Hawaiian narrative derives the name's origin from the legend ofHawaiʻiloa, thePolynesian navigator credited with discovering the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates that he named the island after a favorite son; a possible translation of Kauaʻi is "place around the neck", describing how a father would carry his child. Another possible translation is "food season".[7]
Kauaʻi was known for its distinct dialect of theHawaiian language, which still survives on Niʻihau. While the dominant dialect is based on that ofHawaiʻi island, which has no[t] sound, the Kauaʻi dialect had this sound. This happened because the Kauaʻi dialect had retained the old Polynesian/t/ sound, replaced in the "standard" Hawaiʻi dialect by[k]. This difference applies to all words with these sounds, so the Kauaian name for Kauaʻi was pronounced "Tauaʻi", andKapaʻa was pronounced "Tapaʻa".
It is uncertain when humans discovered the Hawaiian islands. Early archaeological studies suggested that Polynesian explorers from theMarquesas Islands orSociety Islands may have arrived as early as 600AD,[8] possibly with a second wave arriving from Tahiti around 1100AD[9][10] Later analyses suggest that the first settlers arrived around 900–1200AD[11]
A statue of CaptainJames Cook commemorating his landing at Waimea, Kauaʻi, January 20, 1778
In January 1778,British navigatorJames Cook made thefirst recorded contact between any European and the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands when he arrived at Kauaʻi by accident while crossing the Pacific during histhird 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 asTahiti. After some Kauaians were persuaded to board his ship, Cook later wrote:
I never saw [indigenous people] so astonished at entering a ship. Their eyes were continually flying from object to object, the wildness of their looks and actions fully expressed their surprise and astonishment.[12]: 312
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 inWaimea 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.[12]: 311-315 [13]: 12-15
Kamehameha I, portrait byJames Gay Sawkins, based on Louis Choris sketch
At the time of Cook's visit, the Hawaiian islands comprised several kingdoms.[13]: 30 By 1795, the king of Hawaii Island,Kamehameha I, had established theKingdom of Hawaii, uniting most of the islands, but Kauaʻi remained independent. Kamehameha tried to conquer Kauaʻi in 1796, but stormy seas caused the attack fromOahu to be canceled and he was afterward distracted by events elsewhere. By 1803, Kauaʻi was ruled byKaumualiʻi, who maintained his independence from the Kingdom of Hawaii. A second invasion of Kauaʻi 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 Kaumualiʻi agreed to be Kamehameha'svassal,[13]: 47-50 and to cede Kauaʻi to the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi upon his death by making Kamehameha's son his heir.[14]: 155-156, 186
The Schäffer affair was a diplomatic episode instigated in 1815 byGeorg Anton Schäffer, a German working with theRussian American Company. While at Kauaʻi in 1816, Schäffer involved Kaumualiʻi in "a treasonable design" whereby Kauaʻi would accept the protection of theRussian 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, Kaumualiʻi abandoned his relationship with Schäffer and forced the Russians to leave Kauaʻi.[13]: 57-58
From the 1830s till the mid-20th century,plantations ofsugarcane 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.[15] Kauaʻi's last sugarcane plantation, the 118-year-old Gay & Robinson Plantation, stopped planting sugar in 2008.[16]
In 1835, Old Koloa Town opened a sugar mill.[17] From 1906 to 1934 the office ofCounty Clerk was held byJohn Mahiʻai Kāneakua, who had been active in attempts to restore QueenLiliuokalani to the throne after the U.S. takeover of Hawaiʻi in 1893.[18]
Valdemar Emil Knudsen was aNorwegian who arrived on Kauaʻi in 1857. Knudsen, or "Kanuka", originally managedGrove Farm inKoloa. He later sought a warmer land and purchased the leases to Mana andKekaha, where he became a successful sugarcane plantation owner. He settled in Waiawa, between Mana and Kekaha, immediately across the channel fromNiʻihau Island.[19] His son,Eric Alfred Knudsen, was born in Waiawa.
