Kauai
This article needs to be updated.(April 2024) |
Nickname: The Garden Island | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Coordinates | 22°04′12″N 159°29′51″W / 22.07000°N 159.49750°W |
Area | 562.3 sq mi (1,456 km2) |
Area rank | 4th largest Hawaiian Island |
Highest elevation | 5,243 ft (1598.1 m) |
Highest point | Kawaikini |
Administration | |
United States | |
Symbols | |
Flower | Mokihana (Melicope anisata)[1] |
Color | Poni (Purple) |
Largest settlement | Kapaʻa |
Demographics | |
Demonym | Kauaian |
Population | 73,298 (2020[2]) |
Pop. density | 118/sq mi (45.6/km2) |
Kauaʻi (Hawaiian: [kɐwˈwɐʔi]), anglicized as Kauai[a] (English: /ˈkaʊaɪ/ KOW-eye[3] or /kɑːˈwɑː.iː/ kah-WAH-ee),[4] is one of the main Hawaiian Islands.
It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the
Styling itself the "Garden Isle", Kauaʻi is the site of
Etymology and language
Kauaʻi was known for its distinct dialect of the
History
Polynesian inhabitants settled on the island centuries before others arrived, as shown by excavations dating from 200 to 600 BCE.[8] These first inhabitants, originally from the Marquesas Islands, lived undisturbed for around five centuries until a second wave arrived by sea-canoe from Tahiti.[9][10] Many Hawaiian traditions and belief structures derive from the culture that arrived with these Tahitians.[9]
In 1778, Captain James Cook arrived at Waimea Bay, the first European known to have reached the Hawaiian islands.[11] He named the archipelago the "Sandwich Isles" after his patron, the 6th Earl of Sandwich, George Montagu.[12]
During the reign of
Schäffer affair
Part of a series on the | |
History of Hawaii | |
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1779 |
Plantations
From the 1830s till the mid-20th century, sugarcane plantations were Kauaʻi's most important industry. In 1835, the first sugarcane plantation was founded on Kauaʻi, and for the next century the industry dominated Hawaiʻi's economy.[13] Kauaʻi's last sugarcane plantation, the 118-year-old Gay & Robinson Plantation, stopped planting sugar in 2008.[14]
Old Sugar Mill of Koloa
In 1835, Old Koloa Town opened a sugar mill.
Valdemar Knudsen
Knudsen was appointed land administrator by King Kamehameha for an area covering 400 km2, and was given the title konohiki as well as a position as a noble under the king. Knudsen, who spoke fluent Hawaiian, later became an elected representative and an influential politician.[17]
Knudsen lends his name to the Knudsen Gap, a narrow pass between Hã’upu Ridge and the Kahili Ridge. Its primary function was as a sugar farm.[18][19]
Hurricane Iniki
Mark Zuckerberg
Geography
The five-million-year-old island, the oldest of the main islands (Niʻihau is older), was formed volcanically as the Pacific Plate passed over the Hawaii hotspot.[24] It consists of an eroded shield volcano with a 9.3–12.4 mi (15.0–20.0 km) diameter summit caldera and two flanking calderas. Rejuvenation of the volcano 0.6–1.40 million years ago left lava flows and cones over the eastern two-thirds of the island.[25]
Kauaʻi's highest peak is
Climate
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Kauaʻi's climate is tropical, with generally humid and stable conditions year-round, although infrequent storms cause severe flooding. At the lower elevations, the annual precipitation varies from an average of about 50 in (130 cm) on the windward (northeastern) shore to less than 20 in (51 cm) on the (southwestern) leeward side of the island. The average temperature in
Kauaʻi's mountainous regions offer cooler temperatures in contrast to the warm coastal areas. At Kōkeʻe State Park, 3,200–4,200 ft (980–1,280 m)
Precipitation in Kauaʻi's mountainous regions averages 50–100 in (1,300–2,500 mm) annually. About ten mi (16 km) southeast of Kōkeʻe state park, at an elevation of 5,075 ft (1,547 m), is the Mt. Waiʻaleʻale rain gauge.[29] Mt. Waiʻaleʻale is often cited as the wettest spot on earth, although this has been disputed. Based on data for the period from 1931 through 1960, the average yearly precipitation was 460 in (11,700 mm) (U.S. Environmental Science Services Administration, 1968). Between 1949 and 2004, the average yearly precipitation at Mt. Waiʻaleʻale was 374 in (9,500 mm).[30]
