Choiseul Province Day 2023: Date, History, Facts

The Solomon Islands celebrate Choiseul Province Day on February 25 each year. The purpose of the holiday is to commemorate the day Choiseul Province separated from Western Province. Choiseul Province is one of the Solomon Islands’ nine provinces. It is also known by the indigenous name Lauru. Three islands make up the province: Wagina, Choiseul, and Rob Roy. The day is celebrated as a public holiday with sports events, speeches, and a variety of other public events in which the public enthusiastically participates.

The background of Choiseul Province Day

Choiseul Province was initially inhabited by its indigenous people, who named the island Lauru. The Spanish explorer lvaro de Mendaa de Neira arrived in Lauru in 1568 and renamed the island San Marcos because he first observed it on Saint Mark’s Day. In 1768, the French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville rechristened the island Choiseul. This renaming was done in honour of Étienne Francois, Marquis de Stainville, Duc de Choiseul, the French minister of foreign affairs. The island was part of the German Solomon Islands by 1881. The Germans ceded control of Choiseul to the British in 1899, thereby incorporating it into the British Solomon Islands. On August 23, 1900, Charles Woodford, the Resident Commissioner for the Solomon Islands, sailed to Choiseul and raised the British flag there.

North West Choiseul was partially occupied by Japanese forces during World War II, although U.S. Marines raided their garrisons in October and November 1943. After World War II, the British Solomon Islands Protectorate was reorganised into Central, Western, Eastern, and Malaita districts.

In 1978, the Solomon Islands achieved independence from the British. Honiara served as the nation’s capital and continues to serve in that capacity. The Choiseul Province separated from the Western Province on February 25, 1995. Choiseul Province Day is observed in remembrance of this event. The day is celebrated as a public holiday with sports events, speeches, and a multitude of other public events in which the populace enthusiastically participates.

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