Kauai

Kauai from space (NASA image)

Kaua‘i (also colloquially spelled Kauai without the ‘okina) is the oldest and fourth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands. Known also as the "Garden Isle", Kaua‘i lies 105 miles (170 kilometers) across the Kaua‘i Channel, northwest of O‘ahu. Of volcanic origin, the highest point on the mountainous island is Mount Wai‘ale‘ale, near the center of the island, 5148 feet (1570 meters) above sea level. The wettest spot on Earth, with an annual average rainfall of 460 inches (11,648 millimeters), is located on the east side of Mount Wai‘ale‘ale. The high annual rainfall has eroded deep valleys in the central mountain, carving out canyons with many scenic waterfalls.

There is no known meaning behind the name of Kaua‘i. Native Hawaiian tradition indicates the name's origin in the legend of Hawai‘iloa—the Polynesian navigator attributed with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates how he named the island of Kaua‘i after a son.

The city of Līhu‘e, on the island's southeast coast, is the seat of Kaua‘i County and the largest city on the island. Waimea, on the island's southwest side and once the capital of Kaua‘i, was the first place visited by explorer Captain James Cook in 1778. Waimea town is located at the mouth of the Waimea River, whose flow formed one of the most scenic canyons in the world: 3000-ft (914-m) deep, Waimea Canyon.

The island of Kaua‘i was featured in Disney's 2002 animated feature film Lilo & Stitch. Waimea Canyon was used in the filming of the 1993 film Jurassic Park.

Kauai is home to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility.

See also: Tourism on Kaua‘i

Islands of Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i | Kaho‘olawe | Kaua‘i | Lāna‘i | Maui | Moloka‘i | Ni‘ihau | Northwestern Hawaiian Islands | O‘ahu
Counties
Hawai‘i | Honolulu | Kalawao | Kaua‘i | Maui