Kauaʻi also holds a record in hourly precipitation. During a storm on January 24–25, 1956, a rain gauge at Kauaʻi's former Kilauea Sugar Plantation recorded a record twelve in (305 mm) of precipitation in just 60 minutes. The value for one hour is an underestimate, since the rain gauge overflowed, which may have resulted in an error by as much as 1 in (25 mm).[31] An accurate measurement may have exceeded Holt, Missouri's world-record rainfall of 12 in (300 mm) in 42 minutes on June 22, 1947.[32]
Time zone
Hawaii Standard Time (UTC−10:00) is observed on Kauaʻi year-round. When mainland states are on daylight saving time, for example, the time on Kauaʻi is three hours behind the West Coast of the United States and six hours behind the East Coast.[33]
River system
- Waimea River 35.7 km (22.2 mi)
- Hanalei River 26.5 km (16.5 mi)
- Hanapēpē River 24.2 km (15.0 mi)
- Wainiha River 24 km (15 mi)
- Wailua River 23.4 km (14.5 mi)
- Makaweli River 23.2 km (14.4 mi)
- Huleia River 21.4 km (13.3 mi)
- Kalihiwai River 20 km (12 mi)
- Anahola River 19.4 km (12.1 mi)
- Lumahaʻi River 16 km (9.9 mi)
- Kōʻula River 14.8 km (9.2 mi)
- Olokele River 14.4 km (8.9 mi)
- Kilauea Stream 13.4 km (8.3 mi)
- Waikomo Stream 9.8 km (6.1 mi)
Waterfalls
- Halii Falls
- Hanakapiai Falls
- Hinalele Falls
- Kalihiwai Falls
- Kilauea Falls
- Manawaiopuna Falls
- Opaekaa Falls
- Waialae Falls
- Wailua Falls
- Waipoo Falls
-
Waipoo Falls at Waimea Canyon State Park
Economy
Tourism is Kauaʻi's largest industry. In 2007, 1,271,000 people visited. The two largest groups were from the continental United States (84% of all visitors) and Japan (3%).[34] As of 2003, approximately 27,000 jobs existed on Kauaʻi. The largest sector was accommodation/food services (26%, 6,800 jobs), followed by government (15%) and retail (14.5%), with agriculture accounting for 2.9% (780 jobs) and educational services providing 0.7% (183 jobs).[35] The visitors' industry accounted for one third of Kauaʻi's income.[35] Employment is dominated by small businesses, with 87% of all non-farm businesses having fewer than 20 employees.[35] As of 2003, Kauaʻi's poverty rate was 10.5%, compared to the mainland at 10.7%.[35]
As of 2014, the median home price was about $400,000.
Land in Kauaʻi is very fertile; farmers raise many varieties of fruit and other crops. Guava, coffee, sugarcane, mango, banana, papaya, avocado, star fruit, kava, noni and pineapple are all cultivated on the island, but most agricultural land is used for raising cattle.[34]
Kauaʻi is home to the U.S. Navy's "Barking Sands" Pacific Missile Range Facility, on the western shore.
MF and HF ("shortwave") radio station WWVH, sister station to WWV and low frequency WWVB in Fort Collins, Colorado, is on the west coast of Kauaʻi, about 3 mi (5 km) south of Barking Sands. WWVH, WWV and WWVB are operated by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, broadcasting standard time and frequency information to the public.
Energy
Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) is a not-for-profit electric utility cooperative headquartered in Līhuʻe, which provides electricity for the island. It has 24,000 member-owners who elect a nine-member board of directors.[36]
In the 1970s, Kauaʻi burned sugarcane waste to supply most[37] of its electricity.[37]
By 2008, transition of energy sources and growth in generating capacity had occurred, with most of Kauaʻi's electricity produced by imported liquid petroleum. In 2006 and 2007, the inputs cost $69.3 million and $83 million, respectively.[38] By 2011, 92% of KIUC's power came from diesel.[39]
By 2017, KIUC's fuel mix was 56%
In 2017, KIUC opened a Tesla Energy 13 MW / 52
Towns and communities
Līhuʻe, on the island's southeastern coast, is the seat of Kauaʻi County and the island's second-largest town. Kapaʻa, on the "Coconut Coast" (site of an old coconut plantation) about 6 mi (9.7 km) north of Līhuʻe, has a population of over 10,000, or about 50% greater than Līhuʻe. Princeville, on the island's north side, was once the capital of Kauaʻi.
