Kalawao County ( haw, Kalana o Kalawao) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

. It is the smallest

in the

50 states The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states, a federal district ( Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States), five major territories, and various minor islands. Both the states and the United ...

by land area and the second-smallest county by population, after Loving County, Texas. The county encompasses the Kalaupapa or Makanalua Peninsula, on the north coast of the island of Molokai. The small peninsula is isolated from the rest of Molokai by cliffs over a quarter-mile high; the only land access is a mule trail. Because of the small population, Kalawao County does not have the same functions as other Hawaii counties. Instead, it is a judicial district of

Maui County Maui County, officially the County of Maui, is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It consists of the islands of Maui, Lānai, Molokai (except for a portion of Molokai that comprises Kalawao County), Kahoolawe, and Molokini. The latter two a ...

, which includes the rest of the island of Molokai. The county has no elected government. It was developed and used from 1866 to 1969 for settlements for treatment of quarantined persons with

Hansen's disease Monster Beverage Corporation is an American beverage company that manufactures energy drinks including Monster Energy, Relentless and Burn. The company was originally founded as Hansen's in 1935 in Southern California, originally selling juice ...

(leprosy).

History

The Kingdom of Hawaii, the Republic of Hawaii, the

Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory ( Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when most of its territory, excluding ...

, and the state of Hawaii all exiled persons suffering from

to the peninsula, from 1866 to 1969. The

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

policy was only lifted after effective antibiotic treatments were developed that could be administered on an outpatient basis and patients could be rendered non-contagious. Many of the residents nonetheless chose to remain on the peninsula, as they believed their disfigurements from the illness would make reintegration into society impossible. The state promised that they could live there for the rest of their lives. No new patients, or other permanent residents, were later admitted. Visitors are permitted only as part of official tours. State law prohibits anyone under the age of 16 from visiting or living there, although exceptions have been made for children visiting their relatives. In 1980, the

Kalaupapa National Historical Park Kalaupapa National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, on the island of Molokai. Coterminous with the boundaries of Kalawao County and primarily on Kalaupapa peninsula, it was established by ...

was established to preserve the county's history and environment. It is coterminous with the boundaries of Kalawao County.

Government

Kalawao County lacks a local, county government. Instead, Kalawao County is administered by the

Hawaii Department of Health The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) is a state agency of Hawaiʻi, with its headquarters in Honolulu CDP, Honolulu County on the island of Oʻahu. The Hawai'i Department of Health is organized into three administrations: Health Resources, ...

because of the history of the settlement and current patients living there. Under Hawaiian state law, the Director of the Hawaii Department of Health, who is appointed by the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, also serves as the Mayor of Kalawao County. The Mayor holds executive powers within the county; the mayor also appoints a county sheriff, who is selected from local residents. The only county statutes that apply to Kalawao County directly are those on matters of health. Kalawao is part of the First Judicial Circuit, which includes the entire island of

Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O� ...

. For the purpose of notarization, the designated venue for the First Judicial Circuit is "State of Hawaii, City and County of Honolulu."

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (77.3%) is water. By land area, it is the smallest true county in the United States; some independent cities in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

are smaller and are sometimes considered to be “county equivalents” for statistical purposes such as with the US Census Bureau.

Kalaupapa Peninsula

Kalaupapa Peninsula contains the county's only settlement, Kalaupapa. The Kalaupapa Peninsula developed from lava that erupted from the ocean floor near Kauhakō Crater and spread outward, forming a low shield volcano. This was the most recent volcanic episode on the island and of the larger East Molokai shield volcano, occurring after the formation of the cliffs by erosion.

Subdivisions

Kalawao County is composed of four ahupuaʻa. From west to east:

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, 147 people, 115 households, and 21 families resided in the county, declining to 90 inhabitants in 2010. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 11 people per square mile (4/km²). The 172 housing units produced an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 48%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 26%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 17% Asian, 3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race made up 4%. Kalawao County has the highest Pacific Islander population percentage of any U.S. county, and is the only county where they make up a plurality. 2% of households housed children under the age of 18. 17% were married couples living together. 3% had a female householder with no husband present. 81% were non-families. 79% of all households were made up of individuals, and 31% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.28 and the average family size was 2.27. 2% under the age of 18, 1% from 18 to 24, 18% from 25 to 44, 46% from 45 to 64, and 32. who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 59 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. The population has declined since 1900: ImageSize = width:600 height:200 PlotArea = width:80% height:70% left:20% bottom:20% AlignBars = late DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:0 till:1200 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = increment:200 start:0 PlotData= color:drabgreen bar:1900 from:start till:1177 bar:1910 from:start till:785 bar:1920 from:start till:667 bar:1930 from:start till:605 bar:1940 from:start till:446 bar:1950 from:start till:370 bar:1960 from:start till:279 bar:1970 from:start till:172 bar:1980 from:start till:144 bar:1990 from:start till:130 bar:2000 from:start till:147 bar:2010 from:start till:90 bar:2020 from:start till:82 TextData= pos:(100,190) fontsize:M text:Population at censuses of 1900 through 2020 Current residents include 16 former patients, 40 federal employees who work on preservation projects, and some state-employed health workers.

Transportation

The only access to Kalawao County is by air, or by a steep mule trail that descends 1,600 feet from the rest of Molokai. Kalaupapa Airport has scheduled air service to Molokai Airport and to Honolulu Airport. Freight is delivered to the county once a year, usually in July, by barge.

Politics

Like the rest of the state, Kalawao County is a stronghold for the Democratic Party. It was the only county in the United States where the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

candidate in the

2016 United States presidential election The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

, finished in third by only getting one vote; 70% of Kalawao's voters chose Democratic nominee

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

, and 25% of Kalawao voters cast their ballots for

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...

candidate

Jill Stein Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and former political candidate. She was the Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections and the Green-Rainbow Party's candidat ...

, making it Stein's strongest county nationwide in terms of vote percentage. In 2020 Joe Biden improved on Clinton's 2016 performance by over 25% as the Greens declined to zero votes, giving Biden 96% of the vote, which was his strongest performance in any county in the United States.

Education

The county is within the Hawaii Department of Education school district.
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References

External links

* * {{coord, 21, 11, 49, N, 156, 58, 02, W, region:US-HI_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title Molokai Hawaii counties 1905 establishments in Hawaii Populated places established in 1905 Maui County, Hawaii