Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Honiara

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Honiara is the capital and largest city of the Solomon Islands.

Solomon Islands-CIA WFB Map
Solomon Islands-CIA WFB Map

It sits on the northwestern coast of the island of Guadalcanal. The city is a very busy place with many people. In 2021, the population was 92,344 people.

Honiara aerial crop
Honiara aerial crop

Now, the number of people is estimated to be 116,581 by the year 2025. This makes Honiara the fastest-growing city in the whole country. About half of the people living there are younger than 30 years old.

The city has many important ways to travel.

A bit of Honiara (32274638120)
A bit of Honiara (32274638120)

There is a seaport at a place called Point Cruz. A major road called the Kukum Highway runs through the city. This highway connects the center to the Honiara International Airport. The airport is located to the east of the city. It sits across the Lunga River. The Matanikau River also flows through the town near Chinatown.

Honiara has a very long and interesting history.

Aerial view of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in late August 1942
Aerial view of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in late August 1942

The name comes from a local language meaning "place of the east wind." During World War II, the area near the airport was a battleground. This was known as the Battle for Henderson Field in 1942. The United States and Japan fought for control of this area. Later, in 1952, the town became the capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. It grew quickly after many government buildings were built there.

Today, Honiara is the center for the country's government.

Long shot of the Solomon Islands Parliament House. (10708895683)
Long shot of the Solomon Islands Parliament House. (10708895683)

You can find the National Parliament of Solomon Islands here. The city also has the national museum and the Honiara Market. There are schools like the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education.

Solomon Islands House of Parliament (inside)
Solomon Islands House of Parliament (inside)

The city is divided into three areas for voting. These are called East, Central, and West Honiara. These areas have many more voters than other parts of the country.

The weather in Honiara is tropical and warm.

Honiara
Honiara

It has a tropical rainforest climate, which means it is often wet. Most of the rain falls between November and April. The city is also subject to monsoons.

Honiara
Honiara

Many people in the city are Christian. You can find many different churches, like the Roman Catholic Archdiocese or the South Seas Evangelical Church. These churches are important parts of daily life in the city.

365 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (15)
File:Aerial view of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in late August 1942.jpg
Aerial view of Henderson Field,...
File:Honiara aerial crop.jpg
Honiara aerial crop.jpg
File:Solomon Islands-CIA WFB Map.png
Solomon Islands-CIA WFB Map.png
File:Solomon Islands House of Parliament (inside).jpg
Solomon Islands House of Parliament (inside).jpg
File:Honiara wards - crop of Map Administrative Divisions of Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands).png
Honiara wards - crop of Map...
File:Honiara.jpg
Honiara.jpg
File:Aerial view of Honiara, 2013.jpg
Aerial view of Honiara, 2013.jpg
File:Guadalcanal American Memorial.jpg
Guadalcanal American Memorial.jpg
File:Long shot of the Solomon Islands Parliament House. (10708895683).jpg
Long shot of the Solomon Islands...
File:All Saints Church, Honiara.jpg
All Saints Church, Honiara.jpg
File:Church drum of All Saints Church, Honiara.jpg
Church drum of All Saints Church, Honiara.jpg
File:HoniaraHotel.jpg
HoniaraHotel.jpg

+ 3 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.