Communities on Kauaʻi range in population from the roughly 10,000 people in Kapaʻa to tiny hamlets. Below are the larger or more notable of those from the northernmost end of Hawaii Route 560 to the western terminus of Hawaii Route 50:[citation needed]
Name | population |
---|---|
Haʻena State Park | 550 |
Wainiha | 419 |
Hanalei | 450 |
Princeville | 2,158 |
Kalihiwai | 428 |
Kilauea |
3,014 |
Anahola | 2,311 |
Kapaʻa |
11,652 |
Wailua |
2,359 |
Hanamāʻulu | 4,994 |
Līhuʻe | 8,004 |
Wailua Homesteads |
5,863 |
Puhi | 3,380 |
Poʻipū | 1,299 |
Kōloa | 2,231 |
Lāwaʻi | 2,578 |
Kalāheo | 4,996 |
ʻEleʻele | 2,515 |
Hanapēpe | 2,678 |
Kaumakani | 749 |
Waimea | 2,057 |
Kekaha | 3,715 |
Pakala | 294 |
Kealia | 103 |
-
Hanalei town with a view of Mt. Na Molokama, and Māmalahoa
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Northeastern coast of Kauaʻi, nearKīlauea
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View of the Pacific Ocean, from the island's south shore
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Anahola Bay is a snorkeling and swimming beach with clear pools and a long coral reef
Transport
Air
Located on the southeastern side of the island,
Highways
Several state highways serve Kauaʻi County:
- Hawaii Route 50, also known as Kaumualiʻi Highway, is a thirty-three mile road that stretches from Hawaii Route 56 at the junction of Rice Street in Līhuʻe to a point approximately 1/5 mile north of the northernmost entrance of the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the far western shore.
- Hawaii Route 58 stretches 2 mi (3.2 km) from Route 50 in Līhuʻe to the junction of Wapaa Road with Hawaii 51 near Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauaʻi.
- Hawaii Route 56, also known as Kuhio Highway, runs 28 mi (45 km) from Hawaii Route 50 at the junction of Rice Street in Līhuʻe to the junction of Hawaiʻi Route 560 in Princeville.
- Hawaii Route 560 passes 10 mi (16 km) from the junction of Route 56 in Princeville and dead ends at Keʻe Beach in Haʻena State Park.
Other major highways that link other parts of the Island to the main highways of Kauaʻi are:
- Hawaii Route 55 covers 7.6 mi (12.2 km) from the junction of Route 50 in Kekaha to meet with Hawaii Route 550south of Kokeʻe State Park in the Waimea Canyon.
- Kōkeʻe State Park.
- Kalaheo and ʻEleʻele.
- Hawaii Route 530, also called Kōloa Road, stretches 3.4 mi (5.5 km) from Route 50 between Kalaheo and Lawai to Route 520 in Koloa. The road is mainly an alternative to Route 520 for travel from the west side to Poʻipū.
- Hawaii Route 520 runs 5 mi (8.0 km) from the "Tunnel of Trees" at Route 50 to Poʻipū on the south shore.
- Hawaii Route 570 covers 1 mi (1.6 km) from Route 56 in Līhuʻe to Līhuʻe Airport.
- Hawaii Route 580 spans 5 mi (8.0 km) from Route 56 in Wailua to where the road is no longer serviced just south of the Wailua Reservoir.
- Hawaii Route 581passes 5 mi (8.0 km) from Route 580 in the Wailua Homesteads to a roundabout just west of Kapaʻa Town.
- Hawaii Route 583, also known as Maalo Road, stretches 3.9 mi (6.3 km) from Route 56 just north of Līhuʻe to dead-end at Wailua FallsOverlook in the interior.
Hawaii Scenic Byway
- Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway, this state designated scenic byway runs over 19 mi (31 km) and connects many of Kauaʻi's most historical and cultural sights such as the Maluhia Road (Tree Tunnel), Puhi (Spouting Horn), The National Tropical Botanical Gardens, and the Salt Beds.
Mass transit
Places of interest
The Kauaʻi Heritage Center of Hawaiʻian Culture and the Arts was founded in 1998. Its mission is to nurture appreciation and respect for Hawaiian culture. It offers classes in Hawaiian language, hula, lei and cordage making, the lunar calendar, chanting, and trips to cultural sites.
- Alakai Wilderness Area
- Allerton Garden
- Camp Naue YMCA
- Fern Grotto
- Haʻena State Park
- Hanalei Bay
- Hoʻopiʻi Falls
- Honopū Valley
- Kōkeʻe State Park
- Limahuli Garden and Preserve
- Makaleha Mountains
- Makauwahi Cave Reserve
- McBryde Garden
- Moir Gardens
- Moloaa Bay
- Na ʻĀina Kai Botanical Gardens
- Nā Pali Coast State Park
- ʻOpaekaʻa Falls
- Paoʻa Point
- Poipu Beach Park
- Polihale State Park
- Queen's Bath
- Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain)
- Spouting Horn
- Wailua River
- Waimea Canyon State Park
Panorama gallery
Popular culture
Kauaʻi has been featured in more than 70 Hollywood movies and TV shows, including the musical
Parts of the 2002 film Dragonfly were filmed there, although the people and the land were presented as South American.[citation needed]
Major acts of two Elvis Presley films, 1961's Blue Hawaii and 1966's Paradise, Hawaiian Style, were filmed on Kauaʻi. Both have scenes shot at the Coco Palms resort.
