The History of the Big Island of Hawaii, HI
The Big Island of Hawaii is the largest island within the Hawaiian archipelago; in fact, it is larger than all the other islands combined, with an area of 4,028 square feet. It is also the youngest of all the islands, but was the first to see Polynesian inhabitants 1,500 years ago. There have been conflicting accounts as to the origin of the island’s name—some say that it was named in honor of Hawai’iloa, the Polynesian explorer who first discovered the island, and some say it was named in reference to Hawaiki, the realm of the gods according to Polynesian belief. The Hawaiian Islands first became known to the Western world when British explorer Captain James Cook arrived in Kauai in 1778. At that time, the Big Island was divided into several warring chiefdoms, until King Kamehameha the Great united it, and housed his royal court there from 1791 to 1804. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, more westerners came to the island, including missionaries, ranchers, and farmers. They introduced cattle to the island, starting the Parker Ranch, which has become the largest contiguous ranch in the U.S. Some of the important agri-businesses on the island are papaya, tropical and temperate vegetables, Kona coffee, macadamia nuts and orchids and other exotic flowers.
Another industry that developed with increased knowledge of the islands is tourism. One of the features that draw millions of tourists every year to the Big Island is its volcanoes. The island was originally formed by five volcanoes, two of which are still active and continue to affect the landscape. Kilauea Volcano—the most active of the two—has been erupting constantly since 1983, a phenomenon which Hawaiian mythology dictates is caused by the volcano goddess Pele, who resides within the fire pit Halema’uma’u. The mountains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa dramatically enhance the scenery of the Big Island of Hawaii; Mauna Kea is one of the tallest mountains in the world at over 13,700 feet tall. The Big Island’s climate is another attraction for tourists—eleven of the earth’s thirteen climate zones are experienced there, creating a variety of landscapes from tropical rain forests to dry deserts, warm beaches to snow-capped mountains. With the average temperature in the coastal regions being 71 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, Hawaii’s Big Island is a literal playground for those who love the great outdoors.
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