. There, the waterfall pours over a cave with resident bats and swallows.

The Tenaru Falls, a 60 meter waterfall is another spectacular site and is a day's drive and trek east of Honiara. Cycling, golf, and spelunking (cave exploration) are a few of the other outdoor activites visitors can enjoy on Guadalcanal. Tourists are welcome to visit the Giant Clam farm, 22 km west of Honiara . This farm was established in 1988. Where to Stay Honiara offers a full range of accomodations, from budget lodges to upscale casino hotels. Information on accomodations in Honiara is coming soon... Getting There & Away By Air: The main airport in the Solomon Islands is Henderson International Airport, 8 km outside Honiara, on Guadalcanal. Solomon Airlines flies into this airport from cities around the South Pacific, including Brisbane, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, and Nadi, Fiji. Solomon Airlines also serves several Asian cities, including Bangkok, Thailand, Bombay, India, and Jakarta, Indonesia. In addition, flights are available from London, England, Frankfurt, Germany, and Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Fiji's national airlines, Air Pacific, flies from Los Angeles as well as cities in the South Pacific to Honiara. Air Nauru also offers flights from Brisbane and several South Pacific islands to Honiara. The Visit South Pacific Pass offers island hoppers discounted airfares for touring islands in the South Pacific. By Boat: There are a few boats (mostly diving charters) that include cruises to Guadalcanal and other South Pacific Islands from Nadi, Fiji and Cairns, Australia. We will list them here shortly. Getting Around Honiara has car rental facilities, including rentals at the airport. Taxis and minibuses are also available in Honiara. For island hopping, Solomon Airlines offers many flights and several tour operators offer domestic cruises. TRAVEL to Guadalcanal! Use HONIARA as your destination city and compare the travel services. VALOR TOURS Valor Tours, Ltd. is a resource for veterans, their families, military service organizations, unit associations, reunion groups, historical societies and government institutions with an interest in the Pacific and Europe wartime theaters.

(It was a consultant to the Pentagon's WWII 50th Anniversary Committee.) Today, tour participants are largely veterans' sons, daughters, grandchildren and the general public, especially WWII history buffs, seeking a meaningful focus for their vacation travels. A Beginner’s Guide to the Pacific Island Nations - Pacsafe Blog A Beginner’s Guide to the Pacific Island Nations Posted by Brad Nehring on December 11, 2012 at 6:00 am With tens of thousands of islands, islets and atolls scattered throughout the South Pacific, it’s easy to confuse the independent countries that govern them. Here’s a little background info to help you tell them apart. Note: Only sovereign nations that lie entirely within at least one of the three major Pacific Island groups (Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) are included on this list; territories, collectivities and other areas belonging to larger countries (such as Guam, Easter Island and New Caledonia) are not included. Federated States of Micronesia Population: 111,000 Number of Islands: 607 Claim to Fame: Impressive distribution.

Despite a total land area of less than 300 square miles , the islands occupy more than 1 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean. The ruins at Nan Madol , which date back more than 1,000 years, are also one of the region’s major tourist attractions. Fiji Population: 849,000 Number of Islands: At least 332 Claim to Fame: Rugby. Fiji’s rugby following is well established and, despite the country’s relatively small population, the national team has participated in five of the seven Rugby World Cup tournaments. The Fijian islands also generate a fair amount of tourism (moreso than most small Pacific Island nations), largely due to the numerous, scuba-friendly soft coral reefs. Kiribati Population: 103,500 Number of Islands: 33 Claim to Fame: Christmas Island, which is technically an atoll (the world’s largest), comprises 70 percent of the country’s land area and has been a protected wildlife sanctuary since the 1970s. Movie buffs will also recognize Kiribati as the site of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Peace Corps service in the film Shallow Hal.

