Kaū is the southernmost and largest district (922 sq. miles or 2,388 km²) of Hawaii County, Hawaii, located on the island of

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 ...

. Kaū was one of the six original districts of

ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadicall ...

on the island, known as ''moku''. It includes the areas of South Point (Ka Lae), Hawaiian Ocean View Estates (HOVE), Hawaiian Ocean View Ranchos (HOVR), now together known as Ocean View, Nīnole, Waiōhinu, Naālehu and Pāhala. The district contains much of

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 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 ...

, including the volcanoes

Kīlauea Kīlauea ( , ) is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. Located along the southeastern shore of the Big Island of Hawaii, the volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and emerged above sea level about 100,000 years ago. His ...

and

Mauna Loa Mauna Loa ( or ; Hawaiian: ; en, Long Mountain) is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The largest subaerial volcano (as opposed to subaqueous volcanoes) in both mass and ...

, and Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Papakōlea (Green Sand) Beach and

Kamilo Beach Kamilo Beach (literally, ''the twisting'' or ''swirling currents''Clark, John R. K. (1985), ''Beaches of the Big Island'', University of Hawaii Press, , p. 69 in Hawaiian), is a beach located on the southeast coast of the island of Hawaii. It is ...

. To the east of Kaū is the Puna District, and to the west is the South

Kona District Kona is a ''moku'' or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii, known for its Kona coffee and the location of the Ironman World Championship Triathlon. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the ''moku'' ...

History

Sugar cane era begins

The largest commerce in Ka'u was sugar and leading the industry during its prime was Hawaiian Agriculture Co and Hutchinson Sugar Plantation Co. Hawaiian Agriculture Co was established in 1876 but did not start producing sugar cane until 1880. Locally, it was known as the Pahala Plantation but legally the corporation was filed as the Hawaiian Agricultural Co. The company employed many locals including immigrants from Philippines, Japan, Portugal, and others. Corporate housing projects were built to provide living quarters for staff and added to the community of Pahala. The founders were Peter C. Jones, Charles R. Bishop, J.D. Brewer, and H.A.P. Carter. The Hutchinson Sugar Plantation Co was established in 1868 by Alexander Hutchinson and it was one of the oldest sugar companies on the Big Island. Shortly, the plantation was renamed Naalehu Sugar Plantation. In his honor, following Hutchinson's death in 1873, William G. Irwin and Claus Spreckels purchased the plantation and renamed it Hutchinson Sugar Plantation. The company purchased Hilea Sugar Plantation in 1890. In 1910, it was purchased by C. Brewer & Co. Just like its competitor, Hawaiian Agriculture Co, the company employed many locals including immigrants from Philippines, Japan, Portugal, and others. Corporate housing projects were built to provide living quarters for staff and added to the community of Na'alehu.

Sugar cane era concludes

In 1972, Hawaiian Agricultural Co. merged with Hutchinson Sugar Plantation Co. The merged companies were renamed Kau Sugar Co and was now the only sugar plantation in Ka'u. However, this unified industry was short lived. After twenty four years, the sugar cane era finally came to an end with the Ka'u Sugar Co closing operation in 1996. The coffee industry has been low profile since the early 1900s. However, after the closure of the Ka'u Sugar co, interest in growing coffee has surged. Many of Ka'u Sugar co staff were given the option to acquire a land lease in five acre increments to engage in agriculture commerce. From the lease lots along with private owned lots, coffee were being grown. The most popular varietals that are grown in the area is Typica and Caturra. Over the years, the

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

industry has been growing in importance, with the Kaū Coffee Festival held in Pāhala.

Southernmost point

The southernmost point of any state in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

is at Ka Lae Point in the Kaū District. It is ''almost'' the southernmost point in the whole country except that, technically, the United States Territory of Palmyra Island, although not part of a state within the US, is an

incorporated territory Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sover ...

(an integral part of the country) according to the doctrine of "incorporation" defined in the Supreme Court's

Insular Cases The Insular Cases are a series of opinions by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1901 about the status of U.S. territories acquired in the Spanish–American War. Some scholars also include cases regarding territorial status decided up unt ...

; therefore Palmyra's south point on Holei Island at 5°52'15" N

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

is officially the southernmost point in the United States of America, not Ka Lae Point.

Lender and insurance redlining of lava zone 1 and 2

Kau shares much in common with the district of

Puna, Hawaii Puna is one of the 9 districts of Hawaii County on the Island of Hawaii (Big Island; County of Hawaii). It is located on the windward side (east side) of the island and shares borders with South Hilo district in the north and Kaū district ...

. Both districts are situated on active volcanoes and contains large sections of land that are in Lava Flow Hazard Zones 1 and 2. Additionally, new lava zones 11, 12, and 13 are being established to account for current flow activity to reduce redlining.

Gallery

File:South Point Wind Farm.jpg, alt=wind turbines, South Point Wind Farm in Kaū File:Kau Coastline.JPG, The view of the Ka'u coastline from HVNP. Looking southwest towards Na'alehu File:Ka'u Coastline 2.JPG, Much of the Ka'u coastline is made up of volcanic Pali. Looking southwest from HVNP File:Southernmost Point USA 2002.jpg, The Kaū district's Ka Lae Point, the southernmost point of any of the US States

References

{{coord, 19, 6, 0, N, 155, 36, 0, W , type:city_region:US-HI , display=title Districts of Hawaii County, Hawaii Geography of Hawaii (island)