Maui, Hawaii
Maui Web Designer
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MAUI
Maui is also the name of the mythological demigod of various Polynesian
cultures, including that of ancient Hawai'i; see Maui (mythology).
Image of Maui taken by NASA.Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian
Islands at 727 square miles (1883 km²). Native Hawaiian tradition
gives the origin of the island's name 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 Maui after his
son who in turn was named for the demi-god Maui. According to legend,
the demi-god Maui raised all the Hawaiian Islands from the sea. The
Island of Maui is also called the "Valley Isle" for the large fertile
isthmus between its two volcanoes.
Maui is part of the State of Hawai'i and is the largest island in
Maui County. The island had a resident population of 117,644 in
2000-third within the state behind the islands of O'ahu and
Hawai'i. The population is diverse, with many ethnic groups having
originally arrived in the islands to work sugar cane and pineapple
plantations from countries of the Western Pacific rim. Maui is part of
Maui County, the other islands comprising the county being Lana'i,
Kaho'olawe, and Moloka'i. The larger towns on Maui Island include
Kahului, Wailuku, Lahaina, and Kihei. See Maui County for a list of
towns.
History
Polynesians, from Tahiti and the Marquesas, were the original peoples
to populate Maui. The Tahitians introduced the kapu system, a strict
social order that affected all aspects of life and became the core of
Hawaiian culture. Modern Hawai'ian history began in the mid-1700s. King
Kamehameha I took up residence (and later made his capital) in Lahaina
after conquering Maui in the bloody Battle of Kepaniwai in 1790 in the
I'ao Valley.
I'ao ValleyCaptain James Cook "discovered" Maui on November 26,
1778. In Cook's wake came traders, whalers, loggers (e.g., of
sandalwood) and missionaries. The missionaries began to arrive from New
England in 1823, choosing Lahaina because it was the capital. They
clothed the natives, banned them from dancing hula, and greatly altered
the culture. They tried to keep whalers and sailors out of the bawdy
houses. The missionaries taught reading and writing, created the
12-letter Hawaiian alphabet, started a printing press in Lahaina, and
began writing the islands' history, until then existing only as oral
accounts. They started the first school in Lahaina, which still exists
today: Lahainaluna Mission School. The Mission school opened in 1831
and was the first secondary school to open West of the Rockies.
Looking into Haleakala "crater"At the height of the whaling era
(1840-1865), Lahaina was a major whaling centre with anchorage in
Lahaina Roads; in one season over 400 ships visited Lahaina and the
greatest number of ships berthed at one time was about 100. A given
ship tended to stay months rather than days which explains the drinking
and prostitution in the town at that time. Whaling declined steeply at
the end of the 19th century as crude oil (petroleum) replaced whale
oil.
Kamehameha's descendants reigned in the islands until 1872. They were
followed by rulers from another ancient family of chiefs, including
Queen Lili'uokalani who ruled in 1893 when the monarchy was
overturned. One year later, the Republic of Hawai'i was founded. The
island was annexed by the United States in 1898 and made a territory in
1900. Hawai'i became the 50th state in U.S. in 1959.
Maui was centrally involved in the Pacific Theatre of World War II as a
staging centre, training base, and for R&R, At the peak in 1943-44, the
number of troops stationed on Maui exceeded 100,000. The main base of
the 4th Marines was in Haiku. Beaches (e.g., in Kihei) were used for
practice landings and training in marine demolition and sabotage.
Modern Development
The island has experienced rapid population growth in recent years
(e.g., 4.6% in 2001/2002) with Kihei one of the most rapidly growing
towns in the U.S. (see chart). The growth is occurring because many
people, having visited Maui, decide to move or retire to the island.
Maui County Population, 1960-2000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Total 42,576 45,984 70,847 100,374 128,094
Change 3,408 24,863 29,527 27,720
Percent Change 8.0% 54.1% 41.7% 27.6%
source: CensusScope
(http://www.censusscope.org/us/s15/c9/chart_popl.html/) 2000 Census
analysis
Population growth-partly due to an influx of new people typically
from Canada and the U.S. mainland-is producing strains, including
growing congestion on many of the major roads. There is concern about
the availability of affordable housing and access to water. Property
prices have risen to levels that families on average incomes find it
difficult to afford housing (either renting or buying). Property
developers have insufficient regulatory or financial incentive to build
less expensive (affordable) homes. Maui County Council has been
investigating ways of changing the situation.
There have been long-term concerns about the reliability of supply of
potable water: droughts have been declared in most recent years and the
I'ao aquifer has been drawn down at what are believed may be
unsustainable rates of above 18 million gallons (68,000 m³) per day.
