.jpg) Landsat view of Savo island | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 9°8′0″S 159°49′0″E / 9.13333°S 159.81667°E |
| Archipelago | Solomon Islands |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Area | 31 km2 (12 sq mi) |
| Length | 7.2 km (4.47 mi) |
| Width | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 485 m (1591 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Savo |
| Administration | |
Solomon Islands | |
| Province | Central Province |
| Largest settlement | Alialia |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 3137 (2009-11-23) |
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Savo Island is an island in Solomon Islands in the South Pacific ocean. Administratively, Savo Island is a part of the Central Province of Solomon Islands. It is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the national capital of Honiara. The principal village is Alialia, in the north of the island.[1]
The indigenous language of Savo is the Savosavo language, an East Papuan language. Savo Island also has a minority of Gela speakers.[2]
The waters surrounding the island were the site of five of the seven major naval battles during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific War of World War II. As a result of these battles, many shipwrecks are located southeast of the island; the bay is known as Ironbottom Sound. The wrecks near the coast are very popular with wreck divers.
- ^ David Harcombe: Solomon Islands. a travel survival kit. Lonely Planet, 1988, S. 104: Alialia ... is the island's main centre.
- ^ Stebbins, Tonya; Evans, Bethwyn; Terrill, Angela (2018). "The Papuan languages of Island Melanesia". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 775–894. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.