The Salomon Islands or Salomon Atoll is a small

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...

of the

Chagos Archipelago The Chagos Archipelago (, ) or Chagos Islands (formerly , and later the Oil Islands) is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about south of the Maldives archipelago. This chain of islands is the southernmo ...

Description

The atoll is located in the northeast of the

, between Blenheim Reef and Peros Banhos. The main islands in the group are Île Boddam, with the former main settlement, and a land area of , and Île Anglaise (), both on the western rim of the reef. There were smaller settlements of

Chagossians The Chagossians — also called Chagos Islanders or — are an Afro-Asians, Afro-Asian ethnic group originating from freed African slaves as well as people of Asian (Indian and Malay) descent brought to the Chagos Islands, specifically Diego ...

in Fouquet () and Takamaka () Islands. Île de la Passe is in area, and Île Mapou . The remaining islets are much smaller. The total land area is . There is a passage into the

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

, named Baie de Salomon, on the Northern side, between Île Anglaise and Île de la Passe. The Salomon Islands are one of the favorite anchoring spots for itinerant

yachtsmen Yachting is recreational boating activities using medium/large-sized boats or small ships collectively called yachts. Yachting is distinguished from other forms of boating mainly by the priority focus on comfort and luxury, the dependence on mar ...

passing through the Chagos, even though there are no proper moorings for yachts and a permit of the BIOT authorities is needed. Now uninhabited, the islands are overrun by low

jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

between the

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

trees and it is hard to find the traces of the former settlements.

History

This atoll was settled in the last half of the 18th century by coconut plantation workers from Isle de France (now

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

). Little is known about the condition of the workers who were mostly of African origin. Most probably they lived in conditions close to

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. The company exploiting the plantation was called the

Chagos Agalega Company The Chagos Archipelago (, ) or Chagos Islands (formerly , and later the Oil Islands) is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about south of the Maldives archipelago. This chain of islands is the southernmo ...

. The Salomon Islands were surveyed in 1837 by Commander

Robert Moresby Robert Moresby (15 June 1794 – 15 June 1854Some sources mention that he is thought to have died in 1863.) was a captain of the East India Company's Bombay Marine/Indian Navy who distinguished himself as a hydrographer, maritime surveyor ...

of the Indian Navy on HMS ''Benares''. Moresby's survey produced the first detailed map of this atoll. The atoll was surveyed again in 1905 by Commander B.T. Sommerville on , who drew a more accurate map. Some of the Salomon Islands were inhabited by the

, but at the time that the British Government decided to empty the Chagos of local inhabitants, only Île Boddam was inhabited. Between 1967 and 1973, 500 inhabitants of the Salomon Islands were evicted by the British and their pets were killed in gas chambers by Sir Bruce Greatbatch in order to make way for an American military base. The evictees were resettled in

and

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

. Île Boddam had a jetty, shops, offices, a school, a church and a villa where the plantation manager lived. All these buildings are now hidden by thick jungle. There are wells on Boddam and Takamaka islands which are still used by yachtsmen to replenish their supplies.1st Report for 2007: Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives and Chagos (1 Feb – 22 May)
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Islets

The individual islets of the atoll are, starting in the North, clockwise: #Île de la Passe #Île Mapou #Île Takamaka #Île Fouquet #Île Sepulture #Île Jacobin #Île du Sel #Île Poule #Île Boddam #Île Diable #Île Anglaise

References

External links

Map of Salomon Islands
{{coord, 5, 19, 00, S, 72, 15, 36, E, region:GB_type:isle, display=title Atolls of the Chagos Archipelago Former populated places in the Indian Ocean