It is separated from the main island of Rotuma by a channel that is between 50 and 200 m wide, and lies immediately southeast of the village of Kalvaka in the district of Noaʻtau.

In 2000 Solkope was the subject of a land ownership dispute, as a consequence of an attempted secession of Rotuma from Fiji which was jointly orchestrated by the Molmahao Clan of Noaʻtau district, and unrecognized micronation Dominion of Melchizedek.

According to documents tendered in court[1] pertaining to the case, the native landowner of Solkope Island, Hiagi Apao and Melchizedek's "Head of House of Elders", Tzemach "Ben" David Netzer Korem, concluded a "99 year sovereign master lease agreement", under which control of Solkope was ceded to the "government" of Melchizedek.

[2] The legend, as told to MacGregor by islander Tuirotuma, concerns a rock on the sea-facing side of Solkope.

Eventually coming to Solkope, the tupuʻa decided to settle on the sea-facing side of the island so as to hide from Oinafa.