The Solomon Islands, a nation of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific, has many WWII-era sites. Guadalcanal, a province and one of the archipelago’s largest islands, honors fallen Allied soldiers at its U.S. War Memorial. Guadalcanal is also home to the nation’s capital, Honiara, whose bustling Central Market showcases the islands’ produce and traditional handicrafts. The Solomon Islands is an island country situated in Melanesia, which falls to the east of Papua New Guinea. The country is made up of nearly one thousand islands, which together cover an area of approximately 28,400 square kilometers (10,965 sq. miles).
Key Cities
Key cities in the Solomon Islands include Honiara, Auki, Gizo, Buala, Tulagi, Kirakira, Lata.
Historical, Cultural facts & Religion
Solomon Islands – a brief history. The Solomon Islands are believed to have been settled by Austronesian peoples around 2000BC. Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendana de Neira sighted the islands in 1568 and named them The Islands of Solomon, in the mistaken hope of mineral riches matching those of the biblical King. The culture of the Solomon Islands reflects the extent of the differentiation and diversity among the groups living within the Solomon Islands archipelago, which lies within Melanesia in the Pacific Ocean, with the peoples distinguished by island, language, topography, and geography.
Brief Country History
The Solomon Islands are believed to be first inhabited by the Melanesian people for hundreds of years before the United Kingdom ever established a protectorate over the archipelago in 1893, which was named as the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. From 1998 to 1899, more islands were added to the protectorate, prompting the transfer in 1900 of other islands under the German New Guinea to the administration of Great Britain. The Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II was an important part of the history of the islands because it was in that battle where fierce fighting between the United States forces and the Japanese took place and involved the fighters of the islands. When the Japanese withdrew from Guadalcanal in defeat, it was a victory not only for the Allies but also for the Solomon Islanders.
After the war, the British colonial government returned, moving the nation’s capital from Tulagi to Honiara in Guadalcanal where war-related infrastructures were left by the American military, which the government could use for various purposes. Indigenous dissident groups tried but failed, to rise up against the British government from 1948 to 1950. Twenty-four years later, or in 1974, the people began to see a new hope with the adoption of a new Constitution to establish a parliamentary democracy that would be run through a ministerial system where duties would be performed in accordance with the Constitution, or with the guidelines prescribed by the administrative office. The country became self-governing in January 1976 and was finally granted its independence from Britain on July 7, 1978.
Language (s) Written & Spoken
There are between sixty and seventy languages spoken in the Solomon Islands archipelago as opposed to the nation-state of the Solomon Islands, which covers a smaller area. The lingua franca is Pijin, and the official language is English.
Types of Commerce in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands’ main industries include fisheries, forestry and mining, with most manufactured products being food, beverages, tobacco and wood products. The production of tuna and timber in particular plays a vital role in the country’s economy.
Language Services US and others will provide working with the Solomon Islands
With a majority of local residents speak Pijin, at least the language should be a big problem for many ex-pats. An individual or business would in various fields including medicine, law, constructions, tourism, marketing, engineering and so on require professional language services. Nowadays, science and technology are ever-present. This is why technical documents, and consequently their translations, have become indispensable. Technical translation/interpretation in Pijin is now a critical issue for any company wishing to expand internationally.
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