Marshall Islands Population: 68,000 Number of Islands: More than 1,100 Claim to Fame: Nuclear testing, unfortunately. Bikini Atoll, today a World Heritage Site, was used by the U.S. government as a testing area for 23 nuclear devices between 1946 and 1958. Scores of inhabitants were exposed to radiation, and the atoll was considered uninhabitable for decades until scientific studies determined there was no further risk of nuclear fallout for those who wished to reside there. Nauru Population: 9,378 Number of Islands: 1 Claim to Fame: Size… or lack thereof. At just over 8 square miles, Nauru is the world’s smallest republic , as well as the second least-populated nation in the world (only Vatican City has fewer citizens). On October 26, 1932, the country’s population reached 1,500. In honor of this milestone, Nauruans celebrate Angam Day , or the ‘Day of Fulfillment’, every year. New Zealand Population: 4.4 million Number of Islands: 33 Claim to Fame: Lord of the Rings.

Just kidding… sort of. In addition to its eye-popping natural beauty, New Zealand is a venerable Mecca for all those who crave bungee jumping, white-water rafting, mountaineering, cycling and other sporty endeavors. And according to a recent article by Forbes , New Zealand is the ‘Friendliest Country in the World’. Palau Population: 21,000 Number of Islands: More than 250 Claim to Fame: Environmentalism. Unlike many other Pacific Island nations (and likely due to its small population and low tourism rates), Palau is considered one of the most eco-friendly nations in the world. In 2005, President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. launched the Micronesia Challenge , a green initiative that seeks to conserve marine and forest habitats. The country is also home to the world’s first ‘shark sanctuary’ , which allows visitors to swim up-close with one of the world’s most notorious predators. Papua New Guinea Population: 6.3 million Number of Islands: 151 Claim to Fame: Cultural diversity. PNG is home to hundreds of different indigenous groups, many of which live remotely and remain unseen by the rest of the world.

More languages are spoken here than in any other country – more than 800 by last count, representing roughly 12 percent of the world’s total number. The country also ranked first on Lonely Planet’s list of top bird-watching destinations. Samoa Population: 194,320 Number of Islands: 10 Claim to Fame: Tattoos. Samoans have practiced tattooing for thousands of years , and the practice is intertwined with many cultural traditions and beliefs; Samoans, along with Maoris and Polynesians, are thought to be responsible for the infamously widespread ‘tribal tattoo’ designs. The nation was also made famous by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (of Treasure Island fame), who spent his final years on the island of Upolo; the land he owned near the capital city of Apia has since been converted into a museum . Solomon Islands Population: 523,000 Number of Islands: Roughly 1,000 Claim to Fame: World War II. The island of Guadalcanal – the country’s largest – was the site of a bloody, six-month battle between Allied forces and Japanese troops .

The campaign effectively halted Japanese expansion and served as a major turning point in the war. Author James Jones chronicled the campaign in his bestseller, The Thin Red Line, which was later adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Sean Penn. Tonga Population: 103,036 Number of Islands: 176 Claim to Fame: The only constitutional monarchy in the South Pacific . Originally, Tongans served the Tu’I Tonga, or paramount chief, but this important figure was replaced by kings and queens in subsequent centuries and this political structure has sustained to the present day. One of the most revered Tongan leaders, Queen Salote, attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Tuvalu Population: 10,544 Number of Islands: 9 Claim to Fame: Isolation. Tuvalu is one of the most remote countries on Earth, and due to high airfare rates, only a few dozen tourists visit Tuvalu each year (most of whom don’t leave the capital city). However, the low turnout isn’t necessarily a bad thing; hard-to-reach islands like Nukufetau and Nukulaelae are considered some of the most pristine natural areas in the world.

