Solomon Islands
Nearly a thousand islands, about 700,000 people and somewhere north of seventy living languages, which makes this one of the most linguistically dense places on earth. People reached the main chain roughly 30,000 years ago, but the eastern islands waited for the Lapita voyagers around 1200 BC and the Polynesian outliers later still, so the country holds three settlement horizons about 28,000 years apart. Spanish ships arrived in 1568 and the name that stuck, attached later by other people, borrowed King Solomon and his mines to advertise a colony. Then labour ships, missions, a British protectorate, and in 1942 the largest war on earth landing on Guadalcanal, where islanders carried the wounded and scouted for the Allies and were mostly written out of the telling afterwards. Independence came in 1978, followed by the Tensions, an Australian-led intervention, riots that burned the same Honiara street twice under opposite foreign alignments, and a parliament that has changed prime ministers twice in 2026 alone. This archive is built mostly from what Solomon Islanders themselves put on the internet: string bands and panpipes, weddings and gardens and markets, Pijin lessons, reef and rain, and a war that is only one chapter of it.
A chronological documentary of 1,400 moments spanning 1625–2026 on Loreline.
Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-09-01
Eras
- Ships and Missions, Outsiders arriving and what came with them. The Spanish voyages from 1568, whalers and traders, the missions, and the labour trade to Queensland and Fiji that took thousands of Solomon Islanders, on terms that ran from contract to outright kidnapping. Note the shape of that argument: it is the academic Pacific-history mainstream that stresses islander agency, and the descendant communities who insist on slavery. Then the 1893 protectorate, the plantations, and Maasina Rule, the brotherhood movement of 1944 to 1952 that the administration misheard as Marching Rule and smeared as Marxist.
- Nature, The country is in the Coral Triangle, the most biodiverse marine region on earth. Reefs and the fish on them, mangrove and rainforest, the volcanoes Kavachi and Tinakula, and the other side of the same geography: the 2007 and 2013 tsunamis, cyclones, the Honiara floods, logging, and sea level. On the five islands widely reported as lost to the sea in 2016, the honest account is that they were uninhabited islets, that the study was really about wave energy, and that the same research documented eleven houses gone on Nuatambu and a provincial capital planning to move.
- Honiara and the State, The capital that grew out of an American wartime base, and the politics run from it. Independence on 7 July 1978, the Tensions from 1998, the Australian-led RAMSI mission, and a Chinatown burned twice: in 2006 over Taiwanese money, and in 2021 after the switch to Beijing, which is why calling the second one simply anti-China does not survive the first. Then the 2023 Pacific Games, and a parliament that removed one prime minister in May 2026 and had filed against his successor by August.
- Canoes, The tomako war canoe, plank-built and sewn without nails, carrying a nguzunguzu at the prow to guard against the spirits of the sea. Canoe houses, paddles, outriggers, and the boats people still build and race. These are among the few Solomon Islands objects that reached European museums early, which is why the deep past in this archive is so often a photograph of a canoe.
- Kastom, What is inherited and still practised: chiefly and big-man authority, feasts and ceremony, shell money from Langalanga and the red-feather money of Santa Cruz, carving and the ancestor shrine, tattoo and initiation, weddings, and the dances of Malaita and the Western Province. Headhunting belongs here too, and belongs qualified: it was a Western Solomons practice, not a national one, and the archaeological consensus is that its 19th-century scale was substantially driven by steel tools and the trade economy rather than being a timeless custom.
- Village Life, The ordinary day, filmed by the people living it. Gardens and taro, the fishing trip, cooking over a fire, the market, the school run, church on Sunday, family and children, and the interviews where islanders talk about their own lives rather than being talked about.
- Music, The largest part of this archive, because it is what Solomon Islanders put online most. Bamboo bands played with rubber thongs on open pipes, the panpipe ensembles of Malaita and the Are Are, string bands, church choirs, and the contemporary scene: Solomon Islands reggae, hip hop and gospel, the Wantok Musik catalogue, Narasirato, and the artists filling venues in Honiara now.