The Descendants, a 2011 film, has major parts shot in Kauaʻi, where the main character and his cousins own ancestral lands they are considering selling.[45] The film is based on the 2007 novel by Hawaiian writer Kaui Hart Hemmings.
See also
Explanatory notes
- ʻokina, as in Kaua'i or Kaua`i.
References
- Kapiʻolani Community College. Archived from the originalon March 23, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2009.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Kauai County, Hawaii". United States Census Bureau. April 1, 2020.
- ^ "Kauai". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
- ^ "Kauai". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
- ^ "Table 5.08 – Land Area of Islands: 2000" (PDF). 2004 State of Hawaii Data Book. State of Hawaii. 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
- ^ Census Tracts 401 through 409, Kauaʻi County United States Census Bureau
- ISBN 978-0-8248-0524-1.
- ^ "Ka Moolelo o Kauai- The Story of Kauai". Kaua'i Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ a b "Kauai's History". Kauai.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "Kauai in History: Hawaii's Oldest Paradise". Makana Charters and Tours. Makana Charters. March 3, 2020. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-393-31519-6.
- ^ a b c "Kauai History". Hawaiian Tourism Authority. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ "Kauai Plantation Railway – Kauai Sugarcane Plantations". Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
- ^ "About Gay and Robinson in Hawaii". www.hawaiiforvisitors.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ Soboleski, Hank (August 10, 2013). "John Mahiai Kaneakua". The Garden Island. Archived from the original on January 23, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
- ISBN 9780824811624.
- ISBN 978-82-8211-537-7.
- ISBN 9781588435910.
- ISBN 9781858287386.
- ^ Central Pacific Hurricane Center (1993). The 1992 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season (PDF) (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 24, 2003.
- ^ a b "Hawaiians call Mark Zuckerberg 'the face of neocolonialism' over land lawsuits". The Guardian. January 23, 2017. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
- ^ Mark Zuckerberg hits back at 'misleading' claims he is suing Hawaiian landowners Archived November 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Wired, January 20, 2017
- ^ "Facebook's Zuckerberg officially drops Hawaii 'quiet title' actions" Archived March 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Pacific Business News, February 26, 2017
- ISBN 978-0-8248-2125-8.
- ^ "Kauai". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ "Table 5.11 – Elevations of Major Summits" (PDF). 2004 State of Hawaii Data Book. State of Hawaii. 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
- ^ "Trail Information – Kalalau Trail". Archived from the original on August 30, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Henning, D. (1967). Mt. Waialeale. Wetter und Leben (Vienna). 19(5–6), 93–100
- ^ USGS, NWIS
- ^ Schmidli, R.J. (1983). Weather extremes (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS WR-28, Revised.) Salt Lake City, UT: NOAA.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center
- ^ "Discover Kauai". H&S Publishing, LLC. Archived from the original on February 13, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
- ^ a b "Kauai Economic Outlook Summary: Tourism Woes Mean No Growth Through 2009". University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization. 2008. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Kauai Economic Development Plan 2005–2015" (PDF). County of Kauai Office of Economic Development, Kauai Economic Development Board. 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
- ^ "Home | Kauai Island Utility Cooperative". website.kiuc.coop. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ a b "Hawaii's sugar growers are putting new emphasis on their..." United Press International. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ Flynn, Meghan. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. Energy Today Magazine. September 30, 2008
- ^ a b Wagman, David (March 16, 2017). "Tesla Teams With Tiny Hawaiian Utility to Store Solar". IEEE. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
as 2011 we were 92% dependent on fossil fuel generation," primarily diesel and naphtha.
- ^ "Residential Heat Pump Water Heater Rebate" (PDF). Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ "Tesla launches its Powerpack 2 project in Hawaii, will help Island of Kauai get more out of its solar power". March 8, 2017. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
- ^ "AES' New Kauai Solar-Storage 'Peaker' Shows How Fast Battery Costs Are Falling". January 16, 2017. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
- ^ "King Kong (1976) Filming Locations" Archived 2017-03-19 at the Wayback Machine imdb.com
- ^ "Kauai Film Locations | GoHawaii.com". www.gohawaii.com. February 14, 2017. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ "Kauai 'Cane Fire' Documentary Will Blow Lid Off Hawaii Tourism". Beat of Hawaii. May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
Further reading
- Cook, Chris (1996). The Kauaʻi Movie Book. Landscape photography by David Boynton. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing. ISBN 1-56647-141-9.
- Joesting, Edward (February 1, 1988). Kauai: The Separate Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-1162-4.
- Sprout, Jerry; Sprout, Janine (November 22, 2016). Kauai Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Snorkel, Bike, Paddle, Surf. Diamond Valley Company. ISBN 978-0-9913690-6-5.