HAWAI'I 
SHORT HISTORY: The Hawaiian archipelago stretches for about 3,885 kilometres across the North Pacific Ocean, and has been considered to be the most isolated group of islands on the planet until the modern era. There are eight islands in the group, as follows .....
  1. HAWAI'I (Big Island, whose name was given to the entire archipelago) - 10,433 km2 . Hawai'i Island, or more colloquially, the Big Island, was divided into several major districts (called 'moku') ruled over by High Chiefs who were called the "Ali'i 'ai moku", literally, the "Noble-food-district." All of the other islands were usually ruled over by a paramount chief who could claim authority over the full extent of their islands. But Hawai'i Island, by virtue of its size, was often involved in bloody jurisdictional battles and wars between the High Chiefs who sought supreme authority over the entire island. All the High Chiefs were closely connected by blood, and the wars were dynastic in nature. The major districts of Hawai'i Island are as follows .....

    • HILO (north and south sections); 

    • HAMAKUA (usually divided up by the adjacent Hilo and Kohala districts Ali'i 'ai mokus);

    • KOHALA (north and south sections); 

    • KONA (north and south sections);

    • KA'U (peopled by rebellious citizens who were not above doing in bad rulers);

    • PUNA (where the fire goddess Pele often wreaks her anger by covering the land with burning lava; it is a district that was usually allied to either adjacent Ka'u or Hilo districts. 

  2. MAUI (site of Haleakala volcano, the "House of the Sun"), 1883 km2. 

  3. O'AHU (the capitol island, site of Honolulu), 1546 km2.

  4. KAUAI (site of Waialeale Mtn., often the wettest spot on the planet), 1430 km2.

  5. MOLOKA'I (site of the infamous leper colony of Kalaupapa, where Father Damien ministered to the sick), 673 km2. 

  6. LANAI (called the 'Pineapple Island'), 373 km2. 

  7. NI'IHAU (the only island where Hawaiian is the common language), 181 km2. 

  8. KAHO'OLAWE (unpopulated and, until recently, site of a U.S. Navy bombing range), 117 km2. 
 
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            Source:  Lono Correa, private correspondence, June 2003.