Honiara, Solomon Islands

Honiara is the capital of the Solomon Islands, a nation within the Melanesian archipelago of the same name that comprises over nine hundred islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Honiara was constructed at the end of World War II from the remnants of military installations on the island of Guadalcanal. It is the most populous town in the Solomon Islands and home to the nation's administrative and economic centers. As the cultural capital of the Solomon Islands, Honiara boasts a number of libraries, universities, and museums that contain a wealth of information about the island's history and native culture.

Landscape

Honiara is located on the northwest coast of Guadalcanal Island; the Mataniko River runs through the city to the ocean. The elevation rises to an average of nine meters (thirty feet) above sea level. The area surrounding Honiara is tropical lowland, blending with jungle toward the center of the island as the elevation rises. The southern portions of the island are mountainous and sparsely populated, as part of the Solomon Islands rainforests; over 90 percent of the population lives on the northern coast.

The climate of Honiara is tropical, with heavy rains, high humidity, and warm temperatures year round. The warmer, rainy season lasts from December to March and is followed by a slightly cooler, dry season from April to January. The average temperature is 26 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) and range on average between 22 and 30 degrees Celsius (72 and 87 degrees Fahrenheit). Rainfall is significantly higher from December to March, reaching an average 280 millimeters (11 inches) per month and averaging about 217 centimeters (85.5 inches) per year.

The downtown area extends over 1.8 kilometers (1 mile) along the coast and continues north into the city's main port at Point Cruz, approximately half a kilometer (about 0.3 miles) from the coast. Urbanization continues for several kilometers east, west, and south from Point Cruz. Mendana Avenue is the city's primary thoroughfare and includes many of its administrative buildings and busiest commercial districts. The Mataniko River extends over a mile inland from the ocean and is lined with residential and commercial development along its banks.

People

A vast majority of Solomon Islanders—95.3 percent—identified themselves in the 2009 census as Melanesian, an ethnolinguistic group that includes inhabitants of a number of islands in the South Pacific. Of the remaining population, 3.1 percent were Polynesian, 1.2 percent were Micronesian, and a further 0.3 percent identified as other. In Honiara, the population is more ethnically diverse, as the city has served as a major settlement for immigrants. The population of Honiara was estimated at 82,000 in 2018; the total population of the Solomon Islands was 714,766 in 2023.

English is the official language of the Solomon Islands government and school system, and 84.1 percent of all residents over fifteen years old were literate according to 2009 estimates. The nation is also home to a number of Melanesian dialects and pidgins, the best known of which is the English-Melanesian creole Pijin, in which 66.6 percent of residents are literate. Honiara has a significant population of Chinese residents gathered in an ethnically homogenous area of the city, and Chinese dialects are commonly spoken there.

As with many island nations, traditional culture is focused on the ocean and beaches; fishing and ocean ceremonies are a significant part of the modern culture. Dancing and music are common at all festivals, and celebrations are often accompanied by communal dining. Honiara offers modern cultural elements such as global cuisine, nightclubs and dancing venues, and a variety of other recreational activities. Football (soccer) and cricket are the most important sports on the islands.

Economy

The economy of the Solomon Islands collapsed in the early twenty-first century due to a combination of government debt and domestic turbulence between ethnic and political groups, which caused many international businesses left the nation. Honiara was severely affected by the economic downturn; many of the city's key businesses were forced to close, and tourism dwindled.

In September 2007, the World Bank approved the establishment of the Solomon Islands Rural Development Program (RDP) to aid economic growth. Between 2008 and February 2015, the project provided nearly US$40 million from various organizations to be invested in rural infrastructure development. A second RDP was approved in 2014 to provide an additional US$46.9 million by February 2020. Other World Bank initiatives included the Rapid Employment Project, approved in May 2010 to run through 2018, with a focus on increasing short-term employment opportunities and improving community infrastructure. Another initiative allocated US$38.30 million to the islands from 2015 to 2022.

Agriculture, hunting, fishing, and aquaculture are by far the Solomon Islands' most common industries, employing the bulk of the labor force. Cocoa, fish, and palm oil are among the nation's chief exports, although its most substantial export is timber. The reopening of the Gold Ridge gold mine on Guadalcanal in 2010 gave the economy a significant boost, and gold quickly became a substantial export. The services industry, which includes tourism, also plays a large role in the nation's economy.

