Solomon Islands: Flag and Facts
The Solomon Islands flag is cut diagonally by a thin yellow stripe rising from the bottom left, with a blue upper triangle holding five white stars in an X and a green lower triangle.
- Capital
- Honiara
- Region
- Melanesia
- Population
- 738,774 (2025)
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Solomon Islands dollar
- Area
- 28,896 km² (11,157 sq mi)
- People
- Solomon Islander
- Calling code
- +677
- Highest point
- Mount Popomanaseu 2,335 m
- Independence
- 7 July 1978 (from the UK)
- Borders
- No land borders
About Solomon Islands
People from Papua reached these islands around 30,000 years ago, and Austronesian settlers followed about 6,000 years ago. The two groups blended over time and traded between islands, yet never formed one political unit. A Spanish explorer sighted the chain in 1568, but no lasting European presence followed until a British explorer showed up in 1767. Germany took the north in 1885, Britain the south in 1893, and in 1899 Germany handed its share to the UK.
Japan invaded in 1942, and the Guadalcanal Campaign became a turning point of the Pacific war while wrecking much of the country. Self-rule arrived in 1976, and full independence came on 7 July 1978. Today just under three-quarters of a million people live across mostly rugged, mountainous islands with a few low coral atolls, and Honiara is the capital.
Did you know?
- Mount Popomanaseu, the highest point, climbs to 2,335 meters.
- On the flag, blue means ocean, green means land and yellow means sunshine.
- Half of all Solomon Islanders are younger than 25.5 years.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Solomon Islands
What is the capital of the Solomon Islands?
Honiara is the capital, with about 82,000 residents. English is the official language.
What do the five stars on the Solomon Islands flag mean?
Each star stands for one of the main island groups.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.