Vanuatu Population: 224,600 Number of Islands: 83 Claim to Fame: Pentecost Land Diving, a traditional practice among the N’gol tribe that has become quite popular with visiting spectators. Participants bind their feet with elastic vines and leap from tall treetops, and the vines stretch until the diver’s shoulders touch the soil. The activity is meant to demonstrate strength and courage, as well as bless the soil for the forthcoming yam harvest. Solomon Islands travel guide - Wikitravel Time Zone UTC +11 The Solomon Islands [1] are a South Pacific archipelago east of Papua New Guinea . They occupy a strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea. History[ edit ] The Solomon Islands are believed to have been inhabited by Melanesian people for thousands of years. It is believed that Papuan speaking settlers began to arrive around 30,000 BC. Austronesian speakers arrived circa 4,000 BC also bringing cultural elements such as the outrigger canoe.

It is between 1,200 and 800 BC that the ancestors of the Polynesians, the Lapita people, arrived from the Bismarck Archipelago with their characteristic ceramics. The first European to visit the islands was the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, coming from Peru in 1568. The people of Solomon Islands were notorious for headhunting and cannibalism before the arrival of the Europeans. Missionaries began visiting the Solomons in the mid-19th century. They made little progress at first, because "blackbirding" (the often brutal recruitment of laborers for the sugar plantations in Queensland and Fiji) led to a series of reprisals and massacres. The evils of the labor trade prompted the United Kingdom to declare a protectorate over the southern Solomons in June 1893. In the Second World War, there was fierce fighting between the Americans and the Japanese in the Solomon Islands campaign of 1942–45, including the Battle of Guadalcanal. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later.

The Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen of the Solomon Islands, at present Elizabeth II, as the head of state. In 1998, ethnic violence, government misconduct, and crime undermined stability and society. In June 2003, an Australian-led multinational force, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), has arrived and restored peace, disarmed ethnic militias and improved civil governance. It has also led to the development of facilities catering to the expatriate workers. Geography[ edit ] The Solomon Islands is a wide island nation and the distance between the westernmost and easternmost islands is about 1,500km (930 mi). The Santa Cruz Islands (of which Tikopia is part), are situated north of Vanuatu and are especially isolated at more than 200km (120 mi) from the other islands. Bougainville is geographically part of the Solomon Islands, but politically an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea . The Solomon Islands archipelago is part of two distinct terrestrial ecoregions. Most of the islands are part of the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion. These forests have come under great pressure from forestry activities.

The Santa Cruz Islands are part of the Vanuatu rain forests ecoregion, together with the neighboring archipelago of Vanuatu . More than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers brighten the landscape. The islands contain several active and dormant volcanoes with Tinakula and Kavachi being the most active. The highest point is Mount Makarakomburu, at 2,447 meters. Many low lying coral atolls dot the region. Climate[ edit ] The islands' ocean-equatorial climate is extremely humid throughout the year, with a mean temperature of 27 °C (80 °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 3050 mm (120 in). Get in[ edit ] Everyone needs a passport, onward ticket, and sufficient funds to cover their stay in the Solomon Islands.

Citizens of all other nations, with the exception of Belarus , Burundi , Ghana , Montenegro , Serbia , South Africa , South Sudan , Vatican City and Zimbabwe can obtain a visa on arrival if they have a pre-arranged visa approval. If you have a visitor's permit, you are not allowed to engage in work, business, religious vocations, or professional research. If you wish to do any of those things, you must get a business permit. By plane[ edit ] Honiara International Airport is located 8 kilometres east of the capital, Honiara . Solomon Airlines offers flights departing from Brisbane , Australia four times a week, whilst Virgin Australia offers an additional two services to and from Brisbane. There are also flights departing from Port Vila Vanuatu , Nadi Fiji and Port Moresby Papua New Guinea . Due to a dispute between Solomon Airlines and Fiji Airways, all connections between Fiji and the Solomons were suspended as of September 2014. Service was restored in March 2015, and this route is now served by Fiji Airways and Solomon Airlines. By sea[ edit ] Cruise ships occasionally visit Honiara and the outer provinces as part of a scheduled tour.

