British Solomon Islands

Population (1966 est.)---- 141,000
Area (square miles) ------- 11,500

The BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS PROTECTORATE is in the Southwest Pacific east of New Guinea. It comprises many islands, some of which are Guadalcanal (2,500 sq. mi.), Malaita (1,572 sq. mi.), San Cristobal (2,000 sq. mi.), New Georgia (2,000 sq. mi.), Choiseul (1,000 sq. mi.), and Santa Isabel (1,800 sq. mi.). The islands are under the British High Commissioner for the Western Pacific.

The beginnings of the protectorate were established in 1893, although discovery most probably occurred over three centuries earlier. However, within a short period, protection was extended to the entire area now included, i.e., all of the Solomon Islands south of Bougainville.

The first steps of self-government were introduced into the Solomon Islands in 1960 when Executive and Legislative Councils were introduced. The present constitutional organization was established in 1965. However, the main governmental powers continue to be vested in the High Commissioner. He issues legislation with advice and consent of the councils. The Executive Council consists of 10 appointed members and 4 elected officials. The Legislative Council is composed of 14 elected and 15 appointed members. The High Commissioner for the Western Pacific is ex-officio president.

Administratively, there are 4 districts. Honiara, on Guadalcanal, serves as the capital.

Population (1966 census)--- 19, 251
Area (square miles)‒‒‒‒‒‒‒
90

The COOK ISLANDS are in the South Pacific between 8° and 23° South latitude and 156° and 167° West longitude, some 1,700 miles northeast of New Zealand. The islands are divided into 2 groups-the Northern Cooks and the Lower or Southern Group. The former consists of 7 islands or atolls-Nassau, Palmerston, Penrhyn, Manahiki, Pukapuka (Danger), Rakahanga, and Suwarrow; while the latter numbers 8-Rarotonga, Mangaia, Atiu, Aitutaki, Mauke, Mitiaro, Manuae, and Takutea. (The United States has extended a claim to Danger, Manahiki, Rakahanga, and Penrhyn, all in the Northern Cook Islands.)

The Cooks were proclaimed a British protectorate in 1888, and in 1901 the islands were annexed by New Zealand under terms of a British Order in Council (May 31, 1901).

The Cook Islands Constitution Act of 1964 came into force on August 4, 1965, and provided for establishment of internal self-government in the islands. The Act also links the islands to New Zealand by establishing common citizenship. It provides for a ministerial form of government with a Cabinet composed of a Premier and up to 5 other ministers. The Act also replaced a 21member Legislative Council with a 26-member Legislative Assembly. The Assembly consists of 14 members elected by universal suffrage, 7 members selected by the island councils, and 5 nominated by the administration, one of whom must be a European.

The COLONY OF FIJI is in the South Pacific about 2,000 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia. The Colony includes about 322 islands of which around 100 are inhabited. Two islands account for most of the area: Viti Levu (4,010 sq. mi.) and Vanua Levu (2,137 sq. mi.). The Colony also includes the dependency of Rotuma, about 400 miles to the north.

Tasman discovered the Fiji islands in 1643. However, British administration dates from a treaty of cession signed on October 10, 1874. Rotuma was annexed 7 years later.

The Fijians have always enjoyed a large measure of self-government. Local administration is under the direction of chiefs and tribal councils. At the head of the administration is a Crownappointed Governor. The Governor presides over an Executive Council consisting of 4 appointed and 6 elected members of the Legislative Council, which is composed of 36 elected and 4 appointed members. Provisions have been made eventually to change the Executive Council to a Council of Ministers.

Administratively, there are 4 divisions, into which 14 provinces are grouped, each division being under the supervision of a Senior Administrative Officer. The capital city is Suva.

The GILBERT AND ELLICE ISLANDS COLONY is widely dispersed over the western Pacific Ocean: extending from 5° North latitude to 11° South latitude, and from 169° East longitude to 157° West longitude. The Colony includes 37 islands and atolls in the Gilbert, Ellice, Phoenix, and Line islands.

Scattered as they are over 2,000,000 square miles of ocean, the islands and atolls of the Colony have had a varied history of discovery and occupation. The British, however, proclaimed a protectorate over the Gilbert and Ellice islands in 1892. Ocean Island (2 sq. mi.) was annexed 8 years later and in 1916 the protectorate became a colony. In the same year, Fanning and Wash

ington, were included, and Christmas Island was added 3 years later. The last extension of the Colony's limits occurred in 1937, when the Phoenix Islands were attached.