- The War, From August 1942 the Solomon Islands became the pivot of the Pacific war: Guadalcanal, Henderson Field, the sound so full of sunken ships it is called Ironbottom, Tulagi and New Georgia. This archive holds it to roughly a sixth of the whole, because the war is a chapter of this country and not its subject. What it looks for first is the islander side: the Solomon Islands Labour Corps, the scouts and Coastwatchers, Sergeant Major Jacob Vouza, and Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, who found Kennedy and his crew. No free photograph of Gasa exists anywhere, which is itself the point.
- Pijin and the Languages, More than seventy living languages for 700,000 people, held together by Solomon Islands Pijin, which is the real lingua franca and the language most of this archive is actually spoken in even when the titles are in English. Lessons, phrases, translation, and the vernaculars themselves: Kwara ae, Roviana, Marovo, Gela, and the Polynesian outliers of Tikopia, Rennell and Bellona.
- Sport, Futsal above all, where the Kurukuru have been Oceania champions and the national obsession is genuine; plus football, rugby, canoe racing, and the 2023 Pacific Games, which Honiara hosted and built for.
- - Jaro Local - Cinema Copy ft Lee Vidz (Official Lyric Video). Solomon Islands music published by Jaro Local.
- - Meet Juiceman of Gizo selling lemon juice at Gizo market Western Province Solomon Islands. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by Project Aelanlife.
- - WOMEN EMPOWERMENT. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Rau Sapai Kia Koke | SALT Youth Ministry (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - EP1 My Travel to Sairagi Western Province Solomon Islands. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by Project Aelanlife.
- - Iesu Oimo | Soul Seekers (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - EP3 My Travel from Sairagi to Honiara fly with Solomon Airlines. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by Project Aelanlife.
- - HIDDEN CAMERA WALK THROUGH HONIARA CENTRAL MARKET I REAL LIFE IN SOLOMON ISLANDS. Solomon Islands music published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - 13 March 2026 SIBC TV News. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Blood Blo Hem | Psalms Singing Ministry (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - [4K] PRE-SSR 2026 TEST MATCH SHAH ALAM ANTLERS VS SEMASHUR. Solomon Islands sport, published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - Driving around Honiara Solomon Islands 🇸🇧. Solomon Islands music published by Diana Daisy.
- - [4K] PRE-SSR 2026 TEST MATCH l SHAH ALAM ANTLERS VS RMC (ROYAL MALAY COLLEGE). Solomon Islands sport, published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - [4K] PRE-SSR 2026 TEST MATCH l RMC VS SEMASHUR. Solomon Islands sport, published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - The Solomon Islands That Media Don’t Show You.. Solomon Islands music published by Diana Daisy.
- - Women. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Special Economic Zone. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Solomon kingz vs South melbourne OFC Honiara. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by Project Aelanlife.
- - Here am I send me | Advent Echoes (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Fuel Price. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - World Paravolley. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Meteorology Day. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Politics. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - CEMA. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Babsii Blo Full Tiktok_Bossman Music_Official Music Audio 2026. Solomon Islands music published by Bossman Music.
- - E Tapu | Soul Seekers (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Snorkeling at First Capital Tulagi Solomon Islands on a fine afternoon. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by Project Aelanlife.
- - Tasalau Cultural Dancers | Live at Mendana Hotel. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by WILLFAFALE.
- - Hymn: The Lord's Day Is. Small Malaita Panpipe. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by Bushman Production.
- - Small Malaita Panpipe. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by Bushman Production.
- - Memory. Fuaga Brothers [Official Audio Remake 2026] _Ozone Studio. Solomon Islands music published by Bushman Production.
- - Ida Na Sulia. Fuaga Brothers [Official Audio Remake 2026] _ Ozone Studio. Solomon Islands music published by Bushman Production.
- - Jammin & Plug 19 - I Knew I Loved You (Reggae Cover) | Savage Garden | 🇸🇧🌴🎵. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by Jam Haus 677.
- - Aitu Tapu | Avaiki Students | Hope for All Concert | Hope Channel Solomon Islands. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Peace Be Still | Vella Adventist Choir | Hope for All Concert | Hope Channel Solomon Islands. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - INTENSE Haka & Anthem 🇲🇾 VI vs RMC | SSR 2026 Rugby. Solomon Islands sport, published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - Oe Go Ana Ruana. Fuaga Brothers [Official Audio Remake 2026 _] Ozone Studio. Solomon Islands music published by Bushman Production.
