Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands is a nation consisting of over 900 islands in Melanesia, in the Pacific Ocean east of Papua New Guinea. The Coral Sea lies south of the island group, and the Solomon Sea lies southwest.

Fast Facts

1. Capital: Honiara, on island of Guadalcanal
2. Population: 478,000 (2005 estimate)
3. Key battles occurred on Guadalcanal in World War II
4. Book and movie The Thin Red Line dramatize World War II battles in Solomons
5. Prone to tsunamis

Brief History

Ethnologists estimate that the Solomon Islands have been inhabited by humans for as long as 30,000 years. In the late 19th century, following several decades of visits by missionaries, the British colonized the islands. In World War II, the islands were invaded by the Japanese, who established a stronghold on the large island of Guadalcanal. The defeat of Japanese forces through Allied amphibious landings on Guadalcanal was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. The islands are low-lying and exposed to tsunamis. On April 2, 2007, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake caused a 5-10 meter high tsunami to hit the island, killing over 50 people.

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