It is usually not possible to use these vessels as one way transport to or from the country. Expedition company Heritage Expeditions (New Zealand based company) explores the Solomon Islands with its 50 passenger expedition ship 'Spirit of Enderby / Professor Kromov' each April and October with expeditions of up to 18 days. They use the ship to relocate, anchor and then zodiacs to navigate waterways and visit out-of-the-way islands and communities in expedition style travel. Main focus of voyage and the daily landings are cultural, wildlife, hiking and underwater snorkeling experiences. Recreational yachts regularly visit the Solomon Islands, many staying for extended periods to enjoy and explore the many islands, coral atolls and beautiful lagoons. Whilst it is possible to travel from southern Bougainville in Papua New Guinea by boat/motor canoe into the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, there are currently no commercial operators running this service. Some more intrepid visitors have been successful in securing passage on motor canoes heading between the two regions on supply trips. It should be noted that in most cases these boats do not carry life jackets, marine radios or any further form of safety equipment so caution should be exercised.

There is no fixed ticket price and the journey price would need to be negotiated directly with the boat operator. In most cases, boats may reach as far as Gizo in the Western Province which has regular domestic air and sea connections with Honiara. More details for the border crossing to Bougainville are available here . Immigration formalities can be attended to in Gizo or Noro . Air[ edit ] Solomon Airlines is currently the only airline offering domestic flights within the Solomon Islands. They have a fleet of 5 planes for domestic services which include a 'Dash 8', two 'Twin Otters' and two 'Islander' aircraft. All aircraft are based at the Honiara Domestic Airport which is located five minutes walk from the international airport at Henderson. The Airport is accessible from the city centre for a capped rate of $100.00 for a taxi. There is also a shuttle bus service which services all the main accommodation for $75.00 per person. Flights depart for Munda and Gizo in the Western Province daily, whilst other locations are generally serviced less frequently.

Tickets can be booked online at flysolomons.com or there are ticketing offices at Point Cruz and Panatina Plaza in Honiara or at each regional airport. Sea[ edit ] Due to the layout of the country, Solomon Islanders are very used to travelling by sea and in most cases this is seemingly the preferred method of travel. While this may not be the fastest way to get to your destination, voyages by sea can be scenic and take you through lesser-travelled areas. As most offer quite basic amenities, they are also considerably cheaper than travelling by air. While the vast majority of ships are incredibly basic by western standards, all have toilets and usually a basic canteen selling snacks and drinks. Safety equipment is mandatory for all commercial vessels in the Solomon Islands so each vessel should be equipped with appropriate materials and abide by loading requirements. Although there may be some seating available, most passengers will find a space on the floor and roll out a mat to claim an area to sleep during the journey. Due to their mixed role as passenger and freight carriers, most ships may spend a while at various ports during a journey to load and offload.

While this can create delays, it also invites the opportunity to take a walk around the area and perhaps buy some fresh fruit or BBQ fish from a market. Cargo ships run to virtually every province from Honiara and the price is sometimes just a fraction of the price of flying. To most places ships will run every week but to more remote provinces (Temotu) every two weeks or so. As opposed to passenger ships, cargo ships are slower, stopping at more ports, picking up cargo, which allows time for wandering, socializing and enjoying the views. Schedules are virtually non-existent, but Honiara's port is a good place to start asking. Information seems to be spread by word of mouth. Ask for telephone number and reconfirm again and again. An exception to the rule, there are a small number of ships which provide a superior service, aimed primarily at higher quality passenger only transport. These ships include: 360 Discovery A former Auckland Harbour ferry which provides an almost daily fast ferry service to Auki in Malaita, often via Tulagi in Ngella (Central Province). There is a canteen onboard, toilets and flat screen tv with movies.

