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Kauai -Hawaiian: is geologically the oldest of the main
Hawaiian Islands. With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,
456.4 km2), it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the
Hawaiian archipelago, and the
21st largest island in the
United States. Known also as the "
Garden Isle",
Kauaʻi lies 105 miles (169 km) across the Kauaʻi
Channel, northwest of Oʻahu. This island is the site of
Waimea Canyon State Park.
The United States Census Bureau defines Kauaʻi as Census Tracts 401 through
409 of
Kauaʻi County, Hawaiʻi, which is all of the county except for the islands of
Kaʻula,
Lehua, and
Niʻihau. The
2010 census population of Kauaʻi (the island) was 67,091,[5] with the largest town by population being Kapaʻa.
Island facts
Some of Kauaʻi's feral chickens at Lydgate
Beach Park
Hawaii Standard Time is observed on Kauaʻi year-round. During
DST, for example, the time on Kauaʻi is three hours behind the
West Coast of the United States and six hours behind the
East Coast.[15]
The city of
Līhuʻe, on the island's southeast coast, is the seat of Kauaʻi
County and the second largest city on the island. Kapaʻa, on the "
Coconut Coast" (site of an old coconut plantation) about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Līhuʻe, has a population of nearly 10,
000, or about 50% greater than Līhuʻe. Waimea, once the capital of Kauaʻi on the island's southwest side, was the first place in
Hawaiʻi visited by
British explorer
Captain James Cook in 1778.
Kauaʻi is home to thousands of wild chickens, who have few natural predators. Kauaʻi's chickens originated from the original Polynesian settlers, who brought them as a food source. They have since bred with
European chickens that have gotten free from farms and cock-fighting breeders.
Kauaʻi is home to the
U.S. Navy's "
Barking Sands"
Pacific Missile Range Facility, on the sunny and dry western shore.
HF ("shortwave") radio station
WWVH, sister station to
WWV and
WWVB in
Ft. Collins, Colorado, is located on the west coast of Kauai about 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.
The Kauaʻi
Heritage Center of
Hawaiian Culture and the Arts was founded in
1998. Their mission is to nurture a greater sense of appreciation and respect for the
Hawaiian culture. They offer classes in
Hawaiian language, hula, lei and cordage making, the lunar calendar and chanting, plus trips to cultural sites.
Tourism is Kauaʻi's largest industry. In
2007, 1,271,000 people visited Kauaʻi. The two largest groups were from the United States (84% of all visitors) and
Japan (3%).[12]
As of 2003, there were a total of approximately 27,000 jobs on Kauaʻi, of which the largest sector was accommodation/food services (26%, 6,800 jobs) followed by government (15%) and retail (14.5%), with agriculture accounting for just 2.9% (780 jobs) and educational services providing just 0.7% (
183 jobs).[13] In terms of income, the various sectors that constitute the visitors industry accounted for one third of Kauai's income.[13] On the other hand, employment is dominated by small businesses, with 87% of all nonfarm businesses having fewer than 20 employees.[13] As of 2003, Kauaʻi's unemployment rate was 3.9%, compared to
3.0% for the entire state and
5.7% for the United States as a whole; and, Kauaʻi's poverty rate was
10.5%, compared to the
State's
10.7%.[13]
As of mid-2004, the median price of a single-family home was $528,000, a 40% increase over 2003. As of 2003, Kauaʻi's percentage of home ownership, 48%, was significantly lower than the State's 64%, and vacation homes were a far larger part of the housing stock than the State-wide percentage (Kauaʻi 15%, State 5%).[13]
In the past, sugar plantations were Kauaʻi's most important industry. In 1835 the first sugar plantation was founded on Kauaʻi and for the next century the industry would dominate the economy of
Hawaii.[14] Most of that land is now used for ranching.[12] Kauaʻi's sole remaining sugar operation, the 118-year-old
Gay &
Robinson Plantation plans to transform itself into a manufacturer of sugar-cane ethanol.[12]
Land in Kauaʻi is very fertile and is home to many varieties of fruit and other crops. Guava, coffee, sugarcane, mango, banana, papaya, avocado, star fruit, kava and pineapple are all cultivated.
- published: 23 Apr 2013
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