A powerful South Pacific earthquake of at least 8.0 magnitude sent a tsunami wave into the Solomon Islands archipelago on April 2, 2007.

A British protectorate until independence in 1978, the Solomon Islands chain stretches across 600,000 sq km (232,000 sq miles) of ocean to the east of Papua New Guinea.

The population of around 500,000 people is mostly Melanesian, and 95 percent are Christian. Most people live on subsistence farming, and English is the official language, although Melanesian pidgin English is more commonly spoken among 120 local languages.

Ethnic and social tensions between the main island of Guadalcanal and Malaita surfaced after World War Two, when immigrants from Malaita were attracted to Guadalcanal's new capital Honiara. Ethnic tensions and violence escalated in 1998, with beheadings and armed shootouts common.

In 2000, Malaitan militia staged a coup forcing the prime minister to resign. The Australian Defence Force has lead a Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomons, known as RAMSI, since 2003. Riots broke out after April 2006 elections, with extra troops from Australia and New Zealand flown in to restore peace.