Geography of the Solomon Islands

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The Solomon Islands are a wide island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, that lies east of Papua New Guinea and consists of many islands: Choiseul, the Shortland Islands, the New Georgia Islands, Santa Isabel, the Russel Islands, the Florida Islands, Malaita, Guadalcanal, Sikaiana, Maramasike, Ulawa, Uki, San Cristobal, Santa Ana, Rennell, Bellona and the Santa Cruz Islands. The distance between the most western and most eastern islands is about 1500 km. Especially the Santa Cruz Islands, North of Vanuatu, (of which Tikopia is part) are isolated at more than 200 km from the other islands.

Volcanoes with varying degrees of activity are situated on some of the larger islands, while many of the smaller islands are simply tiny atolls covered in sand and palm trees.

Bougainville is geographically part of the Solomon Islands, but politically Papua New Guinea.

[edit] Climate

The climate is tropical, though temperatures are rarely extreme due to cooling winds blowing off the surrounding seas. Daytime temperatures are normally 25 to 32 Celsius, falling about 3 to 5 at night. From April to October, the Southeast trade winds blow, gusting at times up to 30 knots or more. November to March is the wet season - the northwest monsoon - typically warmer and wetter. Cyclones arise in the Coral Sea and the area of the Solomon Islands, but they usually veer toward Vanuatu and New Caledonia or down the coast of Australia.

Geographic coordinates: 8°00′S, 159°00′E

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total: 28,450 km²
land: 27,540 km²
water: 910 km²

Area - comparative: Slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 5,313 km

Maritime claims:
Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Terrain: Mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,332 m (not Mount Makarakomburu)

Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 88%
other: 9% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: Typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: Deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

[edit] See also

• Islands of the Solomon Islands
• List of mammals of the Solomon Islands