73-539: Kauaʻi ( Hawaiian: [kɐwˈwɐʔi] ), anglicized as Kauai ( English: / ˈ k aʊ aɪ / KOW -eye or / k ɑː ˈ w ɑː . iː / kah- WAH -ee ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands . It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States . Kauaʻi lies 73 miles (117 km) northwest of Oʻahu , across
146-458: A Tesla Energy 13 MW / 52 MWh battery next to the 12 MW Kapaia solar plant for 13.9¢/kWh. 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. 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
219-590: A biopic of Bethany Hamilton , Soul Surfer . A scene in the opening credits of popular TV show M*A*S*H was filmed in Kauaʻi (helicopter flying over mountain top). Some scenes from Just Go with It , George of the Jungle , and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides were also filmed in Kauaʻi. A Perfect Getaway is set in Kauaʻi. Parts of the 2002 film Dragonfly were filmed there, although
292-405: A garage. Wilcox died in 1933, and the farm was left to nieces and nephews. This included the six children of his brother Samuel Wilcox (1847–1929) and Emma Lyman (1849–1943), daughter of missionary David Belden Lyman . During World War II the farm started to diversify by growing other food crops to feed the growing population of the islands, including the military. In 1948, Grove Farm purchased
365-472: A house for Ralph Wilcox and his wife Daisy Rice. Dickey also supervised a renovation of the main house in 1915 which removed interior walls to create large open spaces. From 1913 to 1917 a row of small houses were built for plantation workers. The houses were called Kaipu Camp after the Hawaiian name for a Chinese foreman of the plantation. The main estate house has two bedrooms, writing room, two bathrooms, and
438-421: A library on the first floor. A grand staircase leads up to the second floor which has more bedrooms. Behind the main house is a hexagonal gazebo styled after a Japanese teahouse, built in 1898. To the south is a guest cottage with two living areas from about 1890. Another single story cottage was built in 1877 for George Wilcox, and an office building was built in 1884. A number of support buildings include sheds and
511-620: A month at the site of the Lihue Plantation Sugar Mill nearby. In the 1990s all sugarcane production ended in the area. A golf course designed for the former plantation called Puakea was partially built when Hurricane Iniki hit in 1992. It opened with ten holes in 1997. It has come to be a full, 18 hole golf course. In 2000 the Grove Farm Company (not including the Museum) was bought by Steve Case . In July 2001 he also bought
584-466: 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 : Located on the southeastern side of
657-512: A position as a noble under the king. Knudsen, who spoke fluent Hawaiian , later became an elected representative and an influential politician. 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. The five-million-year-old island, the oldest of the main islands (Niʻihau is older), was formed volcanically as
730-546: 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). An accurate measurement may have exceeded Holt, Missouri 's world-record rainfall of 12 in (300 mm) in 42 minutes on June 22, 1947. Hawaii Standard Time ( UTC−10:00 )
803-628: A settlement as early as 124 AD. Captain James Cook , RN , visited the islands on January 18, 1778, and named them the "Sandwich Islands" in honor of The 4th Earl of Sandwich , who as the First Lord of the Admiralty was one of his sponsors. This name was in use until the 1840s, when the local name "Hawaii" gradually began to take precedence. The Hawaiian Islands have a total land area of 6,423.4 square miles (16,636.5 km ). Except for Midway, which
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#1732879841203876-460: 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 Niʻihau Island. His son, Eric Alfred Knudsen , was born in Waiawa. Knudsen was appointed land administrator by King Kamehameha for an area covering 400 km, and was given the title konohiki as well as
949-407: Is Mount 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
1022-426: Is an unincorporated territory of the United States, these islands and islets are administered as Hawaii —the 50th state of the United States. The eight major islands of Hawaii (Windward Islands) are listed above. All except Kaho'olawe are inhabited. The state of Hawaii counts 137 "islands" in the Hawaiian chain. This number includes all minor islands (small islands), islets (even smaller islands) offshore of
1095-528: 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 three thousand ft (910 m) deep, Waimea Canyon is often called "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". Kokeo Point lies on the island's south side. The Na Pali Coast is an isolated center for recreation, including kayaking along the beaches and hiking on
1168-485: Is based on the 2007 novel by Hawaiian writer Kaui Hart Hemmings . Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( Hawaiian : Mokupuni Hawaiʻi ) are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands , several atolls , and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean , extending some 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the island of Hawaiʻi in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll . Formerly called
1241-585: 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
