Makira-Ulawa Province is one of the nine

provinces of Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is divided into nine provinces. The national capital, Honiara, on the island of Guadalcanal, is separately governed as the country's Capital Territory. History Under the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, there were ini ...

Geography

The main part of the province is Makira Island. It has a population of 40,419 (2009). The capital is Kirakira. Makira-Ulawa Province includes Makira (San Cristobal), Ulawa, Uki Ni Masi,

Owaraha Owaraha or Owa Raha (also known as Santa Ana) is an island in Makira-Ulawa Province, Solomon Islands. Description This relatively small coral island is 5.6 km long and 4.5 km wide. It is located at the eastern end of Makira (San Cristob ...

(Santa Ana), Owariki (Santa Catalina), Pio and others. Makira Island is 3090km²: 139km long by 40km wide at around the centre of the island. Mountains run like a spine down the island's centre: the highest point reaches 1040 m, then falls steeply to the sea along its southern shore. Many rivers penetrate the island in roughly parallel lines every two to five kilometres. Makira has more inland

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s—and saltwater

crocodile Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant me ...

s—than any other island in the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...

. Its coast is the only part of the Solomons where the rare Olive, or Pacific Ridley, turtle is known to visit and nest. Because Makira Island was isolated for long stretches of time during periods of high sea level, a wide variety of unique plants and animals evolved. For example, 12 of its 70 resident species of birds are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

, as are two species of trees, both figs (''

Ficus cristobalensis ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species exten ...

'' and '' Ficus illiberalis''). This uniqueness highlights the importance of preserving Makira's

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

. Makira is also among the most important islands in the country for birds. There are some bird watching spots on the island. At the village of

Hauta is a style of traditional Japanese music. In the Edo period (1603–1867), pieces in the style were played on the , and were mostly regional to Kamigata. The name means of (Kamigata in this instance), and suggests "not a song from Edo". In ...

, situated hundreds of metres above sea level, at the Bauro inland region an established conservation area exists. However, one requires a permission to visit, which can be acquired from the Provincial Office at Kirakira.

Population

In 2009, the total population was estimated to be 40,419. Makira-Ulawa people are mostly Melanesian and their traditional dances and rituals are still strongly kept, especially in the islands of Santa Ana (Owaraha), Santa Catalina (Owariki), Uki-ni-masi and Ulawa. On Makira, five

languages Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

are spoken:

Arosi Arosi is a Southeast Solomonic language spoken on the island of Makira. Arosi is primarily spoken by inhabitants who live to the west of the Wango River on Makira (formerly known as San Cristobal Island). Makira is in the easternmost part of the ...

, Bauro, Fagani, Kahua, and Owa. The Bauro speakers have been considered to be the most isolated and conservative of the Makira groups. The people of Ulawa and Ugi Island speak Sa'a.ethnologue.com
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Administrative divisions

Makira-Ulawa Province is sub-divided into the following wards: * Makira-Ulawa Province (40,419) **North Ulawa (1,169) **South Ulawa (1,294) **West Ulawa (860) **Ugi and Pio (1,212) **Arosi South (3,009) **Arosi West (2,009) **Arosi North (2,344) **Arosi East (2,054) **Bauro West (3,925) **Bauro Central (4,562) **Bauro East (1,625) **Wainoni West (2,131) **Wainoni East (2,488) **Star Harbour North (3,262) ** Santa Ana (1,547) ** Santa Catalina (811) **Star Harbour South (1,138) **Rawo (677) **Weather Cast (1,658) **Haununu (2,644)

Islands

Ali'ite Ali'ite is an island in the Solomon Islands; it is the northern one of the Olu Malau (Three Sisters) Islands located in Makira-Ulawa Province. It has an area of 2.91 km2. The first recorded sighting by Europeans of Ali'ite was by the Spanish ...

* Makira (San Cristobal) * Malaulalo * Malaupaina *

(Santa Ana) * Owariki (Santa Catalina) * Pio * Ugi * Ulawa

References

{{Authority control Provinces of the Solomon Islands States and territories established in 1981 1981 establishments in the Solomon Islands