:''See also

Russell Island (disambiguation) Russell Island may refer to: * Russell Island (British Columbia), Canada, one of the Gulf Islands * Russell Island (Frankland Islands), in Queensland, Australia * Russell Island (Michigan), United States * Russell Island (Moreton Bay), in Queen ...

.'' The Russell Islands are two small islands (

Pavuvu Pavuvu is the largest of the Russell Islands in Central Province, Solomon Islands. It is located northwest of Guadalcanal. The area is . The largest village is Nukufero on the north coast. The island had served as a coconut plantation for nativ ...

and

Mbanika Mbanika or Banika is an island in Solomon Islands; it is located in the Central Province and is the second largest of the Russell Islands Group. The principal settlement is Yandina. As portrayed in the HBO miniseries, ''The Pacific'', episode ...

), as well as several

islet An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...

s, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

. They are located approximately northwest of

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

. The islands are partially covered in

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

plantations, and have a

copra Copra (from ; ; ; ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted ...

and oil factory at Yandina (on

). Yandina also has basic services, including a store, post office, and airport.

People

The Lavukal people live on these islands. Their language is Lavukaleve. There is also a settlement of Polynesians, resettled from

Tikopia Tikopia is a volcanic island in Temotu Province, in the independent nation of Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean. Although most of Solomon Islands is Melanesian, Tikopia is culturally Polynesian. Its remoteness has enabled much of its c ...

, that lives in Nukufero on the west side of the larger island,

. In 1956 the Levers Pacific Plantations company donated 80 acres for use for this resettlement, and later added another 125 acres in the 1960s. This land was subdivided into 4 acre lots for each family. Five hundred people from Tikopia had migrated there by 1965. Te Ariki Taumako who was the third Chief of Tikopia, made an official visit to Nukufero in 1965. In Yandina, people from all over the Solomon Islands have come to work for the plantation. In addition to their native languages, they speak Solomon Island Pijin, the ''

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...

'' of the Solomon Islands.

History

In March 1943, as part of American military operations during the Solomons campaign of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the islands were occupied by U.S. troops. The US Navy built

Naval Base Banika Island Naval Base Banika Island was a United States Navy base built during World War II on Mbanika Island in the Russell Islands, part of the Solomon Islands. A larger supply depot was built to support the ships fighting in the Pacific War. Also bu ...

a large naval base in 1943. Remnants of the U.S. presence, such as concrete slabs and large metal storage sheds, still exist.

Unexploded ordnance Unexploded ordnance (UXO, sometimes abbreviated as UO) and unexploded bombs (UXBs) are explosive weapons (bombs, shell (projectile), shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines, cluster munition, and other Ammunition, munitions) that did not e ...

was left behind, including

land mine A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, wh ...

s, and bounding

anti-personnel mine An anti-personnel mine or anti-personnel landmine (APL) is a form of land mine, mine designed for use against human, humans, as opposed to an anti-tank mine, which target vehicles. APLs are classified into: blast mines and fragmentation mines; ...

s. Two barges are sunk off the wharf. The Yandina police station was the scene of one of the opening events of ethnic tensions, where a group of men raided the armoury and stole some high-powered weapons and ammunition. The group involved became known as the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army, and later as the Isatabu Freedom Movement. Yandina was the site of a RAMSI post.

Facilities

Havuna Primary School and Yandina Community High School are in the Russell Islands. In 2013 members of the

Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. The Chief of Navy is also jointly responsible to the Minister for D ...

HMAS Tarakan (L 129) BRP ''Batak'' (LC-299) is a ''Balikpapan''-class heavy landing craft operated by the Philippine Navy. One of eight vessels built by Walkers Limited for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the ship was commissioned into Australian service in 1973 a ...

rebuilt classrooms in the high school. At that time the principal was Augustine Olibuma.

HMAS Diamantina (M 86) HMAS ''Diamantina'' (M 86), named after the Diamantina River, is a ''Huon''-class minehunter currently serving in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built by a joint partnership between Australian Defence Industries (ADI) and Intermarine SpA, ...

and

HMAS Huon (M 82) HMAS ''Huon'' (M 82), named for the Huon River, was lead ship of the Huon-class minehunter, ''Huon'' class of minehunters operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The first of six ships built by a joint partnership of Australian Defence Ind ...

sailors visited the high school in 2016. At one time the Yandina Plantation Resort provided tourist accommodation for scuba divers. It opened in October 2000 with 12 guest rooms.

Geography

North of the western island Pavuvu are the islets Mane Island, Leru Island, Marulaon Island, and Hanawisi. South of Pavuvu is Boloka, and Alokan Island. Eastwards from Mbanika is Loun Island, Telin Island, and Moie, and Laumuan Island. Northeast of Mbanika is Koemurun Island and Kaukau Island. Other localities on the large island are Lokioleme and Pipisala. On Pavuvu in addition to Yandina, there is also Suun.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Islands of the Solomon Islands Archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean