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Molokai or Molokai ( in English and in Hawaiian)) is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) in size with a land area of 260.0 square miles (673.4 km˛), making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile (40 km) wide Kaiwi Channel and north of Lanai, separated from it by the Kalohi Channel. The lights of Honolulu are visible at night from the west end of Molokai, while nearby Lanai and Maui are clearly visible from anywhere along the south shore of the Island.
Molokai is known as the long time residence of Father Damien de Veuster, a Belgian priest who cared for sufferers of Hansen's Disease, also known as leprosy.
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Encyclopedia
Molokai or Molokai ( in English and in Hawaiian)) is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) in size with a land area of 260.0 square miles (673.4 km˛), making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile (40 km) wide Kaiwi Channel and north of Lanai, separated from it by the Kalohi Channel. The lights of Honolulu are visible at night from the west end of Molokai, while nearby Lanai and Maui are clearly visible from anywhere along the south shore of the Island.
Molokai is known as the long time residence of Father Damien de Veuster, a Belgian priest who cared for sufferers of Hansen's Disease, also known as leprosy. Historically, a small north shore colony on 'Molokai, Kalaupapa, was a refuge for sufferers of Hansen's Disease. There are no active cases of Hansen's Disease on 'Molokai today. Those who continue to live in the Kalaupapa colony are descendant families of the previously afflicted diseased patients.
Geography
Molokai is built from two distinct volcanoes known as East Molokai and the much smaller West Molokai. The highest point is Kamakou on East Molokai, at . East Molokai volcano, like the Koolau Range on Oahu, is today only what remains standing of the southern half of the original mountain. The northern half suffered a catastrophic collapse about 1.5 million years ago and now lies as a debris field scattered northward across the Pacific Ocean bottom, while what remains on the island are the highest sea cliffs in the world. Views of these sea cliffs are presented in the movie Jurassic Park III. The south shore of Molokai boasts the longest fringing reef in the U.S. and its holdings—nearly long.
Molokai is part of the state of Hawaii and located in Maui County, except for the Kalaupapa peninsula, which is separately administered as Kalawao County. Maui County encompasses Maui, Lanai, and Kahoolawe in addition to Molokai. The largest town on the island is Kaunakakai, which is one of two small ports on the island. Molokai Airport is located on West Molokai. The United States Census Bureau divides the island into three census tracts: Census Tract 317 and Census Tract 318 of Maui County, Hawaii, and Census Tract 319 of Kalawao County, Hawaii. The total 2000 census population of these was 7,404, living on a land area of .
Molokai is separated from Oahu on the west by the Kaiwi Channel, from Maui on the southeast by the Pailolo Channel, and from Lanai on the south by the Kalohi Channel.
Ecology
Molokai is split into two main geographical areas. The low western half is very dry and the soil is heavily denuded due to grazing by goats and poor land management practices. It lacks significant ground cover and virtually the entire section is covered in non-native Kiawe (Prosopis pallida) trees. One of the few natural areas remaining almost intact are the coastal dunes of Moomomi, which are part of a Nature Conservancy preserve.
The eastern half of the island is a high plateau rising up to an elevation of on Kamakou peak. The eastern half is covered with lush rainforests that get over of rain per year. The high elevation forests are populated by native Ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees and an extremely diverse endemic flora and fauna in the understory. Much of the summit area is protected by the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou and Pelekunu valley preserves. Below , the vegetation is dominated by exotic flora, including strawberry guava (Psidium littorale), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.), and cypress (Cupressus spp.). Introduced axis deer (Axis axis) and feral pigs (Sus scrofa) roam native forests, destroying native plants, expanding exotic plants through disturbance and distribution of their seeds, and threatening endemic insects. Near the summit of Kamakou is the unique Pepeopae bog, where dwarf Ohia lehua and other plants cover the soggy ground.
Molokai is home to a great number of endemic plant and animal species. However, many of its species, including the Olomao (Myadestes lanaiensis), Kakawahie (Paroreomyza flammea), and the Molokai Oo (Moho bishopi) have become extinct. Molokai is home to a wingless fly among many other endemic insects.
Culture
Molokai is known as the "Friendly Isle" and is one of the least developed of the main Hawaiian islands.
The island's population is diverse, with a high percentage of people of Hawaiian ancestry. Molokai is noted for the numerous Hawaiian fish ponds along its south shore. Some of these have been restored in recent years. Molokai is also the oldest site for sufferers of leprosy in the United States (the leper colony at Kalaupapa), which became widely known through the work of Father Damien.
There are several small hotels in Kaunakakai and a resort located on the west end. Papohaku Beach on the western-facing shore is one of the largest and most spectacular beaches in the Hawaiian Islands.
The population of Molokai today ranges between 6,000 to 8,000 depending on the seasonal tourism on the island.
Kirby Wright based his novel Moloka'i Nui Ahina on the life and times of his paniolo (cowboy) grandmother who lived on the east end of the island.
Politics
There have been numerous attempts on Molokai to stop development of hotels and other tourist attractions. The Molokai Ranch, the island's largest employer, was opposed by community members in its attempt to expand, and decided on March 24, 2008, to shut all operations, resulting in a layoff of 120 workers. Molokai has the highest unemployment in all of Hawaii.
Tourism
National Geographic Traveler magazine and the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations conduct annual Destination Scorecard surveys, aided by George Washington University. A panel of 522 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship are consulted to review such conditions on 111 selected human-inhabited islands and archipelagos around the world. Molokai Island is ranked # 10 among the 111 island destinations of the world according to all of the survey factors assessed by the panel. The survey cited Molokai Island's pristine breathtaking tropical landscape, environmental stewardship, rich and deep Hawaiian traditions (the island's mana), and visitor-friendly culture. The nearest top ranking neighbor islands, the island of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui and Oahu, ranked in at 50, 61, 81 and 104, respectively. For comparison, the island of Tahiti was ranked 57.
Towns and villages
External links
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- print and electronic newspaper.
- weekly community newspaper
- Article about traditional hula halau on Molokai. Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine Vol. 11 No.2 (March 2007).
- article about the Hawaiian limpets, a traditional delicacy known locally as ‘opihi.
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