Malaita

Malaita is a big island.

It is in the Solomon Islands. It is the second largest island there.

Many people live on Malaita. It has more people than other islands.

Some people live by the sea. They call themselves salt-water people. Other people live in the woods. They are called bush people.

Auki is a large city. It sits on the coast. It is near a blue lagoon.

Malaita is a very busy place to live.

Malaita is a large island in the Solomon Islands.

It is the second largest island in the country. It is also the most crowded island. Over 161,000 people lived there in 2021.

This is more than one third of all people in the whole country.

Auki is the largest city on the island. It sits on the northwest coast. It is near the Langa Langa Lagoon.

People live in different ways on Malaita. Some people live by the sea. They call themselves salt-water people. Other people live in the forest. They are called bush people.

History on the island is very old. People first arrived there thousands of years ago. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers saw the island. Later, many people from Malaita went to work far away. They went to places like Australia and Fiji. Some people learned to read and write during this time. In the 1940s, a group called Maasina Ruru started. They wanted more rights for the people. This group helped start local government on the island.

Malaita is a very important island in the Solomon Islands.

It is the second largest island in the whole country. It is also the most crowded island of them all. In 2021, about 161,832 people lived on Malaita. This is more than one third of the entire national population. The largest city is called Auki. It sits on the northwest coast near the Langa Langa Lagoon.

People on the island live in different ways. Some live by the sea and call themselves salt-water people. Others live in the forest and are called bush people.

Life on the island has changed many times over the years. Long ago, people from the Austronesian groups arrived there. They settled the land between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago. Later, Spanish explorers saw the island in 1568. They called it Malaita after the names they heard from local people. For a long time, the island was not well known to the rest of the world. Even after it was found, many people thought the islands might not exist for two hundred years.

In the 1800s, many people from Malaita traveled far away for work. They went to places like Fiji and Queensland, Australia. This was often a very hard job for them. Some people worked on large farms called plantations. While they were away, many learned how to read and write. They also learned about new religions. Some people even became missionaries when they returned home. These skills helped them later when they wanted to speak up for their rights.

During the early 1900s, the British began to take control of the island. They set up a government station in Auki in 1909. This was a difficult time because there were many fights between different groups. The government tried to stop the fighting and collect taxes. In 1927, a man named William R. Bell was killed. This led to a very large and sad event called the Malaita massacre.

This event caused a lot of anger that lasted for many years.

In the 1940s, a new movement called Maasina Ruru began. This group wanted the people to have more say in their own lives. They worked together across different clans and groups. Even though the British tried to stop them, the movement stayed strong. Eventually, it led to the creation of the Malaita Council. This was the first step toward local government in the Solomon Islands. Today, Malaita is still a very busy and lively place.

Malaita is the primary island of Malaita Province in the Solomon Islands.

It is the most populous island in the entire country. As of 2021, its population was 161,832 people. This number represents more than one third of the national population. Malaita is also the second largest island in the country by area. It follows only the island of Guadalcanal in size. The largest city is Auki, which serves as the provincial capital. Auki sits on the northwest coast near the northern shore of the Langa Langa Lagoon.

The people of Malaita identify themselves based on where they live. Those living near the Langa Langa Lagoon and the Lau Lagoon call themselves wane i asi. This term means "salt-water people." They are distinct from the wane i tolo, or "bush people." These bush people live in the interior of the island. This division shows how the geography of the island shapes its cultures. The island also includes South Malaita Island, which is sometimes called Small Malaita. This smaller island sits at the southern tip of the larger landmass.

The name Malaita has several possible origins and histories. Spanish explorers recorded the name in their logbooks during the 16th century. They first viewed the island from Santa Isabel, where it was known as Mala. Some believe the suffix "ita" was added from the Bughotu word for "up" or "east." In this context, it might mean "there." Different names are used by different groups. For example, ꞋAreꞌare speakers call South Malaita Maramasike. More than 80% of islanders know it as Malamweimwei. Under British control, the name Mala was common, but Malaita is now used for official purposes.

Human history on Malaita began thousands of years ago. Austronesian speakers settled the island between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago. While earlier Papuan speakers reached the western Solomon Islands, there is no archaeological evidence they reached Malaita. The Kwara'ae people have a traditional account of their arrival. They believe a founding ancestor followed a magical staff to the middle of the island. From there, his descendants spread to the lowland edges. The first recorded European sighting occurred on April 11, 1568. A Spanish expedition led by Álvaro de Mendaña saw the island. A pilot named Hernán Gallego explored much of the coast, though not the north side.

In the 1800s, Malaitans were involved in the international labour trade. Many men and women worked as indentured labourers in Queensland, Australia, and Fiji. This period included the era of "blackbirding," which involved illegal recruiting practices. While the labour system was exploitative, it brought new opportunities for education. Some Malaitans, like Joseph Wate and Watehou, learned to read and write in Auckland. Many returning labourers became Christians. This literacy helped them later when they wrote protest letters against deportation. In 1901, the Pacific Island Labourers Act facilitated the deportation of many islanders. However, some stayed and formed the South Sea Islander community in Australia.

British colonial power began to take hold in the late 19th century. Britain defined its interest in the Solomons in 1886. Central government control of Malaita began in 1893. Captain Herbert Gibson declared the southern Solomon Islands a British Protectorate. This move aimed to regulate local warfare and the unfair labour trade. The government established a station in Auki in 1909. They worked to pacify the island by collecting taxes and regulating firearms. This period was marked by tension and violence. In 1927, District Commissioner William R. Bell was killed by a Kwaio. This led to the Malaita massacre, where at least 60 Kwaio were killed.

Following these tensions, a new movement emerged called Maasina Ruru, or "Marching Rule." This movement sought self-determination and united people across different clans and religions. It was highly organized, dividing the island into nine districts. Each district had leaders and custom chiefs called alaha'ohu. Although the British tried to suppress the movement with arrests, it continued underground. Eventually, the movement led to the formation of the Malaita Council. This council became the first instance of local government in the Solomon Islands. Salana Ga'a served as its first president.

Modern Malaita remains a central part of the Solomon Islands. The country gained independence in July 1978. Peter Kenilorea, who was from the ꞋAreꞌare group on Malaita, became the first prime minister. Malaita continues to be a major source of migration. Many Malaitans live in other provinces or in Honiara. Some form large settlements on the island of Guadalcanal. This migration became a focus of the civil war that began in 1999. During that time, the Malaita Eagle Force was formed to protect Malaitan interests. Today, the island continues to develop through various regional missions.