Soloman Islands quake map
© USGSA map shows where the earthquake hit
The quake, at a depth of 33km (20 miles), was centred 161km (100 miles) east of Kira Kira in the Solomon Islands.

The Solomon Islands, a nation of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific, has many World War Two-era sites.

The earthquake, which struck at 3.26am (GMT), was reviewed to a magnitude 6.2 and a revised depth of 10.6km (6.5miles).

Affected areas include Kirakira, the provincial capital of the Makira-Ulawa Province in the Solomon Islands.

The earthquake's epicentre was 132 km (82.3 miles) west of the city, which has a population of 11,222.

It is located on the north coast of Makira, the largest island of the province.

The area is known for its stunning natural beauty and ample beaches.

The Solomon Islands are located in the volatile Ring of Fire region, 1,700 miles northeast of the Australian coast.

The Ring of Fire comprises an area of basin in the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

In a large horseshoe shape, it consists of an almost constant line of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs and belts and tectonic plate movements.

All of these factors make it one of the most earthquake-prone destinations on the planet.

It also has a total of 452 volcanoes, many of them active.

The area is a 25,000-mile ring that stretches from North and South America to Japan and New Zealand.

Mount Agung in Bali is one the hundreds of active volcanoes along the Ring of Fire.