Solomon Islands
Ever heard of the Solomon Islands nation? The country, which was named because it was inspired by the rich king Solomon, is located in the Pacific Region. It is located not too far from our neighboring country, Papua New Guinea.
Solomon Islands is also known for having a very charming underwater beauty.
About the island nation of solomon
Solomon Islands or also often referred to as the Solomon Islands, is an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. The country is located in the east of Papua New Guinea and in the northwest of the country of Vanuatu. Consisting of 6 main islands and more than 900 smaller islands in the Oceania Region, the Solomon Islands covers a total land area of 28,400 square kilometers.
This country takes its name from the name of the Solomon Islands, which is a collection of Melanesian islands which also includes the northern Solomon Islands, better known as the island of Bougainville which is politically part of Papua New Guinea.
Solomon Islands is the third largest island nation in the South Pacific region, the country is inhabited by 652,857 people, with 95% of the population being ethnic Melanesians. Christianity is the majority religion in this country with the percentage of adherents reaching 97% of the total population.
Solomon Islands is a member state of the British Commonwealth, the form of government of this country is a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II of England as head of state represented by a governor general who is elected by parliament for a term of 5 years, while the head of government of this country is in headed by a prime minister.
In the economic field, the Solomon Islands is placed as a less developed country. More than 75% of the workforce in the country is engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Subsistence farming is self-sufficient farming, where farmers only focus on cultivating food in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of themselves and their families. Unfortunately, only about 3.9% of the island's area is used as agricultural land.
The country's tourism sector is one of the important economic support sectors in the Solomon Islands, this country is known for its natural beauty, especially its underwater beauty, however, the country's tourism growth is hampered by a lack of infrastructure and limited transportation.
In 2017, the Solomon Islands were only visited by around 26,000 foreign tourists, making the country one of the least visited countries in the world.
Recommended tourist destinations in this country such as Rennell Island which is the second largest uplifted coral atoll island in the world, here visitors will find several rare endemic flora and fauna species. Most of the island is covered with dense forest so there is very little space for habitation.
Sunset over Lake Tagano as well as diving and snorkeling in Kagaba Bay are some of the activities that tourists can enjoy. Besides Rennell Island, another tourist destination that is no less beautiful is Malaita Island. Malaita is an untouched beauty surrounded by a river system and tropical forest.
There are many river systems, springs, highland waterfalls, and gorges to explore here. You can also visit coral islands off the coast of North Malaita. In addition, the sunset over the Langa Langa Lagoon is spectacular.
Solomon Islands history
The Europeans who first discovered the Solomon Islands region were Spanish explorers, namely Alvaro de Mendana de Neira in 1568. But long before the arrival of Europeans to the region, this island had been inhabited by people from the Austronesian Lapita at least since around 1200 until 800 years BC.
It is based on the discovery of a number of ancient burial sites and other evidence of permanent settlement that has been found from the period 1000–1500 AD across the islands, one of the most prominent examples being the Roviana cultural complex centered on the islands off the southern coast of New Georgia, at where a large number of megalithic temples and other buildings were built in the 13th century.
In 1595, the Spaniards came to the area again with the aim of colonizing the islands, they then established a Spanish settlement in Gracioso Bay, but poor relations with the natives and also the endemic disease among the Spaniards caused many deaths. , the Spanish then decided to leave the region and sailed north towards the Spanish territory in the Philippines.
In 1884, the Germans took control of the northeastern region of Papua New Guinea and the Bismarck Islands, then expanded their control over the northern Solomon Islands to include the islands of Bougainville, Buka, Choiseul, Santa Isabel, the Shortlands and Otong Java Atoll in 1886.
In the same year Germany and Britain signed an agreement on the division of the Solomon Islands territory where the British gained influence in the southern Solomons.
In 1900, under the terms of the tripartite convention of 1899, Germany ceded the northern Solomons to the British, with the exception of the islands of Bougainville and Buka, which later became part of German New Guinea, although geographically these islands belonged to the Solomon Islands.
In the early 1900s, many cases of European settlers were killed by the indigenous people of the islands. The British then retaliated for this action through collective punishment of the guilty villages and often indiscriminately by shelling villages in the coastal areas from British warships.
In 1927, district commissioner William Bell was assassinated in the Malaita area, along with several of his men who were on duty. Responding to this, the British government then responded by launching a massive punitive expedition, which became known as the Malaita massacre.
At least about 60 people from the ethnic Kwaio were killed in the expedition and about 200 people were detained by British troops. During the expedition many sacred sites and objects of the indigenous people were destroyed or desecrated.
During World War II, from 1942 to the end of 1943, the Solomon Islands were the scene of several major land, sea, and air battles between the Allied and Imperial Japanese armed forces.
In May 1942, the Japanese launched Operation Mo occupying Tulagi and most of the western Solomon Islands, including Guadalcanal. The British government has moved to Auki, Malaita and most of Europe's population has been evacuated to Australia.
Some of the fiercest fighting in World War II took place on the islands over nearly three years. The conflict resulted in thousands of Allied, Japanese, and civilian deaths, as well as massive destruction across the island. Stability was restored during the 1950s, when the British colonial government established a network of official local councils.
Solomon Islands residents with experience in local councils began to participate in central government, initially through the bureaucracy and then, from 1960, through the newly formed Legislative and Executive Councils. At the elections held in 1970 the government also introduced a new constitution.
The 1970 constitution replaced the Legislative and Executive Councils with one Governing Council. It also established a system of governing committees in which all members of the Council sit on one or more of the five committees. The aim of this system was to reduce divisions between elected representatives and the colonial bureaucracy, as well as provide opportunities to train new representatives in managing governmental responsibilities.
In 1974, a new constitution was reintroduced in the region, this constitution established the standard form of government of Westminster and assigned responsibilities to the Minister and Cabinet to the islanders. growing discontent in the Western islands, with many fears of future marginalization in a country dominated by Honiara or Malaita, prompted the formation of the Western Liberation Movement.
In 1977, A conference was held in London, the outcome of the conference agreed that Solomon would gain full independence the following year.
Under the terms of the Solomon Islands Act 1978 the country was annexed to majesty dominions and granted independence on 7 July 1978. The first Prime Minister was Sir Peter Kenilorea of the United Solomon Islands Party, with Queen Elizabeth II being Queen of the Solomon Islands, represented locally by the Governor General.