Interesting facts of Kaua’i

• Kaua’i is the fourth-largest Hawaiian island.
  

  Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Heather Goodman / @hbgoodie

• It is the least populated of the state’s four counties with roughly 62,000 residents. The island itself is not heavily populated. according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). The island receives nearly 1,000,000 tourists each year! On average, over 80,000 visitors come to Kauai.
• The island is 33 miles long and 25 miles wide.
• There are three major resort areas. 1. Poipu (south shore) is the driest and sunniest area 2. Kapa’a on the east side has central access to both sides of the island and 3. Hanalei / Princeville (north shore) is wetter but very beautiful.
• Other Interesting Facts Kaua’i is an island in the Central Pacific, part of the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s nicknamed “the Garden Isle” thanks to the tropical rain-forest covering much of its surface. The dramatic cliffs and pinnacles of its Na Pali Coast have served as a backdrop for major Hollywood films. While 10-mile-long Waimea Canyon and the Nounou Trails traversing the Sleeping Giant mountain ridge are favored hiking destinations.
• The island’s main airport is in Lihue and the airport code is LIH.
• Kaua’i is a favorite destination for Hollywood filmmakers. Everything from South Pacific and Blue Hawaii to Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Descendants. Even the animated cartoon South Park had an episode based here!
• Kaua’i was the only island never conquered by King Kamehameha the Great. Instead, a treaty was negotiated allowing Kauai’s ruler to remain in power until his death in 1810.
• Kaua’i had its own dialect in ancient times; they pronounced K like T … so the original pronunciation was Tauai. No one knows what it means.
• Wild chickens are found all over this island; rumor states they were involuntarily released from a chicken farm destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992. It has more to do though with the lack of natural predators. This island doesn’t have mongoose. For the same reason Nene, the state bird, continues to thrive here.

Hawai‘i is a special place, with a strong history and culture that today is host to a blend of cultures, activities, and experiences unique in the world. The Hawaiian Islands have captured imaginations around the world and drawn the attention of writers dating back to Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Along the way, some of those who have featured Hawai‘i have not always been intimately familiar with the islands. As a result, our home has often been misrepresented or inaccurately portrayed through the use of incorrect information, spelling errors, and inappropriate imagery. Authentically representing Hawai‘i is deeply important to the residents who call these islands home. Accordingly, it is important that the visitor industry do so with great care. Created in partnership with the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, the Ma‘ema‘e Toolkit is a concerted effort to address this concern as it relates to the way Hawai‘i is marketed as a global visitor destination. Additional information about the Ma’ema’e from the Hawaiian Tourism Authority and this partnership can be obtained here.