Oahu

Oahu (Hawaiian: O‘ahu), the "Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of Hawai‘i. Total land area is 608 mile² (1,600 km²). In greatest dimension, this volcanic island is 71 km (44 mi) long and 48 km (30 mi) across. The length of the shoreline is 366 km (227 mi). The island is the result of two separate shield volcanoes: Wai‘anae and Ko‘olau, with a broad "valley" or saddle (the central Oahu Plain) between them. The highest point is Mt. Ka‘ala in the Wai‘anae Range, rising to 1,225 m (4019 ft) above sea level (Macdonald, Abbott, & Peterson, 1983).

Related Topics:
Hawaiian Islands - Hawai‘i - Shield volcano - Ko‘olau

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The island is home to almost 900,000 people (approximately 75% of the resident population of the state) and partly because of this, O‘ahu has for a long time been nicknamed "The Gathering Place". However, the term O‘ahu has no confirmed meaning in Hawaiian, other than that of the place itself (Pukui, et al., 1976). Ancient Hawaiian tradition attributes the name's origin in the legend of Hawai‘iloa, the Polynesian navigator credited with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates that he named the island after a son.

Related Topics:
Hawaiian - Hawai‘iloa - Polynesia

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The city of Honolulu—largest city, state capital, and main deepwater marine port for the State of Hawai‘i—is located here. As a jurisdictional unit, the entire island of O‘ahu is in the City & County of Honolulu, although as a place name, Honolulu occupies only a portion of the southeast end of the island (essentially, the Honolulu District). The island extends from Ka‘ena on the west end to Makapu‘u on the east. Well-known features found on Oahu include Waikīkī, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Kāne‘ohe Bay, and the North Shore.

Related Topics:
Honolulu - City & County of Honolulu - Ka‘ena - Makapu‘u - Waikīkī - Pearl Harbor - Diamond Head - Hanauma Bay - Kāne‘ohe Bay - North Shore

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