What characterises the physical geography of the Solomon Islands?
The geography of the Solomon Islands reflects the collision of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates. The Solomon Islands comprises an archipelago of close to 1000 individual islands, coral reefs and atolls, of varying sizes and vegetation-types. Swampy, mangrove areas along the islands’ foreshores contrast to the high, rugged mountain ranges found on the interior of many of the country’s larger islands. Some mountains on the island of Guadalcanal (which is also where the capital city, Honiara, is located) reach altitudes of over 2000 metres. Most mountains, however, do not have peaks of higher than 1000 metres. Thick rainforests cover most of the mountainous regions of the Solomon Islands, which are very fertile because of their volcanic origins. Regions with a history of volcanic activity are generally characterised by rich soils because of the minerals and nutrients deposited by lava from previous eruptions.