1314-566: Is now a private museum, the Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum , with tours by appointment. It is located on Hawaii Route 58 , known as Nawiliwili Road. The 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) narrow gauge Grove Farm Company Locomotives were stored in a warehouse just to the west in the area known as Puhi , also listed on the NRHP, and formerly owned by Mabel Wilcox. Some of the restored trains can be ridden about once
1387-574: 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 . 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%). As of 2003, approximately 27,000 jobs existed on Kauaʻi. The largest sector
1460-522: Is relatively fluid compared with magmas typically involved in more explosive eruptions, such as the andesitic magmas that produce some of the spectacular and dangerous eruptions around the margins of the Pacific basin. Hawaiʻi island (the Big Island) is the biggest and youngest island in the chain, built from five volcanoes. Mauna Loa , taking up over half of the Big Island, is the largest shield volcano on
1533-516: Is situated entirely on an archipelago, and the only state not geographically connected with North America . The Northwestern islands (sometimes called the Leeward Islands) and surrounding seas are protected as a National Monument and World Heritage Site . The date of the first settlements of the Hawaiian Islands is a topic of continuing debate. Archaeological evidence seems to indicate
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#17328798412031606-480: Is the Mt. Waiʻaleʻale rain gauge. 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). Kauaʻi also holds
1679-519: The Earth's mantle . The islands are about 1,860 miles (3,000 km) from the nearest continent and are part of the Polynesia subregion of Oceania . The U.S. state of Hawaii occupies the archipelago almost in its entirety (including the mostly uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ), with the sole exception of Midway Atoll (a United States Minor Outlying Island ). Hawaii is the only U.S. state that
1752-517: The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory run by the USGS . Hawaii accounted for 7.3% of the United States' reported earthquakes with a magnitude 3.5 or greater from 1974 to 2003, with a total 1533 earthquakes. Hawaii ranked as the state with the third most earthquakes over this time period, after Alaska and California . On October 15, 2006, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 off
1825-543: The Kauaʻi Channel . The island's 2020 population was 73,298. Styling itself the "Garden Isle", Kauaʻi is the site of Waimea Canyon State Park and Na Pali Coast State Park . It forms the bulk of Kauai County , which also includes the small nearby islands of Kaʻula , Lehua , and Niʻihau . Hawaiian narrative derives the name's origin from the legend of Hawaiʻiloa , the Polynesian navigator credited with discovering
1898-546: The Marquesas Islands . A second wave arrived by sea-canoe from Tahiti around 800–1000 C.E. Many Hawaiian traditions and belief structures derive from the culture that arrived with these Tahitians. In 1778, Captain James Cook arrived at Waimea Bay, the first European known to have reached the Hawaiian islands. He named the archipelago the "Sandwich Isles" after his patron, the 6th Earl of Sandwich, George Montagu. During
1971-517: The Pacific Plate passed over the Hawaii hotspot . 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. Kauaʻi's highest peak is Kawaikini , at 5,243 ft (1,598 m). The second-highest
2044-564: The Sandwich Islands by Europeans (not by Kānaka Maoli , the people native to the islands), the present name for the archipelago is derived from the name of its largest island, Hawaiʻi. The archipelago sits on the Pacific plate . The islands are exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain , formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot in
2117-519: The Society Islands around 1025 to 1120 C.E., and in the Marquesas Islands sometime between 1100 and 1200 C.E. Polynesians arrived sometime between 940 and 1200 AD. Kamehameha I , the ruler of the island of Hawaii, conquered and unified the islands for the first time, establishing the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1795. The kingdom became prosperous and important for its agriculture and strategic location in
2190-490: The list of extinct animals of the Hawaiian Islands . As of 2009 , many of the remaining endemic species are considered endangered . On June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush issued a public proclamation creating Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The Monument encompasses the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and surrounding waters, forming the largest marine wildlife reserve in
2263-510: The trade winds on their north and east flanks (the windward side) as a result of orographic precipitation . Coastal areas in general and especially the south and west flanks, or leeward sides, tend to be drier. In general, the lowlands of Hawaiian Islands receive most of their precipitation during the winter months (October to April). Drier conditions generally prevail from May to September. The tropical storms , and occasional hurricanes , tend to occur from July through November. During
Kauai - Misplaced Pages Continue
2336-535: The 118-year-old Gay & Robinson Plantation, stopped planting sugar in 2008. In 1835, Old Koloa Town opened a sugar mill. From 1906 to 1934 the office of County Clerk was held by John Mahiʻai Kāneakua , who had been active in attempts to restore Queen Liliuokalani to the throne after the U.S. takeover of Hawaiʻi in 1893. Valdemar Emil Knudsen was a Norwegian who arrived on Kauai in 1857. Knudsen, or "Kanuka", originally managed Grove Farm in Koloa . He later sought
