Santa Isabel

/san"teuh iz"euh bel'/; Sp. /sahn"tah ee'sah bel"/

former name of Malabo.

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or Santa Ysabel

Island (pop., 1997: 22,653), central Solomon Islands, South Pacific Ocean.

Located 50 mi (80 km) northwest of Guadalcanal, Santa Isabel is about 130 mi (209 km) long and 20 mi (32 km) wide at its widest point. Mount Marescot, rising 4,000 ft (1,219 m), is the highest peak. The island was under German control from 1886 to 1899; Rekata Bay on the northwestern coast was a Japanese base during World War II. Coconut plantations and timber development are important to the economy.

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▪ island, Solomon Islands

formerly  Ysabel  

      island, central Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Guadalcanal. About 130 miles (209 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) across at its widest point, it has a mountainous backbone with Mount Marescot (4,000 feet [1,219 metres]) as its highest peak. A narrow passage divides Santa Isabel from a group of islets (Barora Fa, Barora Ite, and Ghaghe) at its northern end; San Jorge Island lies off its southwestern corner, separated by Ortega Channel and Thousand Ships Bay. Much of Santa Isabel and its surrounding islands is under cultivation for copra production, and there is a timber development near Allardyce Harbour. The island contains unexploited mineral deposits. Chief villages on Santa Isabel are Kia (north) and Dadale Plantation (centre). Rakata Bay in the northwest was a Japanese military base during World War II until captured by Allied forces in 1943.

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