Tickets can be purchased from either the ship or their office in Point Cruz near the Lime Lounge Cafe. In 2012 the fare as S$300 one way or S$580 return. Boarding is at 7:30am for an 8am departure, reaching Auki at around 12:30pm. Pelican Express which provides a regular fast ferry service to Auki and the only weekly day trip service to the Western Province including ports of Batuna, Seghe, Noro and Gizo (no more as of October 2014). There is indoor and outdoor seating, toilets, canteen, and flat screen tv with movies. Ticket options include first or second class, first class seating is on the top level and is a little less crowded. Bring some warm clothes as the air conditioning works a little too well. Tickets can be purchased from the ship or their office in Point Cruz near the Lime Lounge Cafe. The Pelican usually departs Honiara for Gizo on Sunday mornings, arriving in Gizo just before dark on the same day. It then returns to Honiara on Monday mornings.

Note that this service is subject to calm seas and weather conditions and can be cancelled (sometimes even when the journey has already commenced) if conditions are not favourable. Fair Glory, a large and sturdy passenger vessel providing the only service with private tourist cabin accommodation on board. Fair Glory travels weekly to both Auki and Gizo (via Seghe, Ughele and Noro ports). Trips to the Western Province depart every Sunday morning arriving in Gizo before lunch on Monday. The ship then departs Gizo for Honiara on Tuesday mornings. Prices for tickets vary depending on seating class. Although cabin prices include 2 pax, in early 2013 quoted prices for a cabin for the Honiara-Gizo journey were similar to that of two one way tickets on the Solomon Airlines service to Gizo. As of October 2014 Fair Glory is not operating, being repaired in the Philippines. Until it is away, a cargo ship, Chanella takes passengers too. Auki Ferry This runs most days from Honiara Wharf to Auki on the island of Malaita across the Slot from Honiara.

In 2012 the fare as S$300 one way or S$580 return. The ferry travels through the Florida Islands channel which is worth seeing and there's a high chance you'll see plenty of flying fish if you look off the front or sides of the boat. The catamaran ferry is a former Auckland Harbour ferry so is not designed to be ocean-going. This means that when it's rough, it's rough so be prepared. The ferry has plenty of comfortable seating, air conditioning and a big flat screen which shows films during the journey. You can buy drinks and snacks on the ferry although it's best to buy this on the way out from Honiara as supplies run low once the boat is heading back. There is a toilet. Boarding is at 7:30am for an 8am departure. Buy your ticket from a vehicle parked outside the jetty gate in the wharf car park. It'll be the one swamped with people getting tickets at 7:30am. Boat stops in [Tulagi] (9:30am) in Florida Islands and leaves ten minutes later for Poromole (arr.

10:30) which has a beautiful beach and water. It reaches Auki at 12:30 and leaves to return to Honiara via the same route at 2pm (boarding from 1:30pm). Return to Poromole is 3:30pm and Tulagi at 4:30pm before arrival in Honiara at sunset or around 6pm. One of the most popular and scenic routes is between Gizo and Honiara . Most ships will make a stopover in Noro (for Munda which doesn't have a deep sea wharf) and Seghe . As of October 2014 three ferries operate this route: Chanella (substituting Fair Glory), Kosko (a cargo ship making many stops) and LC Phoenix (passengers only). Prices vary between 300 and 500 SBD one way so ask around. Oddly, all boats depart at the same time: Sunday from Honiara, Tuesday morning from Gizo. Cancellations and delays are common. Bring a mat for sleeping and a jacket for all sea travel.

Talk[ edit ] The islands are home to more than 120 indigenous Melanesian languages, with most citizens speaking the local Melanesian Pidgin as a lingua franca. English is the official language, but spoken by only 1 or 2% of the population. Buy[ edit ][ add listing ] ATM's are available in Honiara. Australian dollars are accepted at some hotels and resorts. The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their 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. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance staff, many of whom have left the country. Stay safe[ edit ] While not as bad as neighboring Papua New Guinea, crime rates in the Solomon Islands are high.

