Malaita Province Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Solomon Islands

Malatia Province Day, also known as the Second Appointed Day, is observed annually on August 15 in the Solomon Islands to commemorate the establishment of Malatia Province. This is a public holiday, so the majority of citizens have the day off from work or school to partake in the festivities. Solomon Islanders express pride in their country and culture by commemorating their independence, despite centuries of colonisation and brutality against the people. Since 1983, this very significant holiday has been observed. The celebrations include parades, festivals, processions, sporting events, concerts, and political addresses.

The background of Malaita Province Day

The Solomon Islands are a nation in Oceania comprised of six main and over 900 minor islands. The Solomon Islands have nine provinces, the capital is Honiara, and Malatia Province is the largest and most populous. On the remote islands, Melanesian and Polynesian inhabitants coexist. The majority of its inhabitants reside in tiny rural villages and close-knit communities. The majority of the population has 200 immediate relatives and can trace their ancestry back ten generations.

The Solomon Islands have been inhabited since 30,000 B.C. During the Pleistocene, they were inhabited by Papuan communities. From 1568 to 1886, Europeans visited the islands, with a Spanish navigator being the first. Attempts to establish permanent settlements were thwarted by the introduction of new diseases by Europeans, which killed a great number of people. After repeated 18th-century visits from the United States, Britain, and Australia, the islands began trading with the islanders. Interactions between islanders and foreign visitors were frequently violent. In the 19th century, Europeans began kidnapping islanders for labour in Australia, Fiji, and Samoa. The majority of the island’s inhabitants were slaves, with some receiving meagre wages.

In 1893, they were colonised by the British. From 1944 to 1952, the islanders initiated a liberation movement known as Maasina Ruru. The British detained and indicted the movement’s leaders, but the islanders fought back by refusing to pay taxes and barricading villages against the British. In 1951, their requirements were met, and in 1978, they achieved independence. The country’s former name, British Solomon Islands, was changed to Solomon Islands.

Central Province Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Solomon Islands

5 Interesting Solomon Islands Facts

The majority of Solomon Islanders reside on the six largest islands.

A Spanish explorer named the islands The Islands of Solomon because he believed they contained vast wealth and were King Solomon’s source of wealth.

90% of the islands consist of rainforests, which are home to hundreds of plant and avian species unique to the islands.

During World War II, John F. Kennedy and his crew were attacked by a Japanese boat but were rescued by two natives.

The Solomon Islands are one of a very small number of nations without an army.

MALAITA PROVINCE DAY DATES