Oceania > Solomon Islands > Solomon Islands Geography Profile 2011

Solomon Islands: Solomon Islands Geography Profile 2011

2010/07/08

Location: 

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea

Geographic coordinates: 

8 00 S, 159 00 E

Map references: 

Oceania

Area comparative: 

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries Total: 

0 km

Land boundaries Note: 

Climate: 

tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Terrain: 

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Natural resources: 

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Natural hazards: 

typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis

Environment - current issues: 

deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying

Geography note: 

strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara; the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit