Solomon Islands is a sovereign country located in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Australia.

The Islands country consists of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania lying to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu and covering a land area of 28,400 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi).

Capital: Honiara (located on the island of Guadalcanal)
Currency: Solomon Islands dollar
Continent: Oceania

Did you know:

While English is the official language, only 1–2% of the population speak English. The number of local languages listed for Solomon Islands is 74, of which 70 are living languages and 4 are extinct,
according to Ethnologue, Languages of the World.

As of 1 January 2017, the population of Solomon Islands was estimated to be 602,041 people.

It is the 139th largest country in the world in terms of land area with 28,896 square kilometers (11,000 square miles).

Archaeological evidence suggests that the Solomon Islands have been inhabited since 1000 BC. European penetration began in 1568 when the Spaniard Alvaro de Mendana, exploring from South America, spent half a year in the islands.

Solomon Islands was discovered by Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568.

Why is it called the Solomon Islands?

History records that in 1568, Alvaro De Mendana, the first European to come to Solomon Islands, gave the archipelago its name because he believed this area of the South Pacific was where King Solomon got the gold he used to build the Temple of Jerusalem.