ABSTRACT
Despite repeated efforts to discover large mineral deposits, the Solomon Islands so far has failed to live up to its name, and nothing has been found comparable to the copper and gold deposits just across the border in Papua New Guinea. Gold was found in the hills behind Berande on Guadalcanal in 1932, with the field becoming known as Gold Ridge. The extent of the gold deposits were uncertain. The terrain was extremely difficult and mining initially was limited to small shafts and simple sluice methods. British authorities drew up plans for the postwar reconstruction of the Solomon Islands in 1943 that called for major political and economic reforms. Among other things, the plans called for diversification of the economy and assessment of the potential for exploitation of mineral, fish, and timber resources. The Solomon Islands gradually moved towards independence during the 1970s. A new constitution was adopted in 1970, creating single Governing Council with a majority of elected members.
