Kauai, sometimes written Kauai, 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 21st largest island in the United States. Kauai is northwest of Oahu, across the Kauai Channel. The island's 2020 population was 73,298.Census Tracts 401 through 409, Kauai County United States Census Bureau
Styling itself the "Garden Isle", Kauai is the site of Waimea Canyon State Park and Nā Pali Coast State Park. It forms the bulk of Kauai County, which includes Niihau as well as the small nearby islands of Kaula and Lehua.
Etymology and language Hawaiian narrative derives the name's origin from the legend of Hawaiiloa, the Polynesian navigator credited with discovering the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates that he named the island after a favorite son; a possible translation of Kauai is "place around the neck", describing how a father would carry his child. Another possible translation is "food season".
Kauai was known for its distinct dialect of the Hawaiian language, which still survives on Niihau. While the dominant dialect is based on that of Hawaii island, which has no sound, the Kauai dialect had this sound. This happened because the Kauai dialect had retained the old Polynesian sound, replaced in the "standard" Hawaii dialect by . This difference applies to all words with these sounds, so the Kauaian name for Kauai was pronounced "Tauai", and Kapaa was pronounced "Tapaa".
History Settlement It is uncertain when humans discovered the Hawaiian islands. Early archaeological studies suggested that Polynesian explorers from the Marquesas Islands or Society Islands may have arrived as early as 600AD, possibly with a second wave arriving from Tahiti around 1100AD Later analyses suggest that the first settlers arrived around 900–1200AD
Arrival of James Cook
In January 1778, British navigator James Cook made the first recorded contact between any European and the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands when he arrived at Kauai by accident while crossing the Pacific during his third voyage of exploration. The British immediately observed similarities in language and culture between the Kauaians and the parts of Polynesia with which they were already familiar, such as Tahiti. After some Kauaians were persuaded to board his ship, Cook later wrote:
Later, while investigating a location for the ships to anchor, a shore party was mobbed by a crowd, a shot was fired, and one Kauaian was killed. The next day, January 20, 1778, the two ships anchored in Waimea Bay on the southwest coast, where the expedition spent days obtaining fresh water and trading for fresh food. The local people especially valued iron: even small amounts, such as a single nail, could be traded for plentiful food supplies. Within two weeks, Cook left the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands to continue his original mission.
Cession to the Kingdom of Hawaii
At the time of Cook's visit, the Hawaiian islands comprised several kingdoms. By 1795, the king of Hawaii Island, Kamehameha I, had established the Kingdom of Hawaii, uniting most of the islands, but Kauai remained independent. Kamehameha tried to conquer Kauai in 1796, but stormy seas caused the attack from Oahu to be canceled and he was afterward distracted by events elsewhere. By 1803, Kauai was ruled by Kaumualii, who maintained his independence from the Kingdom of Hawaii. A second invasion of Kauai from Oahu was planned but this too was canceled after an epidemic broke out among Kamehameha's forces. In 1810, a diplomatic agreement was reached whereby Kaumualii agreed to be Kamehameha's vassal, and to cede Kauai to the Kingdom of Hawaii upon his death by making Kamehameha's son his heir.
Schäffer affair
The Schäffer affair was a diplomatic episode instigated in 1815 by Georg Anton Schäffer, a German working with the Russian-American Company. While at Kauai in 1816, Schäffer involved Kaumualii in "a treasonable design" whereby Kauai would accept the protection of the Russian Empire in exchange for exclusive trading privileges. In 1817, a fort was built at Waimea and a Russian flag raised over it. But on Kamehameha's orders, and persuaded by other foreign traders, Kaumualii abandoned his relationship with Schäffer and forced the Russians to leave Kauai.
Plantations From the 1830s till the mid-20th century, plantations of sugarcane were Kauai's most important industry. In 1835, the first sugarcane plantation was founded on Kauai, and for the next century the industry dominated Hawaii's economy. Kauai's last sugarcane plantation, the 118-year-old Gay & Robinson Plantation, stopped planting sugarcane in 2008.
Old Sugar Mill of Koloa
In 1835, Old Koloa Town opened a sugar mill. From 1906 to 1934 the office of County Clerk was held by John Mahiai Kāneakua, who had been active in attempts to restore Queen Liliʻuokalani to the throne after the U.S. takeover of Hawaii in 1893.
Valdemar Knudsen Valdemar Emil Knudsen was a Norwegian who arrived on Kauai in 1857. Knudsen, or "Kanuka", originally managed Grove Farm in Koloa. He later sought a warmer land and purchased the leases to Mana and Kekaha, where he became a successful sugarcane plantation owner. He settled in Waiawa, between Mana and Kekaha, immediately across the channel from Niihau Island.Joesting, Edward (1988). Kauai: The Separate Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press. Pages 198–199. . His son, Eric Alfred Knudsen, was born in Waiawa.