- - Ship dumping in Tulagi Central Province Solomon Islands. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by Project Aelanlife.
- - Taovia Nau Visumai | Hope Band ft Bessie Lilo (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Solomon Islands Gospel Band | Revelation22 | Kasingu Mai Live. Solomon Islands music published by WILLFAFALE.
- - Mazda CX-60 2026 - Full Walkaround | Interior, Exterior & Dealer Insights. Solomon Islands music published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - Local Fishing off shore Tulagi Solomon Islands. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by Project Aelanlife.
- - Patience | Eastern Heralds (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Sifi Nai Gemu Gemu. Fuaga Brothers [Official Audio Remake 2026] Ozone Studio. Solomon Islands music published by Bushman Production.
- - Snorkeling at first capital Tulagi Solomon Islands. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by Project Aelanlife.
- - Fill My Cup, Lord | Cover by Soul Seekers (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Te foi Tikopia #solomonislandsmusic #culture. Solomon Islands language and outer-island material from Avariki Family.
- - MSSWPKL2026 U18 l Group Stage Match (RMC) Royal Military College vs (SBS) SMK Seri Bintang Selatan. Solomon Islands sport, published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - A Tau Tau Sae Ararim | One Word (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Prime Minister Manele Critizise the Courts Decision | Solomon Islands Politics. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by WILLFAFALE.
- - Real Island Living | Village Bath Experience - Solomon Islands. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by RAWNELY.
- - Prime Minister Manele Final Press Conference | Solomon Islands Politics. Solomon Islands sport, published by WILLFAFALE.
- - [4k] New Solomon Islands Prime Minister MATTHEW WALE Speaks Out in FIRST Interview. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - Declaration & Speech of Newly Prime Minister elect of Solomon Islands Hon. Matthew Wale. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by WILLFAFALE.
- - Lord, You're All I Need | Aria Singing Ministry (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Raw Island Friday Fishing for Family Meal | Marovo lagoon, Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands language and outer-island material from RAWNELY.
- - Reclaim Singing Ministry | Me Like Come Back | Hope for All Concert | Hope Channel Solomon Islands. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - The Last Day I Spent With My Sick Mother | Solomon Islands Village Life. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by RAWNELY.
- - James Kauhiona performing panpipe music Are'Are' woman. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by Project Aelanlife.
- - Kampung Baru Kuala Lumpur Saturday Morning Drive 🇲🇾 | Traditional Village Meets Modern Skyline[4k]. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - Sanctuary Praise | Savior Blo Me | Hope for All Concert | Hope Channel Solomon Islands. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Varamata Adventist Youth Ministry | Breathe | Hope for All Concert | Hope Channel Solomon Islands. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Western Province Activates Emergency Centre as Cyclone Maila Impacts Communities. The Western Province Provincial Disaster Operation Committee has officially activated its Emergency Operations Centre following multiple reports of severe impacts caused by Tropical Cyclone Maila.
- - Toa Maru wreck VI. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering wreck.
- - From Struggle to Safe: How WASH is Transforming Schools on Savo Island, Solomon Islands. School children in four schools on Savo Island are now enjoying improved water supply and sanitation facilities, creating a healthier and safer learning environment. Delivered through the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools programme, funded by the Australian Government and implemented by UNICEF in partnership with MEHRD and th.
- - First Time Filmed in a Decade, Underwater Volcano Eruption (Kavachi). We went on an expedition to capture Kavachi, one of the world’s most active underwater volcanoes, erupting beneath the Pacific Ocean in the remote Solomon Islands.
- - Gizo Scuba Diving. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering wreck, dive.
- - Headed to Savo Island from Guadalcanal in a small boat and got soaked by the waves, Solomon Islands. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering volcano.
- - View of the Solomon Islands taken during ISS Expedition 74. Photograph dated 2026. Part of the archive's coverage of the free-roaming herds of the world.
