The nation of Solomon Islands includes an archipelago off the east coast of New Guinea in the western South Pacific Ocean. The islands were colonized by Britain in the late 1800s. During World War II Japanese forces invaded from the north and were stopped by Allied forces in prolonged and heavy fighting in and around the island of Guadalcanal. The islands became independent in 1978. The country is a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations recognizing the British monarch is head of state. In recent years tourism in the Solomon Islands has been limited by civil unrest in many parts of the country. Bougainville, the largest and northwesternmost island of the Solomon Archipelago, is not part of the nation of Solomon Islands. Instead, it is an autonomous province of Papua New Guinea expected to become independent in 2027. There have never been any traditional masonry lighthouses in the Solomon Islands. As recently as 2014 nearly all of the larger navigational aids were described as "framework towers" in the international light lists. However, there must have been a major project to replace these beacons beginning around that time. Now nearly all of the lightbeacons are described as "white columns." Photos are not available but satellite images suggest that these "white columns" are round metal or fiberglass towers similar to the Honiara range light shown at right. Photos of any of these new lights would be welcome! Honiara and Noro are the two international ports in the Solomon Islands. These ports are operated by the Solomon Islands Ports Authority, which is probably responsible for aids to navigation in the islands. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume K of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 111.
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![]() Tulagi Harbor Front Light (left) and Munda Rear Light 2000 postage stamp minisheet |
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: South: Vanuatu | Northwest: Northern Papua New Guinea
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Posted January 5, 2006. Checked and revised November 17, 2024. Lighthouses: 21. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.