2409-625: The 1820s based on a census conducted by American missionaries, 82,203 in the 1850 Hawaiian Kingdom census, 40,622 in the final Hawaiian Kingdom census of 1890, 39,504 in the sole census by the Republic of Hawaii in 1896, and 37,656 in the first census conducted by the United States in 1900. Thereafter the Native Hawaiian population in Hawaii increased with every census, reaching 680,442 in 2020 (including people of mixed heritage). In 1893 Queen Liliʻuokalani
2482-554: The 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) McBryde plantation which included the Koloa sugar mill . By 1974, sugar production was leased to Alexander & Baldwin , while the company moved into residential and resort real estate operations. The Wilcox estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hawaii on June 25, 1974, as site 74000722. Its boundary was adjusted to total 81.79 acres (33.10 ha) on December 8, 1978, and site changed to 78003436. The main house
2555-489: The Big Island. The volcanoes on the remaining islands are extinct as they are no longer over the Hawaii hotspot. The Kamaʻehuakanaloa Seamount is an active submarine volcano that is expected to become the newest Hawaiian island when it rises above the ocean's surface in 10,000–100,000 years. Hazards from these volcanoes include lava flows that can destroy and bury the surrounding surface, volcanic gas emissions, earthquakes and tsunamis listed above, submarine eruptions affecting
2628-621: The Earth. The measurement from sea level to summit is more than 2.5 miles (4 km), from sea level to sea floor about 3.1 miles (5 km). The Hawaiian Islands have many earthquakes , generally triggered by and related to volcanic activity. Seismic activity, as a result, is currently highest in the southern part of the chain. Both historical and modern earthquake databases have correlated higher magnitude earthquakes with flanks of active volcanoes, such as Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The combination of erosional forces, which cause slumping and landslides, with
2701-419: The Hawaiian Islands. Explosive volcanic activity can cause tsunamis. The island of Molokaʻi had a catastrophic collapse or debris avalanche over a million years ago; this underwater landslide likely caused tsunamis. The Hilina Slump on the island of Hawaiʻi is another potential place for a large landslide and resulting tsunami. The city of Hilo on the Big Island has been most affected by tsunamis, where
2774-487: 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". Kauaʻi was known for its distinct dialect of the Hawaiian language , which still survives on Niʻihau. While the dominant dialect is based on that of Hawaiʻi island , which has no [t] sound,
2847-648: The Island to the main highways of Kauaʻi are: The Kauaʻi Bus is the public transportation service of the County of Kauaʻi. 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. Kauaʻi has been featured in more than 70 Hollywood movies and TV shows, including
2920-538: 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", and Kapaʻa was pronounced "Tapaʻa". Polynesian inhabitants settled on the island about 600 to 800 C.E., as indicated by radiocarbon dating of archeological sites. They are believed to have come from
2993-625: The Pacific. Kamehameha was aided by European military technology that became available once an expedition led by British explorer James Cook reached the islands in 1778, the first sustained contact with Europeans. American immigration, led by Protestant missionaries , and Native Hawaiian emigration, mostly on whaling ships but also in high numbers as indentured servants and as forced labour, began almost immediately after Cook's arrival. Americans established plantations to grow crops for export. Their farming methods required substantial labor. Waves of permanent immigrants came from Japan , China , and
Kauai - Misplaced Pages Continue
3066-606: The Philippines to work in the cane and pineapple fields. The government of Japan organized and gave special protection to its people, who comprised about 25 percent of the Hawaiian population by 1896. The Hawaiian monarchy encouraged this multi-ethnic society, initially establishing a constitutional monarchy in 1840 that promised equal voting rights regardless of race, gender, or wealth. The population of Native Hawaiians declined precipitously from an unknown number prior to 1778 (estimated to be around 300,000). It fell to around 142,000 in
3139-414: The absence of such predators. The growing population of humans, especially through European and American colonisation and development, has also led to deforestation , forest degradation , treeless grasslands, and environmental degradation . As a result, many species which depended on forest habitats and food became extinct—with many current species facing extinction. As humans cleared land for farming with
3212-664: The especially unpredictable nature of the forces that trigger earthquakes, and partially because these events occur at relatively shallow depths. Flank earthquakes typically occur at depths ranging from 5 to 20 km, increasing the hazard to local infrastructure and communities. Earthquakes and landslides on the island chain have also been known to cause tsunamis . Most of the early earthquake monitoring took place in Hilo , by missionaries Titus Coan and Sarah J. Lyman and her family. Between 1833 and 1896, approximately 4 or 5 earthquakes were reported per year. Today, earthquakes are monitored by
