ocr: Almost all Solomon Islanders are Melanesian. In 1957, large numbers of Gilbertese were resettledin the Solomons following a hurricane; a few stayed on: and today form a small, distinct community. Over 50 dialects are spoken in the Solomons, a state of326,000 people spread over 1,000 miles. As - in other Melanesian island states, villagers are expectedto share their wealth with their "wontoks, or clan. Almost all islanders are nominally Christian. Most also maintain their traditional animist beliefs.
