Solomon Islands, Oceania

The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. Together they cover a land mass of 28,400 square kilometres (10,965 sq mi). The capital is Honiara, located on the island of Guadalcanal. The Solomon Islands was one of the major staging areas of the South Pacific during WWII. Since 1998 ethnic violence, government misconduct and crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003 an Australian-led "multinational" force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. According to the penal code of the Solomon Islands engaging in anal sex acts with another person or with an animal is punishable with up to 14 years imprisonment. Attempting anal intercourse can be punished with up to 7 years imprisonment. Acts of gross indecency (even in private) can be punished with 5 years imprisonment.