Malaita

Malaita
Volcanic island, Solomon Islands, South Pacific Ocean.

Located northeast of Guadalcanal, it is about 115 mi (185 km) long and 22 mi (35 km) across at its widest point and has an area of 1,870 sq mi (4,843 sq km). It is mountainous and covered with dense forests, and its interior has not yet been extensively explored.

* * *

also called  Mala 

      volcanic island in the country of Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. It lies 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Guadalcanal (Guadalcanal Island) across Indispensable Strait. The island is about 115 miles (185 km) long and 22 miles (35 km) across at its widest point. It is densely forested and mountainous, rising to an elevation of 4,718 feet (1,438 metres) at Mount Ire (Kolourat, or Mount Kolovrat) in the centre. It is separated from the island of Maramasike at its southeastern end by a channel only 1,300 feet (400 metres) wide.

      The development of sugar plantations in Fiji and in Queensland, Austl., in the mid-19th century led to a need for workers and the sometimes brutal recruitment of the Melanesian inhabitants of Malaita, provoking reprisals by the islanders and the establishment of a British protectorate in 1893. After World War II a strongly anti-European movement known as “Marching Rule” came into being and aimed to dominate local affairs. A rapprochement in the 1950s between the government and the movement's leaders culminated in the formation of an organized local council for the first time. After Solomon independence (1978), many Malaitans rose to positions of prominence in the country. Despite comprising less than one-third of the national population, Malaitans hold many of the country's top business and governmental posts, a situation that in the late 20th and early 21st centuries led to rising tensions and violent clashes with other ethnic groups, including a coup in 2000.

      The population engages in copra production, the cultivation of rice and cacao (the source of cocoa), and boatbuilding. There are airstrips at Auki and Asimana on the west coast and another on Maramasike.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Malaita — Island seen from space (false color) Geography Locati …   Wikipedia

  • Malaita — Vue satellite de Malaita (fausses couleurs) Géographie Pays …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Malaita — Satellitenbild der Insel (Falschfarben) Gewässer Pazifischer Ozean …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Malaita — (Malanta, Malapania), die zweitgrößte der englischen Salomoninseln, durch die Indispensablestraße von der Insel Isabella (s. d.) getrennt, mit der 400 qkm großen Insel Maramasiki 6500 qkm groß, von Korallenriffen umgeben, im Innern gebirgig… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Malaita — Malaita, Mala, eine der größern brit. Salomoninseln, 6200 qkm, gebirgig (bis 1300 m) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Malaita — Malaita,   Mạla, eine der Salomoninseln im südwestlichen Pazifik, 4 071 km2, bis 1 438 m über dem Meeresspiegel, 97 000 Einwohner (v. a. Melanesier); Verwaltungsgebiet, einschließlich kleiner Nachbarinseln, Hauptort ist Auki; vulkanischen… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Malaita — El nombre de Malaita se puede referir a: Malaita, una provincia de las Islas Salomón. Malaita, una isla en la provincia del mismo nombre en las Islas Salomón. Malaita Sur, otra isla de la misma provincia. Esta página de desambiguación cataloga… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Malaita — La provincia de Malaita es una de las provincias más grandes de las Islas Salomón. Su nombre se debe a la mayor isla, Malaita. Otras islas incluyen la isla Malaita Sur, isla Sikaiana e isla Ontong Java (también llamada isla Lord Howe. La capital… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Malaita — Admin ASC 1 Code Orig. name Malaita Country and Admin Code SB.03 SB …   World countries Adminstrative division ASC I-II

  • Malaita (Provinz) — Malaita Geographie Staat: Salomonen Gewässer: Pazifischer Ozean Inseln …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”