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''The Gathering Isle''
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868,751 ( 2004 )
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608 mile&2 (1,600 km&2)
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3rd Largest Hawaiian Island
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Mt Kaala: 4,019 ft (1,225 m)
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(usually outside , with a broad "valley" or saddle (the central Oahu Plain) between them. The highest point is Mt. Kaala in the Waianae Range, rising to 1,225 m (4,019 ft) above sea level (Macdonald, Abbott, & Peterson, 1983).
The island is home to about 900,000 people (approximately 75% of the resident population of the state) and partly because of this, Oahu has for a long time been nicknamed "The Gathering Place". However, the term ''Oahu'' 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
Hawaiiloa , the
Polynesia n navigator credited with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates that he named the island after a son.
The city of
Honolulu —largest city, state capital, and main deepwater marine port for the State of Hawaii—is located here. As a jurisdictional unit, the entire island of Oahu 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
Kaena on the west end to
Makapuu on the east. Well-known features found on Oahu include
Waikīkī ,
Pearl Harbor ,
Diamond Head ,
Hanauma Bay ,
Kāneohe Bay , and the
North Shore .
Kamehameha III moved his capital from
Lāhainā ,
Maui to Oahu in 1845.
Iolani Palace , built later by other members of the royal family, is still standing, and is the only royal palace on American soil.
Oahu was apparently the first of the Hawaiian Islands sighted by the crew of ''HMS Resolution'' on 18 January
1778 during Capt.
James Cook 's third Pacific expedition. Escorted by ''HMS Discovery'', the expedition was surprised to find high islands this far north in the central Pacific. Oahu was not actually visited by Europeans until 28 February
1779 when Captain Clerke aboard ''HMS Resolution'' stepped ashore at
Waimea Bay . Clerke had taken command of the ship after Capt. Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay (
Island Of Hawaii ) on February 14, and was leaving the islands for the North Pacific.
The opening battle of the
Second World War in the Pacific for the United States was the Imperial Japanese Navy attack on
Pearl Harbor , Oahu on the morning of
December 7 , 1941. The surprise attack was aimed at the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its defending Army Air Corps and Marine air forces. The attack damaged or destroyed twelve American warships, destroyed 188 aircraft, and killed 2,403 American servicemen and 68 civilians.
Today, Oahu has become a tourism and shopping haven as over 5 million visitors (mainly from the
American Mainland and
Japan ) flock there every year to enjoy the quintessential island holiday experience that the Hawaiian Islands and her multicultural people now personify.
Oahu has been featured in hundreds of movies and TV shows, including ''
Magnum P.I. '', ''
Hawaii Five-O '', some scenes of the ''
Jurassic Park '' movies, and ''
Jake And The Fatman '' to name but a few. ''
Lost '' is filmed on Oahu, and a recent television series called
North Shore was filmed there.
There's also a racing game, called
Test Drive Unlimited (
XBox 360 ), that takes place on this island.
- Macdonald, Gordon A., Agatin T. Abbott, and Frank L. Peterson. 1983. ''Volcanoes in the Sea''. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. 517 pp.
- Pukui, M.K., S.H. Elbert, and E.T. Mookini. 1976. ''Place names of Hawaii''. University of Hawaii Press. 289 pp.
