Solomon Islands

geographical name

Sol·​o·​mon Islands ˈsä-lə-mən 

1

chain of islands east of New Guinea in the western South Pacific

Note: Politically, the islands at the northwestern end of the chain (Bougainville, Buka, and a group of small islands northwest of Buka) are part of Papua New Guinea, and the rest (Guadalcanal, Malaita, San Cristóbal, Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Florida, and numerous smaller islands) constitute the independent country called the Solomon Islands. The eastern end of the chain, which consists only of small islands, is separated from the main part by a gap of about 200 miles (320 kilometers); this eastern section is called the Santa Cruz Islands.

2

independent country comprising the majority of the islands in the Solomon Islands chain (see sense 1 above); formerly a British protectorate; capital Honiara area 11,157 square miles (28,896 square kilometers), population 660,100