MAKIRA-ULAWA PROVINCE DAY 2023: On August 3, Makira-Ulawa commemorates its national holiday, Makira-Ulawa Province Day. This day is a public holiday to commemorate the establishment of the provincial administration. If August 3 falls on a Sunday in a given year, the holiday is observed the following Monday. This day is celebrated across the islands of this region with festivities, official government addresses, and cultural events.
DAY OF MAKIRA-ULAWA PROVINCE HISTORY
The Solomon Islands have been inhabited since approximately 2,000 BCE, but exploration by people from other regions did not begin until June 1598, when the Spanish explorer lvaro de Mendaa y Neira sailed there on his ship. He was the first European to visit these islands, and he also gave them their first appellation, the Salomon Islands.
After Mendaa and Neira, these islands were not visited again for nearly two centuries, until portions of them were colonised by the British. Eventually, the group of islands was jointly governed by England and Germany, at least until 1886, when both nations consented to share governance equally. After an agreement in 1899, Germany eventually ceded all islands to Britain, and the territory became a British protectorate. None of the nine main island groups comprised British territory.
When the Japanese invaded these islands during the Second World War, the occupation was disrupted. This period was characterised by fierce battles, including the infamous and bloody Battle of Guadalcanal. The British did not regain possession of the island until 1945, at the conclusion of World War II.
This location, formerly known as the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, had its name changed to the Solomon Islands in 1975. They declared independence the following year and attained total independence two years later. They once again altered their name, dropping the article and becoming the Solomon Islands.
As for the Makira-Ulawa province, its isolation for very long periods during high tide allowed diverse flora and fauna to prosper, resulting in a biodiverse habitat that is unique to the region. It is also said that the caves there are so remote that they are only inhabited by the Kakamora or ‘leprechauns of the Pacific,’ a race of Makira-Ulawa people who rise no taller than one metre. The region and its distinctive customs, such as crocodile combat and crab harvesting, have generated considerable interest.
DAY OF THE MAKIRA-ULAWA PROVINCE ACTIVITIES
Explore numerous cultural gatherings
We wager that, in a digitally interconnected world, you can locate a few Makira-Ulawa cultural and traditional events and activities if you look hard enough. As a means of familiarising yourself with the culture, why not check out documentaries, novels, and films that feature the Solomon Islands?
Learn everything possible about Makira-Ulawa
This province contains a great number of hidden marvels that have not yet been discovered by human tourism. Discover more about this region and its surrounding lands. Don’t neglect to share your knowledge with those in your immediate vicinity.
Plan a journey
Why not appreciate 3.D.’s unspoiled lands and wilderness? Plan a trip to this extraordinary, (mostly) undiscovered corner of the globe.
Earth Overshoot Day 2023: Date, History, Significance, Facts
Five FACTS REGARDING THE MAKIRA-ULAWA PROVINCE
- Once upon a time, food was not stored in the Solomon Islands, except in the Eastern regions, where food was kept in food storage bunkers in the event of a food shortage.
- This confection, which originated in the Makira Ulawa province and is preserved in coconut oil, can last up to six months and is still prepared as a delicacy by the Makira.
- And among all the islands, the Makira Province is among the most remote.
- BirdLife International, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to protecting birds and their habitats worldwide, has designated an 182,550-hectare forest in the eastern part of Makira Island as an Important Bird Area (I.B.A.).
- East Makira is where Queen Elizabeth II first set foot in the Solomon Islands, a fact that continues to make the Makira-Ulawa people proud.