- - Uepi Island: The Hidden Paradise of the Solomon Islands. Hidden deep in the Western Pacific lies Uepi Island, a small coral island surrounded by some of the most incredible reefs in the Solomon Islands. Join us as we explore this remote paradise, above and below the water.
- - Karumolun Point, Russell Islands, Solomon Islands. Dive at Karumolun Point, Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, a reef point that delivers both wide-angle and macro: soft-coral slopes with schooling jacks and barracuda, whitetip and blacktip sharks and eagle rays on patrol, and in the crevices the famous "electric" disco clams that flash light by flicking their mantles, alongside ghost pip.
…1,280 further moments continue the chronology here. Full text archive: /loreline-text/solomon-islands.md
- - Kavachi UnderWater. Hidden beneath the waters of the western Pacific….
- - Megapode eggs utilizing the volcanic geothermal energy of Savo Island, Solomon Islands. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering volcano, bird.
- - A DAY at TETEPARE ISLAND's Eco-Lodge: Birds, Eco-Living and Friends 🦜🛖🏝️🇸🇧. Tetepare Island is the largest uninhabited tropical island in the South Pacific. The island has an Eco-Lodge manned by the descendants' association, and has a very friendly environment. The terrestrial and marine areas are protected under their conservation program, making the island an unique place for research and vacation. Conservation.
- - White Beach, Russell Islands, Solomon Islands | WWII Relics Dive. Dive at White Beach, Mbanika, Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, the Allied code name for the beach where US forces landed in February 1943 (Operation Cleanslate) and built Naval Base Banika with its PT-boat base. At war's end, trucks, bulldozers and ammunition were simply dumped off the wharf; today it's a coral-encrusted underwater muse.
- - Dr Dickson Boara Gives Health Update on Cyclone Maila Impact in Western Province. Director of Western Province Health and Medical Services, Dr Dickson Boara, provides an important update on the health situation following the impact of Tropical Cyclone Maila in the Solomon Islands.
- - Snorkeling Gizo with a cyclone offshore. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering reef, dive, hazard.
- - Sharks Are Living Inside This Underwater Volcano | Kavachi. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering reef, marinelife, volcano.
- - Kavachi: The Pacific's Dangerous Underwater Volcano That Erupts Non-stop!. !.
- - Trekking the active volcano on Savo Island, Solomon Islands. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering volcano, forest.
- - Avondale university students hike to Tenaru waterfall in the Solomon islands 🇸🇧...🏞️. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering forest.
- - She Took Me Deep Into the Solomon Islands Jungle 🇸🇧. I visited the Solomon Islands in March 2026 for 6 days.
- - Solomon Islands | Communities in Western and Choiseul Provinces impacted by Tropical Cyclone Maila. Footage from the Solomon Islands covering hazard.
- - Cave 1.Looking up to the trees from down below, and shafts of sunlight.Uepi Island Resort. 10.8.26. Awesome dive looking up to the trees and clouds above from down below with such clarity. I was also very pleased to see the shafts of sunlight! This was the first cave of 3 from Uepi Island Resort.
- - Solomon Islands Category 5 Cyclone 🌀08 04 2026 Flying out of Munda to Honiara. Very bumpy take-off but not as bad as I expected.
- - Mirror Pond, Russell Islands, Solomon Islands | Jungle Cavern Dive. Cavern dive at Mirror Pond in the Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, a short tunnel from the ocean surfaces inside a mirror-calm pond ringed by jungle vines and rainforest. It is one of the Solomons' signature cavern dives, with a wilder footnote: saltwater crocodiles occasionally use the pond, so guides surface first to check it's clear.
- - Rainbow Reef, Russell Islands, Solomon Islands | Pinnacle Dive. Dive at Rainbow Reef in the Russell Islands, Solomon Islands, a current-swept pinnacle topping out around 16 m that turns into a swirling mass of colour: huge fusilier and anthias schools over dense sea fans and soft corals, with grey reef sharks, barracuda and mobula rays drawn in by the oceanic flow.
- - Survivors Speak: First-Hand Stories from Cyclone Maila. Hear powerful first-hand accounts from those who endured the full force of Tropical Cyclone Maila, sharing their experiences, fears, and resilience in the face of one of the strongest storms to hit their communities.