Travel after dark is dangerous, especially in Honiara , and muggers have been known to target tourists at the Japanese War Memorial on Mt Austin even in broad daylight. Ethnic tension between Guales (residents of Guadalcanals) and Malaitans , as well as between everybody and the Chinese, continue to simmer. Australian troops have been in place since 2003 to keep things in check, but this did not prevent violent rioting in Honiara in 2006 from destroying large parts of the city. Stay healthy[ edit ] Malaria is the biggest health issue in the Solomon Islands. Travellers to the area should take anti-malarial pills before, during and after their stay. Saltwater Crocodiles are relatively common (in comparison to other islands in the South Pacific) in the Solomon Islands and great care should be taken while in or near ANY body of water. Knowledge is the best defense for yourself and for the protection of the crocs themselves. While by no means anywhere even close to crocodile levels in both Northern Australia and New Guinea, the population is still considered relatively healthy on the Solomons in comparison to much of the species' Southeast Asian range.

This is especially true of the islands closest to New Guinea, which hold the highest populations in the Solomons. Contact[ edit ] Unfortunately mobile internet is very slow and expensive. Some places in Honiara will have free wifi (The Bamboo cafe, for example). Prepaid SIM cards are available from Our Telekom and BeMobile. Solomon Islands Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Fact Sheet March 9, 2016 More information about Solomon Islands is available on the Solomon Islands Country Page and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet. U.S.-SOLOMON ISLANDS RELATIONS During World War II, U.S. and Japanese forces fought each other in Solomon Islands, then a British protectorate. By the end of 1943, the Allies were in command of the entire Solomon chain. The large-scale U.S. presence toward the end of the war dwarfed anything seen before in the islands. In recognition of the close ties forged between the United States and the people of Solomon Islands during World War II, the U.S. Congress financed the construction of the Solomon Islands Parliament building.

The two countries established diplomatic relations following Solomon Islands' independence in 1978 from the United Kingdom. The U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea is also accredited to Solomon Islands. U.S. diplomatic representation is handled by the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea. The United States maintains a Consular Agency in Honiara, Solomon Islands to provide consular services. The United States and Solomon Islands are committed to working together and improving regional stability, promoting democracy and human rights, combating trafficking in persons, responding to climate change, increasing trade, and promoting sustainable economic development. U.S. Assistance to Solomon Islands In Solomon Islands and across the Pacific Islands region, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports programs that help communities adapt to the negative impacts of global climate change and supports disaster relief efforts and disaster risk reduction programs to enhance local capacity for disaster response. USAID’s Pacific Islands Regional Office is located in Papua New Guinea which covers 12 nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The United States builds the capacity and resilience of Solomon Islands to adapt to climate change through regional assistance that covers these 12 Pacific Island countries. The U.S. Coast Guard provides training to Solomon Islands border protection officers, and the U.S. military also provides appropriate military education and training courses to national security officials. The United States also implements a program on unexploded ordnance on Guadalcanal, and the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accountability Agency deploys missions throughout the year to recover and repatriate remains of U.S. soldiers from World War II. The U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby issued a disaster declaration and provided $50,000 to the Solomon Islands to assist with the Dengue Fever outbreak in 2013 and provided $250,000 to assist with Cyclone Ita flood recovery in 2014. Bilateral Economic Relations Solomon Islands is a party to the U.S.-Pacific Islands Multilateral Tuna Fisheries Treaty, which provides access for U.S. fishing vessels in exchange for a license fee from the U.S. industry.

Under a separate Economic Assistance Agreement associated with the Treaty, the United States government currently provides $21 million per year to Pacific Island parties. Solomon Islands' Membership in International Organizations Solomon Islands and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization, the Pacific Community, and Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Solomon Islands also belongs to the Pacific Islands Forum, of which the United States is a Dialogue Partner. Bilateral Representation The U.S. Ambassador to Solomon Islands is Catherine Ebert-Gray , resident in Papua New Guinea; other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List . Solomon Islands has no embassy in Washington, DC, but has a permanent representative to the United Nations in New York who also is accredited as ambassador to the United States. More information about Solomon Islands is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here: Solomon Islands Memorial Garden, Honiara - TripAdvisor Want the lowest hotel prices? You're in the right place. We check 200+ sites for you. Solomon Islands Memorial Garden, Honiara Is this attraction a "must-see" location?

