Temotu (or Te Motu, literally "the island" in several Polynesian languages) is the easternmost province of Solomon Islands. The province was formerly known as Santa Cruz Islands Province. Its area is .

Administrative divisions Temotu Province is sub-divided into the following constituencies (or electoral districts), which are further sub-divided into wards (with populations at the 2009 and 2019 Censuses respectively):

Name Population (2009 census) Population (2019 census) Total Male Female Total Male Female 48. – Temotu Pele 5,527 2,621 2,906 5,395 2,637 2,758 48.01. Fenualoa 1,305 618 687 1,262 621 641 48.02. Polynesian Outer Islands 353 165 188 283 134 149 48.03. Nipua/Nopoli 880 422 458 912 456 456 48.04. Lipe/Temua 793 367 426 747 346 401 48.05. Manuopo 1,030 496 534 1,112 546 566 48.06. Nenumpo 1,166 553 613 1,079 534 545 49. – Temotu Nende 11,578 5,768 5,810 12,345 6,201 6,144 49.07. Nevenema 947 460 487 1,081 522 559 49.08. Luva Station 2,335 1,143 1,192 1,953 1,018 935 49.09. Graciosa Bay 1,264 638 626 1,451 741 710 49.10. Nea/Noole 1,770 874 896 1,837 885 952 49.11. North East Santa Cruz 1,843 936 907 2,178 1,121 1,057 49.12. Nanggu/Lord Howe 1,861 955 906 2,144 1,071 1,073 49.17. Neo 1,558 762 796 1,701 843 858 50. – Temotu Valu 4,257 2,077 2,180 4,579 2,217 2,362 50.13. Duff Islands 511 262 249 493 237 256 50.14. Utupua 1,168 586 582 1,356 666 690 50.15. Vanikoro 1,293 625 668 1,670 826 844 50.16. Tikopia 1,285 604 681 1,060 488 574 Total 21,362 10,466 10,896 22,319 11,055 11,264

Notes

Islands The islands or island groups which make up the province are:

Anuta Duff Islands (including Taumako) Fatutaka Reef Islands (including Fenualoa, Lomlom, Makalom, Matema, Nalongo and Nupani, Nifiloli, Nukapu, Patteson Shoal, Pigeon Island and Pileni) Santa Cruz Islands (including the large island Nendö) Malo Tinakula Utupua Vanikoro (including Banie and Teanu) Tikopia

The provincial capital is Lata, located on Nendö, the largest and most important of the Santa Cruz islands.

Population

The population of the province was 22,319 . The province is quite diverse for its small land area. The Santa Cruz Islanders are predominantly Melanesian, although the inhabitants of Tikopia, Anuta, the Duff Islands and some of the Reef Islands are Polynesians.

Languages The province has given its name to the Temotu languages, a putative linguistic subgroup within the broader Oceanic family of languages.

The languages spoken in the province include all of the Temotu languages proper, plus two Polynesian outlier languages: Vaeakau-Taumako and Tikopia.

See also Remote Oceania

References

External links Solomon Islands Photogallery of Temotu Province. Includes a map.