- - Savo Copra Farmer Shares Why He Now Prefers Selling to CEMA. Copra farmer and buyer Ataban Tonezepo, 40, from Savo Island in Central Islands Province, speaks with Island Sun about his experience with CEMA’s new management fees and how the changes are impacting local farmers.
- - How Solomon Cockatoos Are Raised on a Massive Farm | From Egg to Adult Cockatoo
- - Relief Reaches North Vella After Cyclone Maila. Highlights from the Disaster Rapid Response Team distributing much-needed food supplies to affected communities in North Vella on 14 April 2026, following the impact of Tropical Cyclone Maila.
- - Kavachi: The World's Most Explosive Underwater Volcano. Dive into the mesmerizing world of Kavachi, one of the globe's most explosive underwater volcanoes! In this captivating 10-minute journey, we'll explore the incredible power and beauty of this natural phenomenon, showcasing stunning stock footage that captures the raw energy of eruptions and the vibrant marine life that thrives in its vic.
- - Cana bullets fc participating in Futsal Bulkshop league. Solomon Islands sport, published by Project Aelanlife.
- - Alter Praise | Starlight | Hope for All Concert | Hope Channel Solomon Islands. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - F.O.T__ Fuaga Brothers [Official Audio 2026] Ozone Studio. Solomon Islands music published by Bushman Production.
- - Come Walk With Jesus | Hope Band (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Mondo Boys - Na Toa (Official Music video ) Solomon Islands Gospel 2026. Solomon Islands music published by SOLOMON ISLANDS GOSPEL.
- - Chris Rohoimae experience at National panpipe festival 2026. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by Project Aelanlife.
- - Chris Rohoimae own original Panpipe piece NATPAN 2026. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by Project Aelanlife.
- - 07 July 2026 | SIBC TV NEWS. Solomon Islanders speaking, published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Kuala Lumpur Pipes & Drums | Spectacular Pregame Performance | Super School Rugby Grand Final 2026. Solomon Islands sport, published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - National Panpipe Festival 2026 | Solomon Islands | Ngella Cultural Group. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by WILLFAFALE.
- - Super School Rugby 2026 l Academy Category Grand Finale. Solomon Islands sport, published by Javierism Tuboka.
- - J.N.I Live at the Christafari Show | Testimony. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by WILLFAFALE.
- - Glory Is Yours | Tanah - Acoustic Cover (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Aofia Lau I Nalili-Official Video.. Solomon Islands language and outer-island material from Liurii lokol vibes.
- - Promise_Bossman Music[Official Audio Music 2026]. Solomon Islands music published by Bossman Music.
- - Turn It Around | J.N.I Live at the Christafari Show. Everyday Solomon Islands life filmed by WILLFAFALE.
- - God Blo Mi | Vono Youth Boys (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Weoha_Bossman Music_[Official Music Audio 2026]. Solomon Islands music published by Bossman Music.
- - JOHN, ALZ & D5 - JESUS NAU AE ( OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ) Solomon islands Gospel 2026. Solomon Islands music published by SOLOMON ISLANDS GOSPEL.
- - Pitua Ruka Ninamaiamu | Echos of Faith (Official Music Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Inside Solomon Islands National Museum 🇸🇧 | Discover Honiara. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by explorewithHAROLD.
- - Hadadezer, Arnold & D5 - Doves Heart ( Official Music Video) Solomon Islands Gospel 2026. Solomon Islands music published by SOLOMON ISLANDS GOSPEL.
- - Ko’ona Baiu | The Gates Singers (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Guadalcanal Province Traditional Basket Weaver - Solomon Islands | SIBC TV | SHORT FEATURE STORIES. Custom practice from the Solomon Islands, recorded and published by SIBC News (Solomon Islands).
- - Ti Tangira Uea | Betio Adventist Youth Singers (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - I Anganiko Te Uea Maiu | JICAS Singers (Official Video). Solomon Islands music published by Sound of Hope - Hope Channel Solomon Islands.
- - Clifton | D5 - Give it All To You _( Gospel Music Video ). Solomon Islands music published by SOLOMON ISLANDS GOSPEL.
Full text archive: /loreline-text/solomon-islands.md
