Santa Isabel Island
Map of Santa Isabel, neighboring islands, and towns and villages
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Archipelago | Solomon Islands |
| Area | 2,999 km2 (1,158 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,220 m (4,000 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Sasari |
| Administration | |
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Solomon Islands
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| Province | Isabel Province |
| Largest settlement | Buala |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 26,158 (2009) |
Santa Isabel Island (also known as Isabel and Ysabel) is the longest in the Solomon Islands, the third largest in terms of surface area, and the largest in the group of islands in Isabel Province.
Choiseul lies to the north-west, Malaita to the south-east. The Pacific Ocean lies to the north, and Guadalcanal (Isatabu) to the south.
The highest point in Santa Isabel is Mount Sasari, 1220 meters (3675 ft). River Marutho runs down that mountain into the ocean at Hofi. Almost all the rivers or streams run down that center point except for those at the other tip of the Island, Katova side.
The administrative centre is Buala. The nearest airport is Fera Airport on neighbouring Fera Island.
The first European contact to the Solomon Islands was made at Santa Isabel Island, by the Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña on 7 February 1568. It was charted as Santa Isabel de la Estrella (St. Elizabeth of the Star of Bethlehem in Spanish). A settlement was established by the Spaniards, and a small boat (known in the accounts as "the brigantine") was built to survey and chart the surrounding sea and islands. These local explorations led by Maestre de Campo Pedro Ortega Valencia and Alférez Hernando Enríquez resulted in the discoveries of the islands of Malaita, Guadalcanal, Savo, Vangunu, Choiseul, Makira, Ulawa, Malaupaina, Malaulalo, Ali'ite, and Ugi Island. The Spanish immediately came into contact with Solomon Islanders and at first the relationship was cordial. However, the Spanish expedition's need for fresh food and water quickly led to tension and conflict, the Solomon Islanders’ subsistence economy being unable to provide continuous supplies to the Spanish.
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Wikipedia