3285-406: The family for over 100 years. Wilcox had an irrigation system built to bring water from the wet mountains to the flatter lower elevations where the crops were grown. This idea was later copied by many other planters in the islands. In 1881 Princess Ruth Keʻelikolani sold some adjoining land, which grew the acreage by about a factor of ten. In 1903 the family hired Charles William Dickey to design
3358-593: The first sugarcane plantations in Hawaii known as Grove Farm in 1854. During the American Civil War , the demand for Hawaii sugar grew, but Widemann supported the Confederate States. After leasing Grove Farm to its manager George Norton Wilcox (1839–1933) in November 1864, Widemann moved to Honolulu to work in the capital as a supreme court judge. Wilcox would later buy the plantation, and it remained in
3431-468: The importation of industrialized farming practices through European and American encroachment, monocultural crop production replaced multi-species systems . The arrival of the Europeans had a more significant impact, with the promotion of large-scale single-species export agriculture and livestock grazing. This led to increased clearing of forests, and the development of towns, adding many more species to
3504-453: The in-rushing water is accentuated by the shape of Hilo Bay . Coastal cities have tsunami warning sirens. A tsunami resulting from an earthquake in Chile hit the islands on February 27, 2010. It was relatively minor, but local emergency management officials utilized the latest technology and ordered evacuations in preparation for a possible major event. The Governor declared it a "good drill" for
3577-502: The inputs cost $ 69.3 million and $ 83 million, respectively. By 2011, 92% of KIUC's power came from diesel. 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 have solar water heating systems installed on their homes. In 2017, KIUC opened
3650-516: The island, Lihue Airport is the island's only commercial airport. It has direct routes to Honolulu , Kahului/Maui , Kona/Hawaii , the U.S. mainland, and Vancouver, Canada. General aviation airports on the island are Port Allen Airport and Princeville Airport . The Pacific Missile Range Facility has a 6,006-foot runway that is closed to general aviation traffic, but could be used for an emergency landing . Several state highways serve Kauaʻi County: Other major highways that link other parts of
3723-468: The kingdom without bloodshed, and became Kamehameha's vassal in 1810. He ceded the island to the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi upon his death in 1824. From the 1830s till the mid-20th century, plantations of sugarcane 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. Kauaʻi's last sugarcane plantation,
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#17328798412033796-534: The major islands (listed above), and individual islets in each atoll. These are just a few: Partial islands, atolls, reefs—those west of Niʻihau are uninhabited except Midway Atoll—form the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Leeward Islands): This chain of islands, or archipelago , developed as the Pacific plate slowly moved northwestward over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle at a rate of approximately 32 miles (51 km) per million years. Thus,
3869-413: The musical South Pacific and Disney's 2002 animated feature film Lilo & Stitch along with its franchise's three sequel films (2003's Stitch! The Movie , 2005's Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch , and 2006's Leroy & Stitch ) and first television series ( Lilo & Stitch: The Series ). Scenes from South Pacific were filmed in the vicinity of Hanalei . Waimea Canyon
3942-482: The next major event. A tsunami resulting from an earthquake in Japan hit the islands on March 11, 2011. It was relatively minor, but local officials ordered evacuations in preparation for a possible major event. The tsunami caused about $ 30.1 million in damages. Only the two Hawaiian islands furthest to the southeast have active volcanoes: Haleakalā on Maui, and Mauna Loa , Mauna Kea , Kilauea , and Hualalai , all on
4015-602: The northwest coast of the island of Hawaii, near the Kona area. The initial earthquake was followed approximately five minutes later by a magnitude 5.7 aftershock . Minor to moderate damage was reported on most of the Big Island. Several major roadways became impassable from rock slides, and effects were felt as far away as Honolulu , Oahu, nearly 150 miles (240 km) from the epicenter . Power outages lasted for several hours to days. Several water mains ruptured. No deaths or life-threatening injuries were reported. On May 4, 2018, there
4088-421: The ocean, and the possibility of an explosive eruption. There is no definitive date for the Polynesian discovery of Hawaii . However, high-precision radiocarbon dating in Hawaii using chronometric hygiene analysis, and taxonomic identification selection of samples, puts the initial such settlement of the Hawaiian Islands sometime between 940-1250 C.E., originating from earlier settlements first established in
4161-455: The people and the land were presented as South American. 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. The film
