guadalcanal

English - English

Definition of guadalcanal in English English dictionary

a volcanic island in the Pacific, part of the Solomon Islands

a battle in World War II in which American forces recaptured it from the Japanese

{i} island in the western Pacific Ocean, site of a World War II battle between American and Japanese forces

the largest island in the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. There was a lot of fighting on Guadalcanal between Japanese and Allied forces during World War II. Island (pop., 1999: 109,382), Solomon Islands, South Pacific Ocean. The largest of the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal has an area of 2,047 sq mi (5,302 sq km); the national capital, Honiara, lies on the northern coast. The economy is based mainly on fishing and agriculture; gold mining began in the 1990s. The island was visited by the Spanish in the 16th century and by the British in the late 18th century; it was annexed in 1893 as part of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. During World War II it was the scene of prolonged fighting between U.S. and Japanese forces (1942-43), which resulted in the Allied capture of a Japanese air base there. Several naval battles were also fought in the area. Ethnic tensions between Guadalcanal islanders and migrants from the nearby island of Malaita worsened after World War II. After the islands achieved independence from Great Britain in 1978, ethnically based disputes simmered on the island, sparking violence and rioting in 1998 and underlying the paramilitary coup of June 2000. A peace accord between the factions was signed in October 2000

a battle in World War II in the Pacific (1942-1943); the island was occupied by the Japanese and later recaptured by American forces a mountainous island; the largest of the Solomon Islands in the independent state that is a member of the British Commonwealth

Related Terms

Battle of Guadalcanal

World War II American offensive fought against Japanese forces on the island of Guadalcanal in the western Pacific in 1942 and 1943 (resulted in victory for the American forces)

Hyphenation

Gua·dal·ca·nal

Turkish pronunciation

gwädılkınäl

Pronunciation

/ˌgwädəlkəˈnal/ /ˌɡwɑːdəlkəˈnæl/

Etymology

() Named in 1568 by Álvaro de Mendaña, after his hometown of Guadalcanal, Spain. From Arabic وادي الخانات (wādi al-xānāt, “Valley of the Stalls”).