The Solomon Islands stretch approximately 900 miles southeast from the North Solomons (PNG) into the South West Pacific and the Coral Sea. The Solomons are an archipelago of mountainous islands and low lying atolls. There are several hotels in Honiara which have air-conditioned rooms, IDD telephones, satellite television, restaurant and swimming pool. Beyond Honiara, the islands of the Solomons provinces offer a wide range of accommodation facilities from good to excellent standards. A list of web sites is provided to help you explore the Solomon Islands. Nearly one thousand islands covering about 80,000 square kilometres make the Solomon Islands the third largest archipelago in the South Pacific, covering an area between 5 and 12 degrees south of the equator. Its average temperature is 29C. Of its population of 320,000, only 104,000 live and work in an urban environment, most remain within a subsistence economy. The capital Honiara has about 35,000 inhabitants, and one of only two other towns of any size is Gizo, with a population of about 2,000. The majority of its citizens are Solomon Islanders, with some Polynesians and Gilbertese among them. They are a friendly people, and the country is practically crime-free. The country has been independent since 1978, and is a western style democracy within the British Commonwealth.