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Solomon Islands

Oceania · 720,000

About Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is a sovereign country located in Oceania, specifically within the Melanesia subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Honiara, and the country is home to approximately 750 thousand people. In its native language, the country is known as “Solomon Islands”. English serves as the primary official language, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Solomon Islands. The official currency in circulation is the Solomon Islands dollar ($), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Solomon Islands is widely recognised for WWII naval battlefields, blonde-haired Melanesians and rich coral reefs. People from Solomon Islands are referred to as Solomon Islander.

Geography & climate

Solomon Islands covers approximately 28,896 km² of territory, making it a relatively compact country by land area. The country is an island nation (or otherwise lacks land borders), surrounded entirely by water and dependent on maritime and air links to reach its neighbours. Geographically, Solomon Islands sits in the Southern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 8.0° S, 159.0° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+11:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Solomon Islands can be summarised as: tropical archipelago with hot & humid. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 750 thousand inhabitants, Solomon Islands is a small nation in terms of population. The principal spoken language is English, which dominates public life, schooling, signage, and the workplace. Citizens are formally known in English as Solomon Islander, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Solomon Islands dollar ($) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Solomon Islands should familiarise themselves with the capital, Honiara, the local time zone (UTC+11:00), the local currency (Solomon Islands dollar). The international dialling prefix is +677, which is required when phoning a Solomon Islands number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the left side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .sb, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Solomon Islands is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Solomon Islands is generally classified within the Oceania region and more specifically the Melanesia subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties.

Did you know?

About 10% of native Solomon Islanders have natural blonde hair despite dark skin — caused by a unique genetic mutation that evolved independently from European blondness.

Solomon Islands in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Solomon Islands appears as a tougher puzzle reserved for geography fans who can pick up subtler hints. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Solomon Islands carries the personality tags “⚓ WWII Battlefields” and “🪸 Melanesian Reefs”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Solomon Islands to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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