Santa Cruz Islands

Santa Cruz Islands

The Santa Cruz Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands. They lie approximately 250 miles (400 km) to the southeast of the Solomon Islands Chain. The Santa Cruz Islands lie just north of the archipelago of Vanuatu, and are considered part of the Vanuatu rain forests ecoregion.The largest island is Nendo, which is also known as Santa Cruz Island proper (505.5 km², highest point 549 m, population over 5000). Lata, located on Nendo, is the largest town, and the capital of Temotu province.

Other islands belonging to the Santa Cruz group are Vanikolo Island (173.2 km², population 800, which is actually two islands, Banie and its small neighbor Tevai) and Utupua Island (69.0 km², highest point 380 m, population 848).

The Santa Cruz Islands are less than five million years old, and were pushed upward by the tectonic subduction of the northward-moving Indo-Australian Plate under the Pacific Plate. The islands are mostly composed of limestone and volcanic ash over limestone. The highest point in the Santa Cruz Islands is on Vanikoro, 924 m.

The term Santa Cruz Islands is sometimes used to encompass all of the islands of the present-day Solomon Islands province of Temotu.

The islands were visited by Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira on his second Pacific expedition in 1595. Mendaña died on the island of Nendo, which he had named Santa Cruz, in 1596.

During World War II, the Islands were considered uninhabitable. Engineers sent to survey sites for air strips were nearly wiped out by cerebral malaria.Fact|date=July 2007

References

* [http://anglicanhistory.org/oceania/oferrall_santacruz1908/ Santa Cruz and the Reef Islands] , by W.C. O'Ferrall—1908 account with many illustrations by missionary in Santa Cruz from 1897-1904.
* [http://solomonislands.com.sb/santacruz.html]

ee also

*"," by William Manchester, p. 320
*Melanesia
*Oceania
*Pacific Islands


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  • Santa Cruz Islands — a group of islands in the SW Pacific Ocean, part of the Solomon Islands. 380 sq. mi. (984 sq. km). * * * ▪ islands, Solomon Islands       volcanic group of islands in the country of Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 345 miles (555 km)… …   Universalium

  • Santa Cruz Islands — San′ta Cruz′ Is′lands n. pl. geg a group of islands in the SW Pacific Ocean, part of the Solomon Islands. 380 sq. mi. (984 sq. km) …   From formal English to slang

  • Santa Cruz Islands — geographical name islands SW Pacific in SE Solomons N of Vanuatu; until 1978 administratively attached to British Solomon Islands area 362 square miles (938 square kilometers) …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Santa Cruz Islands — a group of islands in the SW Pacific Ocean, part of the Solomon Islands. 380 sq. mi. (984 sq. km) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands — Infobox Military Conflict conflict=Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands caption=Anti aircraft shell bursts, fired at attacking Japanese aircraft, fill the sky above USS Enterprise (center left) and her screening ships during the battle on October 26 …   Wikipedia

  • Santa-Cruz-Inseln — Gewässer Südpazifik …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Santa Cruz language — Santa Cruz Natügu Spoken in Solomon Islands Region Santa Cruz Islands, Eastern Solomons. Coordinates …   Wikipedia

  • SANTA CRUZ —    1) or NITENDI    (5), the largest of the Queen Charlotte or Santa Cruz Islands, in the South Pacific, 100 m. N. of the New Hebrides; on one of the smaller islands Bishop Patteson was brutally murdered by the natives in 1871.    2) or ST. CROIX …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Santa Catalina Islands — w1 Santa Catalina Island NASA Bild von Los Angeles mit Lage von Santa Catalina Gewässer Pazifischer Ozean …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Santa Barbara Islands — plural noun a group of eight islands off the south western coast of California; includes Santa Catalina and Santa Cruz …  

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