Whilst the situation remains unclear, and reliable supply has not been
secured, recent estimates indicate that the total potential supply of
potable water on Maui is, at an estimated 476 million gallons
(1,800,000 m³) per day, many times greater than foreseeable demand.
There is a great deal of discussion about the meaning of, and the way
to achieve, smart development. There is clearly a tension between
economic growth and urbanisation on the one hand, and the wish to
preserve the beauty of Maui and a relaxed way of life on the other. In
the past there existed a pro-growth bias in policy with developers and
politicians working to stimulate the economy; now the balance has swung
toward more sensitive consideration of community concerns (about the
dangers of unwise growth/development) and developers no longer have
everything their way.
Economy
The major industries are agriculture and tourism. Maui Land & Pineapple
and Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar (HC&S - a subsidiary of Alexander and
Baldwin Company) dominate agricultural activity. HC&S produces
sugarcane on about 37,000 acres (150,000,000 m²) of the Maui central
valley, the largest sugarcane operation remaining in Hawai'i. The
cane is irrigated mostly with water drawn from aqueducts that run from
the windward (northern) slopes of Haleakala that receive considerable
rainfall. A controversial feature of sugarcane production is the
burning that is done for about 9 months of the year. These are
controlled burns of fields to reduce the crop to bare canes just before
harvesting. The fires produce smoke that towers above the Maui central
valley most early mornings, and ash (locally referred to as "Maui
snow") that is carried downwind (often towards north Kihei).
The retail center for Maui residents is Kahului.
Maui is also an important centre for astronomy with the Haleakala High
Altitude Observatory Site being one of the five best astronomical and
space surveillance sites in the world.
Topography
Aerial view of MauiMaui is a volcanic doublet: an island formed from
two volcanic mountains that abut one another to form the isthmus
between them. The older volcano, Mauna Kahalawai, is much older and has
been eroded considerably; it is now called the West Maui Mountain. The
larger volcano in the East, Haleakala with its famous caldera -
rises above 10,023 feet (3,050 m). The last eruption occurred around
1790, and the lava flow can be viewed between 'Ahihi Bay and La
Perouse Bay on the southwest shore of East Maui. Both volcanoes are
shield volcanoes and the low viscosity of the Hawaiian lava makes the
likelihood of large explosive eruptions negligible.
Climate
At sea level Maui has a remarkably stable tropical climate with highs
in the region of 29 °C (80 to 85 °F) and lows around 20°C (65 to 70
°F); rainfall is greater in the northern hemisphere winter (wet season
is November through April). However, because of the two volcanic
mountains that dominate the topography, Maui has a very wide range of
climatic conditions depending on elevation and whether an area faces
toward or away from the prevailing Tradewinds (blowing from the
northeast). For example the top of the West Maui mountain receives over
400 inches (10 m) of rainfall per year, whereas Kihei receives less
than 10 inches (250 mm), being in the rain shadow of East Maui Volcano
(see Orographic precipitation); Kahului airport (the main airport on
Maui) has average rainfall of about 19 inches (480 mm), whereas Olinda
(upslope from the airport) receives about 73 inches (1.8 m).
Maui has an unusual weather feature known as the Maui vortex, an area
of clear sky that often forms over Pukalani due to the swirling of air
(a vortex) as it enters the central valley after being forced to move
around Haleakala.
Maui, like the whole of the Hawaiian Islands, has a hurricane season in
the late summer and fall, with tropical storms typically approaching
from the southeast. Storms initiated by hurricanes or tropical
depressions that approach from the southeast are known locally as Kona
storms.
Tourism
Maui welcomed 2,225,060 tourists in 2002. The main tourism centres are
Lahaina to Kapalua and Kihei-Wailea, each of which has several luxury
resort hotels. Whereas O'ahu is most popular with Japanese tourists,
Maui tends to appeal especially to visitors from the US mainland and
Canada.
Maui is a leading whale-watching center in the Hawaiian Islands due to
the fact that many Humpback whales winter in the sheltered 'Au'au
Channel between the islands of Maui county. The whales migrate
approximately 3,500 miles (5,600 km) from Alaskan waters each autumn
and spend the northern hemisphere winter months mating and birthing in
the warm waters off Maui. The whales are typically sighted in pods:
small groups of several adults and one or more calves. Humpbacks are an
endangered species protected by U.S. federal and Hawai'i state law.
There are estimated to be about 3000 humpbacks in the North Pacific.
Among the many features on Maui popular with tourists are the "Road to
Hana" (the drive from the central valley to Hana and beyond), the
drive up to Haleakala crater, Makawao (and Maui's Upcountry region),
the I'ao Valley, and Lindbergh's grave (near Kaupo on East Maui).
Road to Hana Wai'anapanapa
The Maui Chamber of Commerce issues medals, called Maui Dollars, that
can be used as currency in local shops and are valued as collectables.