Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands consists of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. Many of the islands are notable for their steep mountains. The highest mountain, Makarakomburu (2 293 m), is located on Guadalcanal Island, which also hosts the capital city, Honiara. In addition to rocky islands, there are also several atolls and reef islands. Several dormant and two active volcanoes can also be found on its territory. Dense tropical rainforest covers 90 per cent of land area, making the Solomon Islands the sixth most forest covered land in the world -—
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Solomon Islands have an equatorial hot and humid climate with a rainy season lasting from December to April. Tropical storms and occasional cyclones can occur during this period. In 2002, Cyclone Zoë hit the isolated islands of Tikopia and Anuta. The monthly average temperature is about 25‐26 °C with only minor variations between highs of 30 °C and lows of 23 °C. Average annual rainfall is 3 000 mm but can vary across the archipelago. -—
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The Solomon Islands can have 60 to 70 earthquakes a year. Most of them are small, but there are also some severe quakes followed by tsunamis and aftershocks. In recent years, the most severe have hit the Western Solomons (8.1 magnitude) in 2007 and the Santa Cruz Islands (8.0 magnitude) in 2013. The country is fifth on the list of most at‐risk countries according to the United Nations University -—
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—- World Risk Index.

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries provide jobs for almost 40 per cent of employment -—
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—-, while accounting for about 25 per cent of GDP -—
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—-. The islands are rich in mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel and gold, but the deposits remain largely undeveloped. Export products also include wood (Ramin or Teak), tuna and palm oil. The main export partners include China, Italy and India, followed by Thailand and the Philippines. With investment in infrastructure and transport, tourism could be further developed beyond its current volume of inbound tourism expenditure of only 6 per cent over GDP -—
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—-. In 2019, services already provided more than half of jobs in the Solomon Islands -—
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—-. The Tina River Hydropower Project aims at eliminating energy dependency on imported fossil fuels to locally produced renewable energy.

Solomon Islands' arts and crafts reflect styles specific to different islands and cover woven objects, carved wood, stone and shell items. Traditional music in Solomon Islands is often performed by slit drum and panpipe ensembles.

The local cuisine has developed over the history of the islands with many external influences. 'Ulu' is breadfruit that may be served with any dish. As a result of agriculture and fishing, residents eat a lot of fish, coconut, sweet potato and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, such as bananas wrapped in pearl cassavas. A local specialty called 'Poi' is made with fermented taro roots and served during festivities.

Sport is an important part of Solomon Island culture. Football is the most popular sport in the country, but cricket, Australian football, rugby and horse racing are also popular. In the international sphere, the most successful national teams are its beach soccer team ‐ 'the Bilikiki Boys' ‐ and the futsal team ‐ 'the Kurukuru'. Both of these teams have managed to win the Oceanian Championship and qualified for their respective FIFA World Cups. The Solomon Islands has participated in the Summer Olympic Games since 1984.