Oahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English), the "Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of Hawaii. Including small close-in offshore islands such as Ford Island and the islands in Kaneohe Bay and off the eastern coast, it has a total land area of 596.66 mile² (1,545.34 km²). In greatest dimension, this volcanic island is 71 km (44 mi) long and 48 km (30 mi) across. The length of the shoreline is 366 km (227 mi). The island is the result of two separate shield volcanoes: Waianae and Koolau, with a broad "valley" or saddle (the central Oahu Plain) between them. The highest point is Mt. Kaala in the Waianae Range, rising to 1,225 m (4,019 ft) above sea level (Macdonald, Abbott, & Peterson, 1983). The 2000 census showed a population of 876,151, which was essentially the entire population of Honolulu County except for 5 individuals who lived in the far-flung Northwestern Hawaiian Islands portion of the county in the United States Census Bureau's Census Tract 114.98 of Honolulu County, Hawaii. Honolulu County and Census Tract 114.98, Honolulu County United States Census Bureau

The island is home to about 900,000 people (approximately 75% of the resident population of the state) and partly because of this, Oahu has for a long time been nicknamed "The Gathering Place". However, the term Oahu has no confirmed meaning in Hawaiian, other than that of the place itself (Pukui, et al., 1976). Ancient Hawaiian tradition attributes the name's origin in the legend of Hawaiiloa, the Polynesian navigator credited with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates that he named the island after a son.

The city of Honolulu—largest city, state capital, and main deepwater marine port for the State of Hawaii—is located here. As a jurisdictional unit, the entire island of Oahu is in the City & County of Honolulu, although as a place name, Honolulu occupies only a portion of the southeast end of the island (essentially, the Honolulu District). The island extends from Kaena on the west end to Makapuu on the east. Well-known features found on Oahu include Waikīkī, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Kāneohe Bay, and the North Shore.

History

---

More on [ Oahu ]

Oahu - Twitter Search

12.7.1941 Timeline: 0610 - 220 miles N of Oahu Admiral Nagumo launches 1st wave of 183 aircraft off 3 carriers. 2 are lost during takeoff
WWarII (World War II History) Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:53:02 -0000
12.7.1941 Timeline: 0610 - 220 miles N of Oahu Admiral Nagumo launches 1st wave of 183 aircraft off 3 carriers. 2 are lost during takeoff
Traffic backed up as hundreds turn out for big surf on Oahu's North ... - Honolulu Advertiser: Surf is way up on Oa... http://bit.ly/6I2NQR
beeyourfriend (Bee Your Friend) Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:51:35 -0000
Traffic backed up as hundreds turn out for big surf on Oahu's North ... - Honolulu Advertiser: Surf is way up on Oa... http://bit.ly/6I2NQR
Fresh mint ganache on deck for this week's truffle making along with Colombian, Caribbean and Oahu! Satsuma Cointreau ready on Saturday!
CocoaVelvet (Cocoa Velvet) Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:50:43 -0000
Fresh mint ganache on deck for this week's truffle making along with Colombian, Caribbean and Oahu! Satsuma Cointreau ready on Saturday!
RT @NavyMemorial: First wave of Japanese planes spots Oahu coast and begins to close in on the island.
V2VUSA (Vet 2 Vet USA) Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:50:35 -0000
RT @NavyMemorial: First wave of Japanese planes spots Oahu coast and begins to close in on the island.
RT @WWarII: 12.7.1941 Timeline: 0600 - 200 miles south of Oahu carrier ENTERPRISE launches 18 aircraft to scout & land at Ford Island... ...
V2VUSA (Vet 2 Vet USA) Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:50:10 -0000
RT @WWarII: 12.7.1941 Timeline: 0600 - 200 miles south of Oahu carrier ENTERPRISE launches 18 aircraft to scout & land at Ford Island... ...
12.7.1941 Timeline: 0600 - 200 miles south of Oahu carrier ENTERPRISE launches 18 aircraft to scout & land at Ford Island...ETA 0800.
WWarII (World War II History) Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:47:01 -0000
12.7.1941 Timeline: 0600 - 200 miles south of Oahu carrier ENTERPRISE launches 18 aircraft to scout & land at Ford Island...ETA 0800.

Subscribe to Oahu RSS feed

Hawaii Oahu Island Helicopter Tour: A short movie of our 1 hour trip around Oahu island in Hawaii, flying past Waikiki beach, Diamond head, Hanauma bay, Pearl Harbour and the valley where Lost & Jurassic Park were filmed.