Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands is a nation composed of about 1,000 islands east of Papua New Guinea, in the Melanesian part of the Pacific, where people have lived for thousands of years. In 1886 Great Britain and Germany divided the islands between them but Britain achieved control of the entire territory in 1890. It was occupied by the Japanese during World War II. In 1978 the Solomon Islands became independent and joined the British Commonwealth. Ethnic violence and crime shook the country from 1999-2003. An international peace-keeping force led by Australia restored order. The economy of the Solomon Islands is based on agriculture, fishing and forestry. There are rich mineral resources which have not yet been exploited. The Church of Melanesia (Anglican), the Catholic Church, and the United Church, which represent together 60 percent of the population, have formed the Solomon Islands Christian Association as the ecumenical body. Two other large churches, the Seventh-day Adventists and the South Sea Evangelical Church are associated members; the latter is affiliated with the WEA. There are also some growing Pentecostal and Charismatic churches.