Temotu Province

Coordinates: 10°45′S 167°00′E / 10.750°S 167.000°E / -10.750; 167.000

Temotu Province
Province

Flag

Map of the Temotu province
Coordinates: 10°45′S 167°0′E / 10.750°S 167.000°E / -10.750; 167.000
Country  Solomon Islands
Capital Lata
Government
  Premier Buddley Soakifono[1]
Area
  Total 895 km2 (346 sq mi)
Population (2009[2])
  Total 21,362
  Density 23.9/km2 (62/sq mi)
Time zone +11 (UTC+11)

Temotu is the easternmost province of the Solomon Islands. The province was formerly known as Santa Cruz Islands Province. It consists, essentially, of two chains of islands which run parallel to each other from the northwest to the southeast. Its area is 895 square kilometres (346 square miles).

Islands

The islands or island groups which make up the province are:

The provincial capital is Lata, located on Nendö, the largest and most important of the Santa Cruz islands.

Population

Tepukei (ocean-going outrigger canoe) from the Santa Cruz Islands, held in the Ethnological Museum of Berlin.

The population of 21,362 (2009)[2] is quite diverse for the small land area encompassed. The Santa Cruz Islanders are predominantly Melanesian, although the inhabitants of Tikopia, Anuta, the Duff Islands and some of the Reef Islands are Polynesians.

Languages

The province has given its name to the Temotu languages, a putative linguistic subgroup within the broader Oceanic family of languages.

The languages spoken in the province include all nine Temotu languages proper, plus two Polynesian outlier languages: Vaeakau-Taumako and Tikopia.

See also

References



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