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Geography
Geography of the Solomon Islands
The Florida Islands from the air. Photo by Jim LounsburyThe Solomon Islands is a
wide island nation that lies East of Papua New Guinea and consists of many
islands: Choiseul, the Shortland Islands; the New Georgia Islands; Santa Isabel;
the Russell Islands; Nggela (the Florida Islands); Malaita; Guadalcanal;
Sikaiana; Maramasike; Ulawa; Uki; Makira (San Cristobal); Santa Ana; Rennell and
Bellona; the Santa Cruz Islands and three remote, tiny outliers, Tikopia, Anuta,
and Fatutaka. The distance between the westernmost and easternmost islands is
about 1,500 kilometres (930 mi). The Santa Cruz Islands (of which Tikopia is
part), are situated north of Vanuatu and are especially isolated at more than
200 kilometres (120 mi) from the other islands. Bougainville is geographically
part of the Solomon Islands, but politically Papua New Guinea.
The islands' ocean-equatorial climate is extremely humid throughout the year,
with a mean temperature of 27° C (80° F) and few extremes of temperature or
weather. June through August is the cooler period. Though seasons are not
pronounced, the northwesterly winds of November through April bring more
frequent rainfall and occasional squalls or cyclones. The annual rainfall is
about 3050mm (120 in).
The Solomon Islands archipelago is part of two distinct terrestrial ecoregions.
Most of the islands are part of the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion,
which also includes the islands of Bougainville and Buka, which are part of
Papua New Guinea, these forests have come under pressure from forestry
activities. The Santa Cruz Islands are part of the Vanuatu rain forests
ecoregion, together with the neighboring archipelago of Vanuatu. Soil quality
ranges from extremely rich volcanic (there are volcanoes with varying degrees of
activity on some of the larger islands) to relatively infertile limestone. More
than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers brighten the landscape.
The islands contain several active and dormant volcanoes. Tinakula and Kavachi
volcanoes are the most active.
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