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East of Papua New Guinea is the Solomon Islands, which is a country that consists of almost one thousand islands. Together these islands cover nearly eleven thousand square miles. The capital of the Solomon Islands is Honiara, which is located on an island that is mainly jungle.
The Solomon Islands are home to over fifty-five hundred thousand people, with the vast majority being ethnically Melanesian. The other significant groups are Polynesian (three percent of the country) and Micronesian (a little over one percent). The country has many local languages, of which seventy are living languages and four are considered extinct.
It's widely believed that Islands have been inhabited by the Melanesian people for many thousands of years. In the 1890s, the United Kingdom established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands. Much later, in 1942 to 1945, some of the most bitter fighting of World War II took place here. The country began to self-government in 1976 and achieved independence two years later. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, since the Solomon Islands are a constitutional monarchy.
More recently in the late 1990s, government misconduct, ethnic violence and crime undermined society and stability. In 2003, a multinational force, consisting of 1200 police and troops led by Australians, began the restoration of peace, improving the civil governance and disarming of ethnic militias.
The Solomon Islands is a very wide island nation. The islands are Choiseul and the Shortlands Islands, Santa Isabel, the New Georgia Islands, Nggela (the Florida Islands), the Russell Islands, Malaita, Sikaiana, Guadalcanal, the Santa Cruz Islands, Rennell and Bellona, Santa Ana, Ulawa, Makira (San Cristobal), Maramasike and Uki. Additionally, there are three tiny islands on the outermost of the country: Fatutaka, Anuta and Tikopia. Some islands are quite close to each other, while others are as much as 900 miles apart.
The islands are incredibly humid all year long, averaging around 27 degrees Celsius or 80 degrees Fahrenheit. August and June are the coolest periods, though the islands don't have extreme temperature or weather. Frequent rainfall and occasional cyclones and squalls occur November through April due to the northwesterly winds.
Some of the country's islands make great tourist spots. Guadalcanal is a popular diving spot, with crystal clear waters, shipwrecks to explore and a rich array of wildlife. Since the country is less developed than say, the United States or England, one can expect the trip to cost less than what we're used to paying. |
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