Jump to content

Makira

Coordinates: 10°33′04″S 161°49′41″E / 10.55111°S 161.82806°E / -10.55111; 161.82806
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ser Amantio di Nicolao (talk | contribs) at 19:29, 18 April 2020 (External links: add authority control). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Makira
Makira and nearby islands
Location of Makira in Solomon Islands
Geography
LocationSolomon Islands
Coordinates10°33′04″S 161°49′41″E / 10.55111°S 161.82806°E / -10.55111; 161.82806
Area3,190 km2 (1,230 sq mi)
Administration
Solomon Islands
ProvinceMakira-Ulawa Province
Largest settlementKirakira
Demographics
Population~10,000 (1999)

The island of Makira (also known as San Cristobal) is the largest island of Makira-Ulawa Province in the Solomon Islands. The island is located east of Guadalcanal and south of Malaita. The largest and capital city is Kirakira.

The first recorded sighting by Europeans of Makira was by the Spanish expedition of Álvaro de Mendaña in June 1568. More precisely the sighting and also landing in San Cristobal was due to a local voyage that set out from Guadalcanal in a small boat, in the accounts the brigantine Santiago, commanded by Alférez Hernando Enriquez and having Hernán Gallego as pilot. They charted it as San Cristóbal.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ Sharp, Andrew The discovery of the Pacific Islands Oxford, 1960, pp.46,47.
  2. ^ Brand, Donald D. The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical Explorations The American Geographical Society, New York, 1967, p.133.
  • Media related to Makira at Wikimedia Commons