The Solomon Islands' clean energy sector also saw considerable growth in the twenty-first century. International projects sought to provide renewable energy resources to islanders without requiring major upfront cash layout.

Landmarks

Before 2005, Honiara's Chinatown district was one of the most popular tourist areas in the city, providing a variety of retail shopping, food, and other recreational attractions. During the ethnic riots of 2005, however, Chinatown was largely destroyed by fire. The government began rebuilding it in 2006, and by 2007, many businesses had returned to the area.

Ocean sports, such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and surfing, are among the Solomon Islands' most popular tourist attractions. There are a number of public beaches near Honiara where residents and visitors can enjoy boat tours, swimming, and other activities. The immediate coastal areas near the city also harbor a variety of coral habitats, which are known for their abundant wildlife. A sunken Japanese transport ship off the coast of Honiara has become a popular destination for underwater exploration, and a number of scuba-diving tours are available to visit the site.

As the cultural capital of the Solomon Islands, Honiara contains a variety of museums providing examples of traditional art and history. The National Museum offers a large collection of cultural and artistic attractions, including examples of native Melanesian art. The National Art Gallery contains historic and modern artwork representing both Melanesian and Polynesian culture. The Honiara Cultural Center is a small, privately owned museum dedicated to the preservation of native Melanesian culture; it contains reconstructions and preserved specimens of native clothing, art, and architecture.

Near Mendana Avenue, visitors can find the Botanic Gardens, founded in 1965, which offer an extensive collection of native plants. The Botanic Gardens also have a small collection of imported, endangered plants and are developing a project to become a world leader in collecting and breeding traditional medicinal plants. The Botanic Gardens are popular among both tourists and residents and offer picnic areas and urban hiking.

History

Archaeological evidence suggests that hunter-gatherer groups, most likely representing Melanesian ethnic families, were present on the larger of the Solomon Islands by 1000 BCE. The first European to visit the islands was Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, who arrived in 1568. The subsequent attempt to form a Spanish colony on the islands failed. The next European exploration was by British explorer Philip Cateret in 1767, after which Guadalcanal became a frequent port for British ships.

In the nineteenth century, the Solomon Islands were divided, with Germany controlling the northern archipelago and the British controlling the southern islands. In 1900, Germany withdrew its claim to the northern part of the territory in return for control of Samoa from the British. The British brought hundreds of Christian missionaries to the islands over the next twenty years, which eventually led to the conversion of most of the Melanesian and Polynesian residents of the islands.

From the establishment of British sovereignty, the island of Tulagi, located in the southern portion of the archipelago, served as the capital of the colonial government. The British were expelled by the Japanese during World War II, which saw the pivotal Battle of Guadalcanal and other intense fighting in the area. The British returned to the Solomon Islands after the war and established a new administrative capital at Honiara, built on the remains of the US military structures left in the area. Henderson Airfield was transformed into a national airport, while the naval docks became the center of the nation's export industry.

In the late 1990s, Honiara suffered from an outbreak of ethnopolitical conflict as an influx of immigrants from the island of Malaita clashed with native residents over territory and employment. As the conflict intensified, businesses began leaving Guadalcanal, and the economy of Honiara and the islands suffered. Ethnic violence reached a peak in 2003 and then declined over the following year as arbitrators attempted to forge a peace agreement. In 2005, ethnic conflict erupted among the Chinese after the election of Prime Minister Snyder Rizi, resulting in the destruction of Honiara's Chinatown. As the native police force was insufficient, Australia and New Zealand sent police and military forces to Guadalcanal to end the riots. The riots resulted in Rizi's resignation and the creation of a new government, bringing a temporary end to the conflict.

Though Honiara slowly recovered from the damage caused by riots and ethnic clashes, the government remained relatively unstable and without majority support among the populace. International mediators worked with the government to form stronger peace agreements between combatant groups in hopes of spurring economic growth. Progress was hindered in 2007 when a tsunami and undersea earthquake damaged portions of the islands, including the ports of Honiara. In the wake of the natural disaster, aid organizations entered the country to help rebuild and to establish aid systems for rural populations.

The Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) that had begun in 2003 officially ended in June 2017. By that time law and order had been mostly reestablished and political stability was greatly improved. Subsequently economic growth resumed in Honiara and the Solomon Islands in general.

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