• Milestones
• Country
• Year
• Descriptions
• Legend
• Glossary

Solomon islands
Paleontology related stamps (dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, fossils, Charles Darwin)

<< previous country

back to index

next country >>

Contents

• Country overview
• Philately at Solomon Islands
• Official stamps of Solomon Islands related to Paleontology
• Commemorative postmarks of Solomon Islands related to Paleontology
• References

Solomon Islands, is a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania lying to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu with population of 640,000 about and covering a land area of 28,400 square kilometres. The country's capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the North Solomon Islands (part of Papua New Guinea), but excludes outlying islands, such as Rennell and Bellona, and the Santa Cruz Islands. The islands have been inhabited for thousands of years. In 1568, the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña was the first European to visit them, naming them the Islas Salomón.
Britain defined its area of interest in the Solomon Islands archipelago in June 1893, when Captain Gibson R.N., of HMS Curacoa, declared the southern Solomon Islands as a British protectorate. During World War II, the Solomon Islands campaign (1942–1945) saw fierce fighting between the United States and the Empire of Japan, such as in the Battle of Guadalcanal. The official name of the then British overseas territory was changed from "the British Solomon Islands Protectorate" to "Solomon Islands" in 1975. Self-government was achieved in 1976; independence was obtained two years later. Today, Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen of Solomon Islands, currently Queen Elizabeth II, as its head of state. Manasseh Sogavare is the current prime minister. ^[R1] 

The first stamps of the Solomon Islands were marked British Solomon Islands Protectorate and were issued on 14 February 1907. From 1913, stamps were inscribed just British Solomon Islands. The first stamp after Independent issued on July 7, 1978 and inscribed just Solomon Islands. ^[R2] 
In the first years the country issued not more than 30 stamps per year.  Since early 2000th annual amount of stamps to grow.  60 stamps issued in 2006 for example. Between 2012 and 2017 stamps of Solomon Islands produced by Stamperija, who issued many hunderdts stamps on every popular subject, include dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. Almost 750 (!) stamps issued by Stamperija on behalf Solomon Islands in 2013, another 640 (!)  in 2014 etc.

Official stamps of Solomon Islands related to Paleontology: fossils and reconstructions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, Charles Darwin