The Island of Hawai‘i (called the Big Island or Hawai‘i proper) is one of eight main islands that make up the U.S. State of Hawai‘i. It is said to have been named after Hawai‘iloa, a legendary Polynesian navigator who first discovered the Hawaiian Islands. However, other accounts attribute the name to the legendary land or realm of Hawaiki, or Havaiki, a place from which the Polynesians originated (see also Manu‘a), the place where they go in the afterlife, the realm of the Gods.

The Island of Hawai‘i is administered under the County of Hawai‘i. It is estimated that as of the year 2003, the island had a resident population of 158,400 persons.

Geology and geography

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The Island of Hawai‘i is built from five separate shield volcanoes that erupted somewhat sequentially, one overlapping the other. These are (from oldest to youngest): Kohala (extinct), Mauna Kea (dormant), Hualālai (dormant), Mauna Loa (active, partly within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park), and Kīlauea (very active; part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park). Interpretation of geological evidence from exposures of old surfaces on the south and west flanks of Mauna Loa led to the proposal that two ancient volcanic shields (named Ninole and Kulani) were all but buried by the younger Mauna Loa (MacDonald and Abbott, 1970). Geologists now consider these "outcrops" to be part of the earlier building of Mauna Loa.

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Honolulu Advertiser - Local news

Homeless center closes doors
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:09:00 -1000
A one-stop resource center where Wahiawa's homeless pick up everything from toiletries to service referrals is in search of a new home — and fast.
Removal of Bellows landfill kicks off
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:12:00 -1000
WAIMANALO — A landfill that has been decaying for 60 years on the shores of Bellows Air Force Station will be removed thanks to a joint military and community effort.
Mayor's ad with Obama clarified
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:16:00 -1000
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Equipment issue cited before copter crash
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:10:00 -1000
Investigators yesterday started piecing together the final moments before a Coast Guard helicopter went down in waters five miles off Honolulu Airport Thursday night — killing three crew members and triggering a massive search for the fourth — and said the only apparent problem happened when the line that lowers the rescue basket seemed to malfunction.
Service patrol to roam Oahu freeways, offer aid to motorists
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:10:00 -1000
Starting early next year a fleet of state-owned tow trucks will roam H-1 and Moanalua freeways during rush hour and offer free help to drivers in distress.
Government may take control of mortgage giants Fannie, Freddie
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:11:00 -1000
WASHINGTON — The government is expected to take over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as soon as this weekend in a monumental move designed to protect the mortgage market from the failure of the two companies, which together hold or guarantee half of the nation's mortgage debt, a person briefed on the matter said last night.

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