Welcome to the Hapi Isles—the Solomon Islands, a sprawling archipelago of nearly 1,000 islands in the South Pacific, located east of Papua New Guinea. There are around 800,000 people living here, and the capital is Honiara, located on the island of Guadalcanal. While English is the official language, Solomon Islands Pijin is the language most commonly used to connect the country’s many different ethnic groups.
The Solomon Islands cover about 28,896 square kilometers (11,157 square miles). The country is roughly the same size as the state of Maryland in the U.S., or about slightly smaller than Belgium. The islands are a mix of rugged, volcanic mountains covered in dense rainforest and low-lying coral atolls.
The most popular sports are Football and Futsal, with the national futsal team, the “Kurukuru,” being one of the most successful in the Oceania region. Their national animal is the Dugong, a gentle marine mammal often found in the seagrass beds surrounding the islands.
The flag consists of a thin yellow diagonal stripe separating a blue triangle and a green triangle with five white stars in the upper hoist corner, where the blue represents the surrounding ocean, the yellow stands for the sun, the green symbolizes the lush land, and the five stars represent the five original provinces.
The food is fresh and heavily reliant on the “three Cs”: cassava, cocoa, and coconuts. You must try Poi, a staple made from fermented taro roots. Another favorite is Cassava Pudding, a dense, cake-like dish made with grated cassava, coconut milk, and sometimes sugar, baked in an earth oven. Because the nation is an archipelago, Fresh Seafood, particularly grilled tuna and reef fish, is served at almost every meal.
The Solomon Islands is home to Marovo Lagoon, the world’s largest saltwater lagoon, famous for its incredible biodiversity and traditional woodcarving villages. The country features Mount Popomanaseu, the highest peak, which offers challenging treks through untouched tropical forests. You can visit the World War II Relics scattered across the islands; the Battle of Guadalcanal was a major turning point in the Pacific, and today you can find rusted tanks in the jungle and “Iron Bottom Sound,” a graveyard of sunken ships and planes that is a world-class diving destination. Interestingly, the Solomon Islands is home to the world’s largest raised coral atoll, Rennell Island, which contains the largest lake in the insular Pacific.
From the vibrant shell money used in Langa Langa Lagoon to the pristine reefs of Uepi, the Solomon Islands is a land of traditional customs and untouched nature. Tagio tumas! That means “Thank you very much!”