The Colony is under the administration of the British High Commissioner for the Western Pacific located at Honiara, British Solomon Islands. Supervision is delegated to the Resident Commissioner at Tarawa in the Gilberts. Responsible to him is a House of Representatives comprising 7 appointed and 23 elected members. Although there are only 4 district commissioners, the Colony comprises 5 administrative districts. Tarawa (Betio Island) serves as the capital of the Colony.

Within the Colony there are a number of atolls and islands in dispute between the U.S. and the U.K. These are: Christmas in the Northern Line Islands; Funafuti, Nukufetau, Nukulailai, and Nurakita atolls in the Ellice Islands; and Birnie, Gardner, Hull, McKean, Sydney, and Phoenix atolls in the Phoenix Islands.

The REPUBLIC OF NAURU became independent en January 31, 1968. It is at 0°32′ South latitude and 166°55′ East longitude, and is one of the more isolated islands in the Pacific. Tarawa, in the Gilbert Islands is 370 miles to the east and Honolulu, Hawaii, is approximately 2,500 miles to the northeast.

Nauru was discovered by Captain Fearn in 1789. Germany annexed the island in 1888 as part of the Marshall Islands Protectorate. At the outbreak of World War I, Australian forces occupied the island. The Treaty of Versailles led to the placement of Nauru under the League of Nations Mandate System with the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia as mandatory powers. The three agreed that Australia would administer the island for the first few years, and then the question would be reexamined. Upon reexamination of the status of the Mandate, Australian administration was continued. During the period from 1942 to 1945, the island was occupied by the Japanese. In 1947 the General Assembly of the United Nations replaced the Mandate with a triple Trusteeship composed of the three previous mandatory powers, with Australia continuing to play the dominant administrative role.

NIUE is in the South Pacific at 19° South latitude and 170° West longitude, some 1,500 miles northeast of New Zealand. Although geographically associated with the Cook Islands, Niue is administered separately.

Niue was discovered in 1774 by Captain Cook and annexed by Britain in 1900 as a protectorate. It passed to New Zealand administration in 1901 with the remainder of the Cook group. Since 1903 it has enjoyed a separate administration, although creation of a distinct territory dates from 1932.

The island is governed by a 14-man elected Island Assembly and an appointed Resident Commissioner. The native members are appointed by the Commissioner after nomination by the villages. Alofi is the principal village. There are no administrative divisions on the island.

At the time of resettlement, the island was placed under the jurisdiction of the State of New South Wales. Norfolk officially became a dependency in 1896 and a Territory of the Commonwealth in 1913.

Papua and New Guinea

Population (1966 census) 2, 183, 036
Area (square miles)----- 183, 540

The area of Papua is 90,540 square miles and New Guinea 93,000 square miles. According to the 1966 census, Papua had 600,597 inhabitants and New Guinea 1,582,439.

The Papua and New Guinea Act of 1949 provided for the administrative union of the TRUST TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA and the TERRITORY OF PAPUA, in accordance with Article 5 of the New Guinea Trusteeship Agreement. The Act provided for the Territory of Papua and New Guinea to be administered by the Minister of State for Territories and for the appointment of an Administrator for the Territory on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia.

The Trust Territory of New Guinea is composed of the northeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea, the northern Solomon Islands and the Bismarck Archipelago. The area was declared a German protectorate in 1884 and it remained under German administration until occupied by Australian forces in 1914. In April 1921 the Territory became an Australian-administered mandate of the League of Nations. Most of the coastal and insular portions of the Territory were occupied by Japanese forces early in World War II.

By terms of the United Nations Trusteeship Agreement of December 13, 1946, New Guinea became a trust territory under Australian administration. Article 5 of the Agreement allowed the area to be administered or federated with other territories under jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Australia. Consequently, the Territory forms an administrative union with Papua.

The Territory of Papua comprises the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea and adjacent islands and islets. The Government of Queensland annexed the eastern half of the is land of New Guinea on April 4, 1883. However, lacking the approval of London, the act was in effect nullified and the claim lapsed. In 1888, however, British permission to annex modern