4234-402: The pressure exerted by rising magma put a great amount of stress on the volcanic flanks. The stress is released when the slope fails, or slips, causing an earthquake. This type of seismicity is unique because the forces driving the system are not always consistent over time, since rates of volcanic activity fluctuate. Seismic hazard near active, seaward volcanic flanks is high, partially because of
4307-559: The public. 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. In the 1970s, Kauaʻi burned sugarcane waste to supply most of its electricity. 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,
4380-408: The reign of King Kamehameha , Kauaʻi and Niʻihau joined his Kingdom of Hawaiʻi , the last to do so. Their ruler, Kaumualiʻi , resisted Kamehameha for years. Kamehameha twice prepared a huge armada of ships and canoes to take the islands by force, and twice failed, once because of a storm, and once because of an epidemic . But in the face of the threat of a further invasion, Kaumualiʻi decided to join
4453-413: The southeast island is volcanically active, whereas the islands on the northwest end of the archipelago are older and typically smaller, due to longer exposure to erosion . The age of the archipelago has been estimated using potassium-argon dating methods. From this study and others, it is estimated that the northwesternmost island, Kure Atoll , is the oldest at approximately 28 million years (Ma); while
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#17328798412034526-406: The southeasternmost island, Hawaiʻi , is approximately 0.4 Ma (400,000 years). The only active volcanism in the last 200 years has been on the southeastern island, Hawaiʻi, and on the submerged but growing volcano to the extreme southeast, Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly Loʻihi). The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of the USGS documents recent volcanic activity and provides images and interpretations of
4599-450: The summer months the average temperature is about 84 °F (29 °C), in the winter months it is approximately 79 °F (26 °C). As the temperature is relatively constant over the year the probability of dangerous thunderstorms is approximately low. Grove Farm (Lihue, Hawaii) Grove Farm is a historic agricultural site on Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands . German immigrant Hermann A. Widemann (1822–1899) started one of
4672-472: The trail along the coastal cliffs. 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
4745-523: The volcanism. Kīlauea had been erupting nearly continuously since 1983 when it stopped August 2018. Almost all of the magma of the hotspot has the composition of basalt , and so the Hawaiian volcanoes are composed almost entirely of this igneous rock. There is very little coarser-grained gabbro and diabase . Nephelinite is exposed on the islands but is extremely rare. The majority of eruptions in Hawaiʻi are Hawaiian-type eruptions because basaltic magma
4818-798: The windward (northeastern) shore to less than 20 in (51 cm) on the (southwestern) leeward side of the island. The average temperature in Lihu'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. At Kōkeʻe 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
4891-419: 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),
4964-420: The world. In August 2010, UNESCO 's World Heritage Committee added Papahānaumokuākea to its list of World Heritage Sites . On August 26, 2016, former President Barack Obama greatly expanded Papahānaumokuākea, quadrupling it from its original size. The Hawaiian Islands are tropical but experience many different climates, depending on altitude and surroundings. The islands receive most rainfall from
5037-404: Was 10.5%, compared to the mainland at 10.7%. 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. Kauaʻi
5110-522: Was a 6.9 earthquake in the zone of volcanic activity from Kīlauea . Earthquakes are monitored by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory run by the USGS . The Hawaiian Islands are subject to tsunamis , great waves that strike the shore. Tsunamis are most often caused by earthquakes somewhere in the Pacific. The waves produced by the earthquakes travel at speeds of 400–500 miles per hour (600–800 km/h) and can affect coastal regions thousands of miles (kilometers) away. Tsunamis may also originate from
5183-413: 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 Kauaʻi's income. Employment is dominated by small businesses, with 87% of all non-farm businesses having fewer than 20 employees. As of 2003, Kauaʻi's poverty rate
5256-779: Was illegally deposed and placed under house arrest by businessmen (who included members of the Dole family ) with help from the U.S. Marines . The Republic of Hawaii governed for a short time until Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1898 as the Territory of Hawaii . In 1959, the islands became the 50th American state . The islands are home to a multitude of endemic species. Since human settlement, first by Polynesians , non native trees, plants, and animals were introduced. These included species such as rats and pigs, that have preyed on native birds and invertebrates that initially evolved in
5329-612: Was used in the filming of the 1993 film Jurassic Park and its 2015 sequel Jurassic World was shot in Kauai. Scenes by a waterfall in Mighty Joe Young were shot in Kauai. Parts of the island were used for the opening scenes of the film Raiders of the Lost Ark . Other movies filmed here include Six Days Seven Nights , the 1976 King Kong , and John Ford 's 1963 film Donovan's Reef . Recent films include Tropic Thunder and
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