Knudsen was appointed land administrator by King Kamehameha IV 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.Lund, Fredrik Larsen (2017). Norske utposter. Vega forlag. Pages 301–302. .
Knudsen lends his name to the Knudsen Gap, a narrow pass between Hāʻupu Ridge and the Kahili Ridge. Its primary function was as a sugar farm.Lougheed, Vivien (2007). Adventure Guide: Mazatalan and Vicinity. Hunter Publishing, Inc. Page 250. .Ward, Greg (2002). Hawaii. Rough Guides. Page 472. .
Hurricane Iniki
Frank VanderSloot The historic 105-acre Valley House home on Kauaʻi, where scenes from Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed, is owned by Frank VanderSloot, the wealthy creator of the health and wellness company Melaleuca. He runs the state's two biggest meat-processing facilities and is an advocate for localizing Hawaii's cattle sector. He has said, "The pineapple has vanished. There is no more sugarcane. Cattle are actually the only thing left at the moment".
Mark Zuckerberg
Geography
The five-million-year-old island, the oldest of the main islands (Niihau is older), was formed volcanically as the Pacific Plate passed over the Hawaiʻi hotspot. It consists of an eroded shield volcano with a 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.
Kauai's highest peak is Kawaikini, at . The second-highest is Mount Waialeale, near the center of the island, above sea level. One of the wettest spots on earth, with an annual average rainfall of , is on the east side of Mount Waialeale. The rain has eroded deep valleys in the central mountains, carving out canyons with many scenic waterfalls. On the west side of the island, Waimea town is at the mouth of the Waimea River, whose flow formed Waimea Canyon, one of the world's most scenic canyons, which is part of Waimea Canyon State Park. At deep, Waimea Canyon is often called "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". Kokeo Point lies on the island's south side. The Nā Pali Coast is an isolated center for recreation, including kayaking along the beaches and hiking on the trail along the coastal cliffs. The headlands Kamala Point, Kawai Point, Kawelikoa Point, Kuahonu Point, Paoa Point, and Molehu Point are on the southeast of the island; Makaokahai Point and Weli Point are in the south. Climate
Kauai'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 on the windward (northeastern) shore to less than on the (southwestern) leeward side of the island. The average temperature in Līhuʻe, the county seat, ranges from in February to in August and September.
Kauai's mountainous regions offer cooler temperatures in contrast to the warm coastal areas. At Kōkee State Park, ASL, day temperatures vary from an average of in January to in July. In the winter, temperatures have been known to drop down to the 30s and 40s at the park, which holds an unofficial record low of , recorded in February 1986 at Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow.
Precipitation in Kauai's mountainous regions averages annually. About southeast of Kōkee state park, at an elevation of , is the Mt. Waialeale rain gauge.Henning, D. (1967). Mt. Waialeale. Wetter und Leben (Vienna). 19(5–6), 93–100 Mt. Waialeale 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 (U.S. Environmental Science Services Administration, 1968). Between 1949 and 2004, the average yearly precipitation at Mt. Waialeale was .USGS, NWIS
Kauai also holds a record in hourly precipitation. During a storm on January 24–25, 1956, a rain gauge at Kauai's former Kilauea Sugar Plantation recorded a record 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 .Schmidli, R.J. (1983). Weather extremes (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS WR-28, Revised.) Salt Lake City, UT: NOAA. An accurate measurement may have exceeded Holt, Missouri's world-record rainfall of in 42 minutes on June 22, 1947.National Climatic Data Center
Time zone Hawaii Standard Time (UTC−10:00) is observed on Kauai year-round. When mainland states are on daylight saving time, for example, the time on Kauai is three hours behind the West Coast of the United States and six hours behind the East Coast.
River system Waimea River Hanalei River Hanapēpē River Wainiha River Wailuā River Makaweli River Hulāia River Hulēia River Kalihi Wai River Anahola River Lumahai River Kōula River Olokele River Kīlauea Stream Waikomo Stream
Waterfalls Hālii Falls Hanakāpīai Falls Hinalele Falls Kalihi Wai Falls Kīlauea Falls Mānāwaiopuna Falls Ōpaekaa Falls Wailua Falls Waipoo Falls
Economy
Tourism is Kauai'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%). As of 2003, approximately 27,000 jobs existed on Kauai. 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). The visitors' industry accounted for one third of Kauai's income. Employment is dominated by small businesses, with 87% of all non-farm businesses having fewer than 20 employees. As of 2003, Kauai's poverty rate was 10.5%, compared to the mainland at 10.7%.
As of 2014, the median home price was about $400,000.
Land in Kauai 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.
Kauai is home to the U.S. Navy's "Barking Sands" Pacific Missile Range Facility, on the western shore.