Malaita

Malaita

Malaita Island seen from space (false colour)
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	9°01′03″S 160°57′14″E / 9.01750°S 160.95389°E / -9.01750; 160.95389
Archipelago	Solomon Islands
Area	4,307 km2 (1,663 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,303 m (4275 ft)
Highest point	Mount Kalourat
Administration
Solomon Islands
Province	Malaita
Largest settlement	Auki (pop. 7,882 (2021)
Demographics
Population	161,832 (2021)
Pop. density	32.5/km2 (84.2/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	See § Demographics and culture

Malaita is the primary island of Malaita Province in Solomon Islands. Malaita is the most populous island of the Solomon Islands, with a population of 161,832 as of 2021,^[1] or more than a third of the entire national population. It is also the second largest island in the country by area, after Guadalcanal.

The largest city and provincial capital is Auki, on the northwest coast and is on the northern shore of the Langa Langa Lagoon. The people of the Langa Langa Lagoon and the Lau Lagoon on the northeast coast of Malaita call themselves wane i asi ‘salt-water people’ as distinct from wane i tolo ‘bush people’ who live in the interior of the island.^[2]

South Malaita Island, also known as Small Malaita and Maramasike for Areare speakers and Malamweimwei known to more than 80% of the islanders, is the island at the southern tip of the larger island of Malaita.