Knudsen was appointed land administrator byKing Kamehameha for an area covering 400 km2, and was given the titlekonohiki as well as a position as a noble under the king. Knudsen, who spoke fluentHawaiian, later became an elected representative and an influential politician.[20]
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.[21][22]
Hurricane Iniki at peak intensity south of Kauaʻi on September 11Hurricane Iniki (/iːˈniːkiː/ee-NEE-kee; Hawaiian:ʻiniki meaning "strong and piercing wind") was ahurricane that struck the island of Kauaʻi on September 11, 1992. It was the most powerful hurricane to strike Hawaiʻi in recorded history, and the only hurricane to directly affect the state during the1992 Pacific hurricane season.[23] Forming on September 5, 1992, it was the first hurricane to hit the state sinceHurricane Iwa in the1982 season, and the only known major hurricane to hit the state. Iniki dissipated on September 13, about halfway between Hawaii and Alaska.
In 2014 Zuckerberg purchased 700 acres of land on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. In January 2017, Zuckerberg filed eight "quiet title andpartition" lawsuits against hundreds ofnative Hawaiians to claim small tracts of land that they owned within his acreage.[24] Zuckerberg responded to criticisms in aFacebook post, stating that the lawsuits were a good faith effort to pay the partial owners of the land their "fair share".[24] When he learned that Hawaiianland ownership law differs from that of the other 49 states, he dropped the lawsuits. Zuckerberg stated that he regretted not taking the time to understand the process and its history before moving ahead.[25][26]
The five-million-year-old island, the oldest of the main islands (Niʻihau is older), was formed volcanically as thePacific Plate passed over theHawaii hotspot.[27] It consists of an erodedshield volcano with a 9.3–12.4 mi (15.0–20.0 km) diameter summitcaldera and two flanking calderas.Rejuvenation of the volcano 0.6–1.40 million years ago leftlava flows andcones over the eastern two-thirds of the island.[28]
Kauaʻi's highest peak isKawaikini, at 5,243 ft (1,598 m).[29] The second-highest isMount Waiʻaleʻale, near the center of the island, 5,148 ft (1,569 m) above sea level. One of the wettest spots on earth, with an annual average rainfall of 460 in (38.3 ft; 11.7 m), is on the east side of Mount Waiʻaleʻale. 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 theWaimea River, whose flow formed Waimea Canyon, one of the world's most scenic canyons, which is part ofWaimea Canyon State Park. At three thousand ft (910 m) deep, Waimea Canyon is often called "TheGrand Canyon of the Pacific".Kokeo Point lies on the island's south side.[citation needed] TheNa Pali Coast is an isolated center for recreation, including kayaking along the beaches and hiking on the trail along the coastal cliffs.[30] The headlands Kamala Point, Kawai Point, Kawelikoa Point, Kuahonu Point, Paoʻa Point, and Molehu Point are on the southeast of the island; Makaokahaʻi Point and Weli Point are in the south.
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 inLihu'e, the county seat, ranges from 78 °F (26 °C) in February to 85 °F (29 °C) in August and September.
Kauaʻi's mountainous regions offer cooler temperatures in contrast to the warm coastal areas. AtKōkeʻe State Park, 3,200–4,200 ft (980–1,280 m)ASL, day temperatures vary from an average of 45 °F (7 °C) in January to 68 °F (20 °C) 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 29 °F (−2 °C), recorded in February 1986 at Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow.
