National Parliament of Solomon Islands

솔로몬 제도 국회의사당

The parliament house of the Solomon Islands stands on a hill above Honiara, crowned by a huge conical roof. Built with US funding and opened in 1993, its chamber is decorated with traditional island patterns.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Solomon Islands
Location: Honiara, Solomon Islands
Built: 1993
Type: Government building

Quick answers

Where is National Parliament of Solomon Islands?

National Parliament of Solomon Islands is in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

When was National Parliament of Solomon Islands built?

National Parliament of Solomon Islands was built in 1993.

The National Parliament of Solomon Islands meets in a striking building on a hill above Honiara, the capital, on the island of Guadalcanal. Its huge cone-shaped roof makes it one of the best-known buildings in the country. It was opened in 1993 and holds 50 elected members, one for each of 50 single-seat constituencies, or voting areas, who serve four-year terms.

The building is made of concrete and was paid for by the United States, as a gift in memory of American soldiers who fought and died on Guadalcanal in World War II. Solomon Islands is a country of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, and Honiara is its capital and largest city, with 129,569 people in 2019. The globe shows the parliament house and its cone roof on the hill.

Who built it and why?

The parliament house was built with American aid and cost about 5 million US dollars. It was meant to honour the 450 American soldiers and 1,200 Marines who died in the Guadalcanal fighting during the war.

One odd detail is that the actual construction was done by a Japanese company, the country that had fought against the Americans on the island decades earlier.

Inside and today

The dome inside is decorated with a tapestry, wall paintings and traditional Solomon Islands art, so the room feels like part of the islands' own culture. Members of parliament are elected every four years.

In 2021 the building was attacked during days of unrest in Honiara, which shows how closely it is tied to the country's politics.

Honiara, the capital

The name Honiara comes from nagho ni ara, which roughly means 'place of the east wind' in one of the Guadalcanal languages. The airport area east of town was the site of the Battle for Henderson Field in 1942, which the United States won.

Honiara became the administrative center of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate in 1952 and began to grow. Today most major government buildings and institutions are here, along with the national museum, Honiara Market and the University of the South Pacific's Solomon Islands campus. About half of its residents are under 30.

Fun facts

It was built as a gift from the United States.
The building was a gift from the United States, built as a memorial to soldiers who died on Guadalcanal.
Its builder was a Japanese company.
Parliament has 50 members who are elected for four years.
Honiara is the fastest-growing population center in Solomon Islands.