Introduction to Kauai Island
There are many great places to vacation in the world and whenever someone thinks about vacationing one of the likely places that comes to their mind is Hawaii. This is perfectly natural since Hawaii is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. With its great climate, sparse population density and general friendly air it is no surprise that many people each year flock to Hawaii in order to take it all in.
Hawaii is actually a chain of islands making up the state itself and all of the islands have different names. The rest of this article is devoted to discussing the island known as Kauai.
Demographics of Kauai Island
Kauai is the fourth largest Hawaiian island in terms of its land area and is also the oldest island from a geological standpoint (i.e. oldest in terms of having the earliest date of formation). Its land area is around 1,430 square kilometers and in terms of elevation its highest point (Kawaikini) lies at just under 1,600 meters. All in all the island of Kauai is larger than the average island as well as one that is home to some nice mountainous terrain.
In terms of population, Kauai has a population of around 58,000 people most of who are employed in the tourism industry. The nickname of the island is The Garden Island.
History of Kauai Island
Most of Hawaiian history is told in terms of the reigns of the various Hawaiian kings named Kamahameha and when we are talking about the island of Kauai things really are no different. Much of the history of Kauai in terms of interesting events occurred during the reign of the original King Kamahameha as it was he that eventually ended up bringing the island into his kingdom of Hawaii.
Kauai was one of the last islands to join the kingdom because of the resistant nature of the locals but after two invasions by Kamahameha's army were repelled the ruler of the island agreed to become a vassal to avert any further fighting. Kauai officially became a part of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1810 and has remained a part of the Hawaii region ever since.
Interesting Tidbits About Kauai Island
- The official flower of Kauai is the Mokihana and the official color is Poni - a shade of purple.
- The island of Kauai, its inhabitants and its natural physical geography were used as the inspiration for all of the scenes and the backgrounds for the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch. It was later used again as the inspiration for the backgrounds in the television series that spun off from the movie.
- Kauai is home to Waimea Canyon; one of the most beautiful natural sights in the region. Hollywood brasses were so impressed with the Canyon itself that it was used in the filming of the hit movie Jurassic Park.
- Kauai is home to many different important cities. Amongst their number are Lihue, Hanalei, Poipu, Princeville, Waimea, Wailau, Kapaa, Kapahi and Haena. It is also home to over ten well known tourist destinations.
Kauai Island Summary
So there you have it, a great place to go and a great place to be! Remember that not all vacationing destinations are created equal and if you want to go to a great island that has a lot to offer then definitely consider Kauai Island. With all of the great things to do and see on Kauai and all of the different advantages of a Kauai Island getaway there is almost no good reason a person could have for avoiding the opportunity to go see Mother Nature in all her glory. Few vacations beat one to Kauai and after a few hours of seeing what the island has to offer you will understand why.
