46 Facts About Solomon Islands

1.

Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu.

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2.

The country takes its name from the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that includes the North Solomon Islands, but excludes outlying islands, such as the Santa Cruz Islands and Rennell and Bellona.

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3.

The King of Solomon Islands is King Charles III, who is represented in the country by a governor-general.

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4.

In 1568, the Spanish navigator Alvaro de Mendana was the first European to visit the Solomon Islands archipelago, naming it Islas Salomon after the wealthy biblical King Solomon.

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5.

Linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that the Lapita people "leap-frogged" the already inhabited main Solomon Islands and settled first on the Santa Cruz group, with later back-migrations bringing their culture to the main group.

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6.

The people of Solomon Islands were notorious for headhunting and cannibalism before the arrival of the Europeans.

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7.

Relations with the native Solomon Islands Islanders were initially cordial, although they often soured as time went by.

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8.

Solomon Islands returned to the Solomons with a larger crew on a second voyage in 1595, aiming to colonise the islands.

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9.

In 1884 Germany annexed north-east New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago, and in 1886 they extended their rule over the North Solomon Islands, covering Bougainville, Buka, Choiseul, Santa Isabel, the Shortlands and Ontong Java atoll.

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10.

From 1942 until the end of 1943, the Solomon Islands were the scene of several major land, sea and air battles between the Allies and the Japanese Empire's armed forces.

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11.

In May 1942 the Japanese launched Operation Mo, occupying Tulagi and most of the western Solomon Islands, including Guadalcanal where they began work on an airstrip.

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12.

Under the terms of the Solomon Islands Act 1978 the country was annexed to Her Majesty's dominions and granted independence on 7 July 1978.

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13.

The first Prime Minister was Sir Peter Kenilorea of the Solomon Islands United Party, with Elizabeth II becoming Queen of Solomon Islands, represented locally by a Governor General.

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14.

Solomon Islands had to deal with the effects of the conflict in neighbouring Bougainville which broke out in 1988, causing many refugees to flee to the Solomons.

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15.

The Solomon Islands Government requested assistance from Australia under the 2017 Bilateral Security Treaty and Australia provided a deployment of Australian Federal Police and Defence Forces.

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16.

In March 2022, the Solomon Islands signed a memorandum of understanding on policing cooperation with China and was reported to be in the process of concluding a security agreement with China.

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17.

Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary system of government.

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18.

Solomon Islands governments are characterised by weak political parties and highly unstable parliamentary coalitions.

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19.

On 27 December 2006, the Solomon Islands government took steps to prevent the country's Australian police chief from returning to the Pacific nation.

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20.

Solomon Islands is a member of the United Nations, Interpol, Commonwealth of Nations, Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Community, International Monetary Fund, and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries (Lome Convention).

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21.

The relationship was terminated in September 2019 by Solomon Islands, which switched recognition to the People's Republic of China.

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22.

Since 2022, ties with China have been rapidly increasing, with Solomon Islands signing a security pact that allows the country to call for Chinese security forces to quell unrest.

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23.

Solomon Islands is an island nation that lies east of Papua New Guinea and consists of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands.

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24.

The major part of the nation of Solomon Islands covers many of the mountainous high islands of the Solomon Islands archipelago, which includes Choiseul, the Shortland Islands, the New Georgia Islands, Santa Isabel, the Russell Islands, the Florida Islands, Tulagi, Malaita, Maramasike, Ulawa, Owaraha, Makira (San Cristobal), and the main island of Guadalcanal.

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25.

Solomon Islands includes smaller, isolated low atolls and high islands such as Sikaiana, Rennell Island, Bellona Island, the Santa Cruz Islands and tiny outliers such as Tikopia, Anuta, and Fatutaka.

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26.

Solomon Islands archipelago is part of two distinct terrestrial ecoregions.

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27.

The Santa Cruz Solomon Islands are part of the Vanuatu rain forests ecoregion, together with the neighbouring archipelago of Vanuatu.

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28.

Baseline survey of marine biodiversity in the Solomon Islands that was carried out in 2004, found 474 species of corals in the Solomons as well as nine species which could be new to science.

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29.

The number of Solomon Islands Islanders living with piped drinking water has been decreasing since 2011, while those living with non-piped water increased between 2000 and 2010.

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30.

Rural villages such as Bolava, found in the Western Province of Solomon Islands, have benefited greatly from the program, with the implementation of water tanks and rain catchment and water storage systems.

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31.

Solomon Islands dollar was introduced in 1977, replacing the Australian dollar at par.

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32.

Solomon Islands'sll money was a widely used traditional currency in the Pacific Islands, in Solomon Islands, it is mostly manufactured in Malaita and Guadalcanal but can be bought elsewhere, such as the Honiara Central Market.

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33.

Recently, Solomon Islands courts have re-approved the export of live dolphins for profit, most recently to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

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34.

Agriculture on the Solomon Islands is hampered by a very severe lack of agricultural machines.

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35.

Solomon Islands' fisheries offer prospects for export and domestic economic expansion.

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36.

In 2017 the Solomon Islands were visited by 26, 000 tourists making the country one of the least frequently-visited countries of the world.

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37.

Solomon Islands Airlines connects Honiara to Nadi in Fiji, Port Vila in Vanuatu and Brisbane in Australia as well as to more than 20 domestic airports in each province of the country.

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38.

Education in Solomon Islands is not compulsory, and only 60 percent of school-age children have access to primary education.

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39.

Culture of Solomon Islands reflects the extent of the differentiation and diversity among the groups living within the Solomon Islands archipelago, which lies within Melanesia in the Pacific Ocean, with the peoples distinguished by island, language, topography, and geography.

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40.

The cultural area includes the nation state of Solomon Islands and the Bougainville Island, which is a part of Papua New Guinea.

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41.

Solomon Islands includes some culturally Polynesian societies which lie outside the main region of Polynesian influence, known as the Polynesian Triangle.

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42.

In 2014, Solomon Islands officially launched the Family Protection Act 2014, which was aimed at curbing domestic violence in the country.

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43.

Writers from Solomon Islands include the novelists Rexford Orotaloa and John Saunana and the poet Jully Makini.

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44.

The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation operates public radio services, including the national stations Radio Happy Isles 1037 on the dial and Wantok FM 96.

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45.

Traditional Melanesian music in Solomon Islands includes both group and solo vocals, slit-drum and panpipe ensembles.

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46.

Solomon Islands is the futsal defending champions in the Oceania region.

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