Yes Does this attraction provide visitors with a taste of the local culture? Yes Is this attraction pet friendly? Yes Do you recommend this attraction for travelers who love nature? Yes Do you recommend this attraction for seniors (55+)? Yes Do you find this attraction suitable for young children? Yes Is a car required to access this attraction? Yes Do you recommend this attraction for travelers on a budget? Yes Do you find this attraction suitable for families? Yes Is this attraction accessible using public transportation? Yes Map updates are paused. Zoom in to see updated info. Reset zoom Terrible “A nice place to reflect” The Solomons islands Memorial garden is a nice place to visit and reflect on WW2, within walking distance from the international airport terminal, nice rows of vertical trees with... read more Reviewed May 28, 2016 33 Reviews from our TripAdvisor Community Which Honiara hotels are on sale? mm/dd/yyyy mm/dd/yyyy Sponsored links * Read reviews that mention: All reviews second world war who gave their lives located right plaques field rows freedom airport soldiers henderson trees battle maintenance campaign monument islands reminder Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews.

Start your review of Solomon Islands Memorial Garden Click to rate “Very lovely” Reviewed October 28, 2016 Lovely place to visit and reflect on what happened here during the WWII. It is located right near the airport. There was an entrance fee of $10. The gravestones are beautifully set out and the whole place is very moving, making one feel sad as it brings to mind what happened in this place. So many young men lost their... More Helpful? Solomon Islands - Melanesia - Country Profile - Nations Online Project Country Profile Background: The Solomon Islands consist of six major and approximately 900 smaller volcanic islands, coral atolls and reefs, more than 300 of them are inhabited. They stretch about 900 miles in a south-easterly direction from Papau New Guinea toward Fiji. The former UK protectorate, established in the 1890s, is one of the poorest countries in the South Pacific; 85 percent of the country's population live in isolated rural villages on undeveloped outer islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 followed by independence in 1978.

Government malfeasance, etnic armed conflicts and civil unrest left the country in danger of a total collapse. Following an urgent request from the Solomons government for help, Australian-led regional forces landed in the capital Honiara on July 2003 to rescue the Solomon Islands from collapse. After one year of the Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI) in 2004 the law and order situation and indeed the fiscal situation remains fragile. Visited as part of a tour of Guadalcanal - Review of Solomon Islands Memorial Garden, Honiara, Solomon Islands - TripAdvisor Review of Solomon Islands Memorial Garden “Visited as part of a tour of Guadalcanal” Reviewed May 14, 2016 As with all of the WWII memorials on Guadalcanal this place is steeped in history. The impact of the Japanese and subsequent American occupations remains on this island nation. I recommend visiting this and the other memorials on the island. Visited April 2016 Ask Gregg B about Solomon Islands Memorial Garden This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

33 reviews from our community Visitor rating “Beautifully maintained memorial with excellent views” Reviewed March 28, 2016 Located on the hill above Honiara, the memorial is a reminder of the dark days of the second world war. Beautifully laid out and maintained, with excellent views over Honoriaria Bay. Visited February 2016 Ask Anthony G about Solomon Islands Memorial Garden This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. skyhoosier “Brings it all home” Reviewed February 26, 2016 This is a beautiful tribute to our nation's youth, as well as those from other nations who gave their lives to preserve a way of life in he Western World. But perhaps more importantly emphasizes the cost of war. It is located at Henderson Field, the spot the Battle of Guadalcanal was all about. Visited February 2016

Question: The island of Guadalcanal belongs to which island nation?
Answer: THE SOLOMON ISLANDS