Honiara
Encyclopedia
Honiara, population 49,107 (1999 census), 78,190 (2009 estimate), is the capital of the Solomon Islands
and of Guadalcanal Province
, although it is a separately administered town. The name Honiara derives from naho ni ara which roughly translates as "facing the south-east wind" in one of the Guadalcanal languages.
Honiara is located on the northern coast of the island of Guadalcanal
and includes a sea port at Point Cruz. The town revolves around the Kukum Highway, which connects the Honiara International Airport (former known as Henderson Field) in the east of Honiara with the settlement of White River
in the west, and passes the National Referral Hospital and the Chinatown (burnt down in 2006 election riot).
, coconut
s, copra
and fish
. The most important trade partners are Malaysia, Japan
, South Korea
and Taiwan
.
exist. A botanical garden admits lots of orchids and shrubs. The spectacular Tenaru falls can be found a one hour's drive and a three-hour hike from Henderson International Airport.
(Anglican), the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Honiara, the South Seas Evangelical Church
, the United Church
, the Seventh-day Adventist Church
and other Christian churches. There are many congregations of American and Australian style charismatic and evangelical
movements. There are also members of the Bahá'í Faith
, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon
and Muslim
such as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
.
in World War II
. It was built to replace the former capital of Tulagi
at the end of that war. Honiara officially became the capital of the Solomon Islands in 1952. After violent rebellions in the year 2000, the protection of the population was promised by Australian units, since the Solomon Islands have no military. In 2006, riots broke out following the election of Snyder Rini
as Prime Minister, destroying part of Chinatown and displacing more than 1000 Chinese residents. Three National Parliament
members, Charles Dausabea, Nelson Ne'e
, and Patrick Vahoe
, were arrested during or as a result of the riots.
, electing three of the fifty Members of the National Parliament. These constituencies (East Honiara, Central Honiara and West Honiara) are three of only six constituencies in the country to have an electorate of over 10,000. East Honiara, with an electorate of 30,049 in 2006, is the only constituency in the country to consist in more than 20,000 voters. Following the 2006 general election
, the city's representatives are
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
and of Guadalcanal Province
Guadalcanal Province
Guadalcanal Province is one of the provinces of the Solomon Islands, consisting of the island of Guadalcanal. It is a 2,510 square mile island and is largely a jungle. Its name was given by Pedro de Ortega Valencia, born in the village of Guadalcanal in Seville, Spain...
, although it is a separately administered town. The name Honiara derives from naho ni ara which roughly translates as "facing the south-east wind" in one of the Guadalcanal languages.
Geography
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
and includes a sea port at Point Cruz. The town revolves around the Kukum Highway, which connects the Honiara International Airport (former known as Henderson Field) in the east of Honiara with the settlement of White River
White River, Honiara
White River is a large settlement in the western districts of Honiara, Solomon Islands. It is a fairly large community with several defined neighbourhoods, viz...
in the west, and passes the National Referral Hospital and the Chinatown (burnt down in 2006 election riot).
Climate
The climate is tropical, the average daytime temperature is about 28 degrees Celsius, the water temperatures between 26 and 29 degrees. Damper periods are predominantly between November and April. The average amount of precipitation per year is about 2,000 mm and thus somewhat lower than the average on the entire Solomon Islands (3,000 mm).Economy
Honiara is served by the Honiara International Airport, located about 10 kilometers to the east of the city. The industry is in form of several beverage factories and a cookie factory. Major exports are timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
s, copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. The most important trade partners are Malaysia, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Tourism
Honiara is the Solomon Islands' springboard for tourism activities. The country's tourist office, the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau, is located on Honiara's main thoroughfare, Mendana Avenue. Situated between the shady Yacht Club and the popular Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel, its officers provide tourist information and can radio ahead to announce visitors' arrivals to guest houses in the remoter areas. Honiara has a harbour from which ferries depart to the various provinces. The gardens of the National Art Gallery are popular for afternoon strolls, while the reconstructed Government House and the National MuseumMuseum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
exist. A botanical garden admits lots of orchids and shrubs. The spectacular Tenaru falls can be found a one hour's drive and a three-hour hike from Henderson International Airport.
Religion
Honiara is predominantly Christian and is served by the headquarters of the Church of the Province of MelanesiaChurch of the Province of Melanesia
The Church of the Province of Melanesia is part of the Anglican Communion, and includes 8 dioceses. The Primate of the Church is the Archbishop of Melanesia The Most Rev'd David Vunagi.- Official name :...
