Location / Geography / Climate

The Islands are situated in the south-west Pacific, about 1,800 km east of North Australia. The country is a doublechain archipelago including Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. About 350 of the Islands are populated, and the total land area is over 30,000 square kilometers. The Islands stretch across 1,300 km of the Pacific Ocean. This expansive spread of its islands gives the Islands an exclusive economic zone of 1.3 million square kilometers in total. Travel between individual islands is possible by outboard motor and canoe, inter-island traders and ferries. There are some limited air services.

The Islands, formed by fertile volcanic rock, are believed to have erupted from the seabed some 25 million years ago, and were covered by subsequent coral growth. The Islands' terrain is mostly covered with dense tropical rain forest, with coconut palms growing on the outer perimeter. The Gold Ridge Project is located on the island of Guadalcanal, the central island of the Solomon Islands, approximately 30 km southeast of the capital city Honiara. The Gold Ridge Project is located approximately 40 km by road from Honiara. The initial 20 km is paved, and the remainder is a gravel road that needs minor repair. International air flights to Honiara are available from Brisbane, Australia, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Port Vila, Vanuatu and Nadi, Fiji.

The Islands have a tropical equatorial climate with high humidity but modified by trade winds from the sea. The temperature is a fairly consistent 28-30 C (80-83 F) but in the evening it may drop to 23 C. Rain falls in short, heavy bursts most of the year round, although the months between November and April are known as the rainy season. Daily sunshine averages seven hours, with sunrise at approximately 5:30 to 6:00 a.m. and sunset at approximately 6:00 to 6:30 p.m.