As of [update] , it had a population of 92, people. In , a capital territory β comprising the 22 square-kilometre metropolitan area of Honiara β was proclaimed, with a self-governing status akin to a province , although the city also retained an older role as capital of Guadalcanal Province. The airport area to the east of Honiara was the site of a battle between the United States and the Japanese during the Guadalcanal Campaign in World War II , the Battle of Henderson Field of , from which the former emerged victorious.
After Honiara became the new administrative centre of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate in with the addition of many administrative buildings, the town began to develop and grow in population. Since the late s, Honiara has suffered a turbulent history of ethnic violence and political unrest and is scarred by rioting.
Although a peace agreement was made in October , violence ensued in the city streets in March when two diplomats from New Zealand and several others were murdered.
In , riots broke out following the election of Snyder Rini as Prime Minister, destroying a part of Chinatown and making more than 1, Chinese residents homeless.
The riots devastated the town and tourism in the city and the islands was severely affected. Honiara contains the majority of the major government buildings and institutions of Solomon Islands.
