Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands form an archipelago in the Southwest Pacific
about 1,900 kilometers (1,200 mi.) northeast of Australia. With
terrain ranging from ruggedly mountainous islands to low-lying coral
atolls, the Solomon Islands stretch in a 1,450-kilometer (900 mi.)
chain southeast from Papua New Guinea across the Coral Sea to
Vanuatu.
The main islands of Choiseul, New Georgia, Santa Isabel,
Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Makira have rainforested mountain ranges
of mainly volcanic origin, deep narrow valleys, and coastal belts
lined with coconut palms and ringed by reefs. The smaller islands
are atolls and raised coral reefs, often spectacularly beautiful.
The Solomon Islands region is geologically active, and earth tremors
are frequent.
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 305 centimeters
(120 in.).
More than 90% of the islands traditionally were forested, but this
has come under severe pressure from current logging operations. The
coastal strips are sheltered by mangrove and coconut trees.
Luxuriant rainforest covers the interiors of the large islands. Soil
quality ranges from extremely rich volcanic to relatively infertile
limestone. More than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical
flowers brighten the landscape.
The Solomon Islanders comprise diverse cultures, languages, and
customs. Ninety-three percent are Melanesian, 4% Polynesian, and
1.5% Micronesian. In addition, small numbers of Europeans and
Chinese are registered. About 120 vernacular languages are spoken.
Most people reside in small, widely dispersed settlements along the
coasts. Sixty percent live in localities with fewer than 200
persons, and only 17% reside in urban areas.
The capital city of Honiara, situated on Guadalcanal, the largest
island, has 54,600 inhabitants. The other principal towns are Gizo,
Auki, and Kirakira.
Most Solomon Islanders are Christian, with the Anglican, Roman
Catholic, South Seas Evangelical, and Seventh-day Adventist faiths
predominating. About 5% of the population maintains traditional
beliefs.
The chief characteristics of the traditional Melanesian social
structure are:
The practice of subsistence economy;
The recognition of bonds of kinship, with important obligations
extending beyond the immediate family group; local and clan
loyalties far outweigh regional or national affiliations.
Generally egalitarian relationships, emphasizing acquired rather
than inherited status; and
A strong attachment of the people to the land.
Most Solomon Islanders maintain this traditional social structure
and find their roots in village life. |
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Although little prehistory of the Solomon Islands is known, material
excavated on Santa Ana, Guadalcanal, and Gawa indicates that a
hunter-gatherer people lived on the larger islands as early as 1000
B.C. Some Solomon Islanders are descendants of Neolithic
Austronesian-speaking peoples who migrated from Southeast Asia.
The European discoverer of the Solomons was the Spanish explorer
Alvaro de Mendana Y Neyra, who set out from Peru in 1567 to seek the
legendary Isles of Solomon. British mariner Philip Carteret entered
Solomon waters in 1767. In the years that followed, visits by
explorers were more frequent.
Missionaries began visiting the Solomons in the mid-1800s. 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 1893. In 1898 and 1899, more outlying
islands were added to the protectorate; in 1900 the remainder of the
archipelago, an area previously under German jurisdiction, was
transferred to British administration. Under the protectorate,
missionaries settled in the Solomons, converting most of the
population to Christianity.
In the early 20th century, several British and Australian firms
began large-scale coconut planting. Economic growth was slow,
however, and the islanders benefited little. With the outbreak of
World War II, most planters and traders were evacuated to Australia,
and most cultivation ceased.
From May 1942, when the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought, until
December 1943, the Solomons were almost constantly a scene of
combat. Although U.S. forces landed on Guadalcanal virtually
unopposed in August 1942, they were soon engaged in a bloody fight
for control of the islands' airstrip, which the U.S. forces named
Henderson Field. One of the most furious sea battles ever fought
took place off Savo Island, near Guadalcanal, also in August 1942.
Before the Japanese completely withdrew from Guadalcanal in February
1943, over 7,000 Americans and 21,000 Japanese died. By December
1943, the Allies were in command of the entire Solomon chain. The
large-scale American presence toward the end of the war, which
dwarfed anything seen before in the islands, triggered various
millennial movements and left a lasting legacy of friendship.
Postwar Developments
Following the end of World War II, the British colonial government
returned. The capital was moved from Tulagi to Honiara to take
advantage of the infrastructure left behind by the U.S. military. A
native movement known as the Marching Rule defied government
authority. There was much disorder until some of the leaders were
jailed in late 1948. Throughout the 1950s, other indigenous
dissident groups appeared and disappeared without gaining strength.
In 1960, an advisory council of Solomon Islanders was superseded by
a legislative council, and an executive council was created as the
protectorate's policymaking body. The council was given
progressively more authority.
In 1974, a new constitution was adopted establishing a parliamentary
democracy and ministerial system of government. In mid-1975, the
name Solomon Islands officially replaced that of British Solomon
Islands Protectorate. On January 2, 1976, the Solomons became
self-governing, and independence followed on July 7, 1978. |
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