- Guadalcanal
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/gwahd'l keuh nal"/, n.the largest of the Solomon Islands, in the W central Pacific: U.S. victory over the Japanese 1942-43. 23,922; ab. 2500 sq. mi. (6475 sq. km).
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Island (pop., 1999: 109,382), Solomon Islands, South Pacific Ocean.The largest of the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal has an area of 2,047 sq mi (5,302 sq km); the national capital, Honiara, lies on the northern coast. The economy is based mainly on fishing and agriculture; gold mining began in the 1990s. The island was visited by the Spanish in the 16th century and by the British in the late 18th century; it was annexed in 1893 as part of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. During World War II it was the scene of prolonged fighting between U.S. and Japanese forces (1942–43), which resulted in the Allied capture of a Japanese air base there. Several naval battles were also fought in the area. Ethnic tensions between Guadalcanal islanders and migrants from the nearby island of Malaita worsened after World War II. After the islands achieved independence from Great Britain in 1978, ethnically based disputes simmered on the island, sparking violence and rioting in 1998 and underlying the paramilitary coup of June 2000. A peace accord between the factions was signed in October 2000.* * *
largest island of the Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. With an area of some 2,047 square miles (5,302 square km), it is of volcanic origin with a mountainous spine (Kavo Range) that culminates in Mount Makarakomburu (8,028 feet [2,447 m]), the highest point in the country. Many short, rapid streams, including the Mataniko, Lunga, and Tenaru, tumble from the wooded mountains to the coast, which in some places is lined with mangrove swamps. The economy is based mainly on fishing, coconuts, timber, cocoa, and fruit; there are occasional workings in alluvial gold and silver.Guadalcanal was so named by the Spaniards, after Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira visited it in 1568. The English navigator Lieutenant John Shortland explored the sheltered anchorages along the northern coast in 1788. English traders followed, and the island was annexed (1893) by the British as part of the Solomon Islands Protectorate. During World War II it was the scene of bitter land and sea fighting between U.S. and Japanese forces. Honiara (q.v.), the national capital, is on the north coast. Pop. (1986 prelim.) 80,826.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