(Anglican), the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Honiara, the South Seas Evangelical Church
South Seas Evangelical Church
The South Seas Evangelical Church is an evangelical, Pentecostal church in the Solomon Islands. In total, 17% of the population of the Solomon Islands adheres to the church, making it the third most common religious affiliation in the country behind the Anglican Church of Melanesia and the Roman...
, the United Church
United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
The United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is a merged denomination dating from 1968 consisting of the former London Missionary Society , the relatively marginal Presbyterian church and the Methodist mission The United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is a...
, the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
and other Christian churches. There are many congregations of American and Australian style charismatic and evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
movements. There are also members of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
such as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the larger of two communities that arose from the Ahmadiyya movement founded in 1889 in India by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian . The original movement split into two factions soon after the death of the founder...
.
History
What is now Honiara was close to the site of the Guadalcanal CampaignGuadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was built to replace the former capital of Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
at the end of that war. Honiara officially became the capital of the Solomon Islands in 1952. After violent rebellions in the year 2000, the protection of the population was promised by Australian units, since the Solomon Islands have no military. In 2006, riots broke out following the election of Snyder Rini
Snyder Rini
Snyder Rini is a Solomon Islands politician who was briefly the eighth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from April to May 2006 and has been Minister for Finance and Treasury since December 2007...
as Prime Minister, destroying part of Chinatown and displacing more than 1000 Chinese residents. Three National Parliament
National Parliament of the Solomon Islands
The National Parliament of Solomon Islands has 50 members, elected for a four year term in 50 single-seat constituencies.It is presided by a Speaker - currently Sir Allan Kemakeza.-Latest elections:-Members:...
members, Charles Dausabea, Nelson Ne'e
Nelson Ne'e
Nelson Ne'e is a member of the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands. He represents the constituency of Malaita Province.-References:*...
, and Patrick Vahoe
Patrick Vahoe
Patrick Vahoe is a Solomon Islands politician. He is a member of the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands, and was elected to the Parliament representing the Malaita Outer Islands Constituency on 5 April 2006.-References:...
, were arrested during or as a result of the riots.
Politics
Honiara is divided into three parliamentary constituenciesConstituencies in Solomon Islands
There are 50 constituencies in Solomon Islands, each electing one Member of Parliament to the National Parliament. Elections are held every four years; the most recent took place on April 5, 2006...
, electing three of the fifty Members of the National Parliament. These constituencies (East Honiara, Central Honiara and West Honiara) are three of only six constituencies in the country to have an electorate of over 10,000. East Honiara, with an electorate of 30,049 in 2006, is the only constituency in the country to consist in more than 20,000 voters. Following the 2006 general election
Solomon Islands general election, 2006
General elections were held on 5 April 2006 in the Solomon Islands. No party managed to win more than four of the fifty seats, while thirty seats went to independent candidates. A number of those subsequently formed an Association of Independent Members of Parliament, with Snyder Rini as their leader...
, the city's representatives are
| Constituency | Electorate | MP (party) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Honiara East Honiara East Honiara is a parliamentary constituency electing one representative to the National Parliament of Solomon Islands. With an electorate of 30,049 in 2006, it is by far the most heavily populated constituency in the country, being the only one to consist in more than 20,000 voters... |
30,049 | Douglas Ete Douglas Ete Douglas Ete, born August 4, 1964, is a Solomon Islands politician.After studying at the University of the South Pacific and at Massey University , he worked as Chief Executive Officer at the National Referral Hospital in Solomon Islands.... (Reformed Democratic Party) |
National Election 4 August 2010 |
| Central Honiara | 19,539 | Moffat Fugui (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) |
National Election 4 August 2010 |
| West Honiara | 13,128 | Namson Tran Namson Tran Namson Tran is a Solomon Islands businessman and politician.Born in Vietnam, Tran moved first to Vanuatu then to Solomon Islands, where he married a Solomon Islander and became a naturalised citizen.... (Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) |
National Election 4 August 2010 |
External links
- Honiara Travel Guide from TravellerspointTravellerspointTravellerspoint is a social networking site for people who want to learn from or share experiences with other travellers. Members of the site participate through forums, blogs, photo galleries and a wiki travel guide.- Major Features :...