Treasury Islands
| Treasury Islands | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Solomon Lake | |
| archipelago | Solomon Islands | |
| Geographical location | 7 ° 21 ′ S , 155 ° 34 ′ E | |
|
||
| Number of islands | 9 | |
| Main island | Mono | |
| Residents | 631 (2009) | |
The Treasury Islands ( German "Schatzinseln" ) are a small group of islands in the northwest of the Pacific Solomon Islands . Politically, the islands belong to the western province of the island state of Solomon Islands .
geography
The largest islands are Mono and Stirling , which are separated by the deep, but only 800 meters wide, inlet Blanche Harbor . Mono is a volcanic island, while Stirling is a flat island built from the coral rocks of the reef surrounding Mono. Between the two islands lie seven very small islands, from west to east: Biloviloina, Siaua, Three, Alua, Wilson (Hoe), Buvuana and Watson (Malukei).
history
The Treasury Islands were discovered for the western world in 1788 by the English naval officer John Shortland (the Elder), after whom the neighboring Shortland Islands are named.
During the Second World War , the islands were occupied by Japanese troops in early 1942 and were only conquered by New Zealand and US troops through two amphibious landings in October 1943 .
The earthquake of April 1, 2007 and the subsequent tsunami caused considerable damage on Mono.
