Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, is located on the northern coastline of the Guadalcanal island in the SW Pacific and is centred on Point Cruz, a small and pretty seaport.
Honiara takes its name from the native description of its site: "Naho ni ara", meaning "facing the east and south-east wind" and it has today a population of more than 30,000.
Honiara grew around a World War II US military base and in 1952 replaced Tulagi as the capital of the Solomon Islands.
It has been the capital of the British protectorate of the Solomon Islands from 1952 until 1978, when it became capital of the newly independent state.
The city's oldest architectural style, still to be observed in some corners of its bustling environs is the World War II military hut with its typical semi-circular roof.
Honiara is served by an international airport, Henderson Airfield, which lies 16 km/10 mi to the east.