World Map › Oceania › Solomon Islands
Country
Map of the Solomon Islands
Oceania · Honiara
The Solomon Islands lies on the Pacific Plate. It has 7 volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years, 3 of which have erupted since 1900. Since 1900, 63 major earthquakes have been recorded, causing at least 179 deaths. Its exposure to natural hazards is 5.3 out of 10 (INFORM index), a high level. Its overall risk index, which accounts for its ability to cope, is 4.6 out of 10.
- Capital
- Honiara
- Population
- 611,343
- Area
- 28,400 km²
- Continent
- Oceania
Tectonic Plates
Natural Hazards
Exposure to natural hazards according to the European Commission's INFORM index, from 0 (very low) to 10 (very high), overall and for each type of hazard.
Overall Risk Index
This overall score combines hazard exposure with the vulnerability of the population (5.0 out of 10) and the lack of coping capacity (6.1 out of 10). A highly exposed but well-prepared country therefore gets a low overall score.
People Exposed Each Year
- 1,389to strong shaking (intensity VI and above)
- 1,227to destructive shaking (intensity VIII and above)
- 43to tsunamis
- 8,919to hurricane-force winds (category 1 and above)
- 5,344to coastal floods
Overall Risk Index Over Time
Hazard Levels
Hazard level assessed by ThinkHazard! (World Bank, GFDRR), meaning the likelihood of a damaging event, from very low to high.
- Coastal FloodHigh
- EarthquakeHigh
- LandslideHigh
- TsunamiHigh
- VolcanoHigh
- CycloneHigh
- Urban FloodMedium
- Extreme HeatMedium
- WildfireMedium
- River FloodVery Low
- Water ScarcityVery Low
Volcanoes (7)
Volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years; year of the last known eruption.
Major Earthquakes Since 1900
Earthquakes that caused deaths or significant damage, or of magnitude 7.5 and above (NOAA).
Deadliest
- 2007Solomon Islands · M 8.152 deaths
- 1931San Cristobal Island · M 7.850 deaths
- 1977Solomon Islands · M 6.834 deaths
- 1977Solomon Islands · M 8.118 deaths
- 1939Solomon Islands · M 7.912 deaths
- 2013Santa Cruz Islands · M 7.910 deaths
Regions
Regions with volcanoes, major earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones or famous faults.
Tsunamis
26 major tsunamis have reached the Solomon Islands since 1900, killing 123 people in the country. The deadliest and highest are listed below.
- 2007Tsunami (Solomon Islands) · 12.1 m50 deaths
- 1931Tsunami (Solomon Islands) · 9.0 m50 deaths
- 1939Tsunami (Solomon Islands) · 10.5 m12 deaths
- 2013Tsunami (Solomon Islands) · 11.0 m10 deaths
- 1988Tsunami (Solomon Islands) · 0.1 m1 deaths
- 2010Tsunami (Solomon Islands) · 7.5 m
- 1971Tsunami (Papua New Guinea) · 3.0 m
- 1997Tsunami (Solomon Islands) · 3.0 m
Tropical Cyclones
4 major tropical cyclones have made landfall in the Solomon Islands since 1950. The deadliest and most powerful are listed below.
- 1986Cyclone Namu · 107 km/h
- 1993Cyclone Rewa · 83 km/h
- 2023Cyclone Jasper · 46 km/h
- 1996Cyclone Fergus · 37 km/h
Sources : Natural Earth · Wikidata · INFORM Risk Index (1 September 2026 v 0.7.3), Commission européenne, CC BY 4.0 · NOAA NCEI · ThinkHazard!, GFDRR, CC BY · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution