SOLOMON ISLANDS
The Solomon Islands is a scattered archipelago of about 1,000 mountainous islands and low-lying coral atolls, in the Southwest Pacific. It lies east of Papua New Guinea and northeast of Australia in the south Pacific. The islands include Guadalcanal, Malaita, Santa Isabel, San Cristóbal, Choiseul, New Georgia, and the Santa Cruz group.
HISTORY
Discovered about 5,000 years ago, the Solomon Islands are an ancient group of islands. Explored and named in 1568 by Alvaro de Mendana of Spain, the Solomons were not visited again for about 200 years. Divided these islands were divided by between them by Great Britain and Germany in 1886; however, later Britain was given control of the entire territory. During World War II the islands were invaded by the Japanese and some of the gruesomest battles of the Pacific were fought here, most famously the battle of Guadalcanal. In 1945, once again the British gained control of the island. In 1976 the islands became self-governing in 1976 and their full independence followed in 1978.
CLIMATE
The Islands are tropical in nature. Its 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. The cooler period is between June to August. During December to March the weather is hot, accompanied by heavy rainfall, owing to the northwest equatorial winds; from April to November, the islands southeast trade winds bring cool and dry weather to the country.
CURRENCY
The official currency of the Solomon Islands is the Solomon dollar, abbreviated as SBD. The SBD replaced the Australian Dollar as the monetary unit in 1976, after the Solomon Islands gained its independence.
ECONOMY
Solomon Islands is one of the lesser developed nations with a per capita GDP of $474. Over75% of its labor force is engaged in subsistence farming and fishing. Until 1998, when world prices for tropical timber fell steeply, timber was Solomon Islands main export product, due to which its forests were dangerously exploited. Copra and palm oil are the other important cash crops and exports. In 1998 At Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal, Ross Mining of Australia began producing gold, in 1998. The ethnic violence in June 2000, hugely affected the economy and the exports of palm oil and gold ceased and that of timber fell. Only now are the exports just now beginning to recover.
Solomon Islands has rich fisheries which if exploited will further not only export but will also help in domestic economic expansion.
The country receives its major financial aid from Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Japan, and the Republic of China.
CAPITAL
The capital of the Solomon Islands is the city of Honiara. Honiara in the native tongue means "facing the east and south-east wind". With a population of more than 30,000 the capital city of Honiara is situated on a coastal stretch overlooking Iron Bottom Sound. About a two hour walk from Honiara, is spectacular waterfall- Matanikau Falls, in the Pacific. The other attractions at Honiara include several large pools where one can enjoy swimming and a stalagmite-covered cave which is very impressive which houses vast number of swallows.
LANGUAGES
A large number of languages are spoken in the Solomon Islands, 63 to 70 distinct languages and about the same number of dialects, are in use. The presence of a large number of cultural groups has been the reason for such a large number of languages in the Solomons.
A variant of English called Pidgin English is also in vogue in the country. English is the official language and in formal places, such as in church services and in schools, English is spoken although it is usually interspersed with Pidgin English and the native languages.
CULTURE AND CUSTOMS
The Solomon Islands are an isolated gropu in the Pacific, but despite that, these islands have a vast variety of people living there- Polynesians, Melanesians, Asians, Micronesians, and a few Westerners. This has resulted in making the nation is rich in its cultural diversity. Despite a markedly heavy influence of Western culture in recent years, still many of the ancient customs survive and are practiced in a large number of small villages throughout the Solomons. The different islands of the country have different tribal groups and the different groups tend to drift towards their own kind. Marriages, church memberships, and general friendship are carried out along island or even inter-island lines.
HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES
With an abundance of land and water activities that supplement its rich cultural and historical background, the Solomon Islands are a fascinating vacation destination.
If you are keen enthusiast of culture, you can sample the native culture by trekking to the remote province of Temotu. Here, amid active volcanoes, daily life is virtually unaffected by modernity. The local trading is still being carried out in the old way, using red-feather money. Money is handmade from the feathers of the small honey-eating bird Myzomela Cardinalis and rolls of feather money are so delicately fashioned that they are only a few centimeters in width and about ten meters in length. Each coil of feather money is painstakingly made and takes up to one year to complete. The final product is attached to cords and finished with thin plates of turtle shell and then ready to be used.
Pay a visit to the Laulasi and Busu Islands in case you are curious to experience the ancient art of shark calling. The tribals believed that their ancestors often lived on as sharks and they have since ages worshiped the sea animals in an amazing ritual. The banging of rocks underwater would summon the sharks, and then after swimming to the depth of about one foot a small boy would feed them small bits of pork. Climbing on to the back of the oldest shark, the boy and the shark would swim around the lagoon. Without feeding the shark by hand, the ancient ritual is still carried out even today and can still be seen.
In the Solomon’s the native wildlife is almost untouched by modernity and can be enjoyed in all its pristine glory. More than one hundred uninhabited islands make up the Western and Anarvon Islands, the world’s largest nesting ground for the endangered hawksbill turtle. Offshore, the pristine waters of the Pacific provide for some wonderful scuba diving. Bonegi I and the Bonegi II, the two sunken Japanese transport ships offer two of the most exciting dives. These ships are now home to schools of fish and brightly colored coral. There are also several dive resorts in the islands, as well as local dive shops too. Instructors and training facilities are provided for and both, the inexperienced and advanced divers can enjoy exploring the local dive spots.
At Guadalcanal, the main island has a number of interesting places to visit and, at Honiara; The National Museum has a large collection of traditional artifacts and historical photographs. Close to the museum is the Cultural Centre that has exhibits of the different architectural styles of the major eight provinces of the Solomon Islands. The exhibitions of work done by local artists are hosted by the National Art Gallery. The local markets have vendors selling everything from fruits and vegetables to betel nuts and shell jewelry and one can indulge in a little village shopping. The Iclarm Clam Farm, a small farm not far outside the city, is a place that studies the decline of the regions giant clams, and a handicraft center with fine woodwork, pottery, and copper work for sale is at Betikama. The island of Guadalcanal, the site of major fighting during World War II, houses a number of battlefields and memorials. And if one wants to see a large collection of World War II wreckage then one could visit the Vilu Village War Museum. A variety of underwater wrecks can be explored by the divers.
GETTING AROUND
Getting Around by Air
Domestic scheduled and charter services are run by Solomon Airlines from Henderson Field to most main islands and towns in the Solomons.
Getting Around by Water
Large and small ships provide the best means of traveling between islands. The Government as well as a host of private operators runs shipping services and there are some Christian missions which even have their own fleets. There are Cruises available too.
Traveling the city by Road
Traveling the country by road is not a very comfortable means since there is limited road maintenance and the roads are generally in a very poor, state and so are the driving standards. Guadalcanal and Malaita have most of the country’s roads. A point to note is that traffic drives on the left.
Bus travel
Bus services are limited services on the islands.Taxi travel
Taxis are available in Auki and Honiara. It is advisable to agree the fare beforehand.Hiring a car
Most of the hotels in Honiara provide cars for hire.
WHERE TO STAY
Villas, Hotels, Resorts, Inns, and B&BS, village stays, you think of it and Solomons have all on offer. Its up to you to decide where your pocket and leisure will allow you to put up in the Solomons.
Traveling the South Pacific is an amazing experience, no matter where you stay, whether on the beach in a traditional hut or in the luxury of a resort. The Solomon Islands are remote, yet modern and here you will find that the exquisiteness is unsurpassable and the adventure never ends.
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