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.[32] 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).[33]
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).[34] An accurate measurement may have exceededHolt, Missouri's world-record rainfall of 12 in (300 mm) in 42 minutes on June 22, 1947.[35]
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%).[37] 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).[38] The visitors' industry accounted for one third of Kauaʻi's income.[38] Employment is dominated by small businesses, with 87% of all non-farm businesses having fewer than 20 employees.[38] As of 2003, Kauaʻi's poverty rate was 10.5%, compared to the mainland at 10.7%.[38]
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 andpineapple are all cultivated on the island, but most agricultural land is used for raising cattle.[37]
Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) is a not-for-profit electricutility cooperative headquartered inLīhuʻe, which provides electricity for the island. It has 24,000 member-owners who elect a nine-member board of directors.[39]
In the 1970s, Kauaʻi burnedsugarcane waste to supply most[40] of its electricity.[40]
By 2008, transition of energy sources and growth in generating capacity had occurred, with most of Kauaʻi's electricity produced by imported liquidpetroleum. In 2006 and 2007, the inputs cost $69.3 million and $83 million, respectively.[41] By 2011, 92% of KIUC's power came from diesel.[42]
By 2017, KIUC's fuel mix was 56%fossil fuels, 9%hydroelectric, 12% biomass and 23%solar. KIUC integrated large-scale solar into its grid so that, during sunny daylight hours, 97% or more of its generation came from renewable sources. KIUC offers $1,000 rebates to residential customers who havesolar water heating systems installed on their homes.[43]
In 2017, KIUC opened a Tesla Energy 13 MW / 52MWh battery next to the 12 MW Kapaia solar plant[44] for 13.9¢/kWh.[42] In December 2018, KIUC opened an AES Distributed Energy project for 20 MW solar with 20 MW / 100 MWh batteries priced at 11.1¢/kWh.[45]
Līhuʻe, on the island's southeastern coast, is the seat ofKauaʻi 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 ofHawaii Route 560 to the western terminus ofHawaii Route 50:[citation needed]
Hawaii Route 50, also known as Kaumualiʻi Highway, is a thirty-three mile road that stretches fromHawaii Route 56 at the junction of Rice Street in Līhuʻe to a point approximately 1/5 mile north of the northernmost entrance of thePacific 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) fromHawaii Route 50 at the junction of Rice Street in Līhuʻe to the junction of Hawaiʻi Route 560 in Princeville.
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 inKekaha to meet withHawaii Route 550 south of Kokeʻe State Park in the Waimea Canyon.
Hawaii Route 540 goes 4 mi (6.4 km) from Route 50 in Kalaheo to Route 50 in Eleʻele. The road is mainly an access to residential areas and Kauaʻi Coffee. It also functions as a bypass betweenKalaheo andʻEleʻele.
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 581 passes 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 atWailua Falls Overlook in the interior.
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.
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.
A view of theHanalei Valley in Northern Kauaʻi. TheHanalei River runs through the valley and 60% of Hawaiʻi'staro is grown in its fields.
A view of the Nā Pali coastline from the ocean. It is part of theNā Pali Coast State Park which encompasses 6,175 acres (20 km2) of land and is located on the northwest side of Kauaʻi.
A view of theKalalau Valley on Kauaʻi's Nā Pali Coast from the Kalalau Lookout
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.[49] The film is based on the 2007novel by Hawaiian writerKaui Hart Hemmings.
^In Hawaiian there is a glottal stop before the finali, spelled with theʻokina. English speakers may approximate this by pronouncing the name as/kɑːˈwɑːiː/kow-AH-ee. SometimesKauaʻi is spelled with anapostrophe orgrave accent rather than the ʻokina, as inKaua'i orKaua`i.
^"Kauai History". Hawaiian Tourism Authority.Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. RetrievedJune 16, 2012.
^Soboleski, Hank (August 10, 2013)."John Mahiai Kaneakua". The Garden Island. Archived fromthe original on January 23, 2014. RetrievedJanuary 15, 2014.
^Joesting, Edward (1988).Kauai: The Separate Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press. Pages 198–199.ISBN9780824811624.
^Lund, Fredrik Larsen (2017).Norske utposter. Vega forlag. Pages 301–302.ISBN978-82-8211-537-7.
^Lougheed, Vivien (2007).Adventure Guide: Mazatalan and Vicinity. Hunter Publishing, Inc. Page 250.ISBN9781588435910.
^abcd"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. RetrievedNovember 5, 2008.
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