Solomon Islands facts, Solomon Islands travel videos, flags, photos

	This tiny island, part of the Solomon Islands, was paradise on Earth for John F. Kennedy and the survivors of PT-109. The World War II sailors swam here after their boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. They were rescued several days later. Photograph by Ira Block

Solomon Islands Information and History

Northeast of Australia in the South Pacific, the Solomon Islands chain consists of six main islands that are volcanic, mountainous, and forested—Guadalcanal is the most populous island. A strategic battleground during World War II, the islands gained independence from Britain in 1978. About 85 percent of the islanders are Melanesians, who speak some 92 indigenous languages. Ethnic tension between natives of Guadalcanal and settlers from nearby Malaita island escalated into armed conflict from 1998 until 2003, when an Australian-led peacekeeping force restored order.

ECONOMY

Industry: fish (tuna), mining, timber.
Agriculture: cacao, coconuts, palm kernels, rice; cattle; timber; fish.
Exports: timber, fish, copra, palm oil.

Text source: National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition, 2004

Solomon Islands Flag and Fast Facts
	Population 472,000 Capital Honiara; 56,000 Area 28,370 square kilometers (10,954 square miles) Language Melanesian pidgin, 120 indigenous languages, English Religion Protestant, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs	Currency Solomon Islands dollar Life Expectancy 71 GDP per Capita U.S. $1,700 Literacy Percent 62