Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

and of the U.S. state of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. The state capital,

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands constitute the City and County of Honolulu. In 2021, Oahu had a population of 995,638, up from 953,207 in 2010 (approximately 70% of the total 1,455,271 population of the Hawaiian Islands, with approximately 81% of those living in or near the Honolulu urban area). Oahu is long and across. Its shoreline is long. Including small associated islands such as

Ford Island Ford Island () is an islet in the center of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It has been known as Rabbit Island, Marín's Island, and Little Goats Island; its native Hawaiian name is ''Mokuumeume''. The island had an area of ...

plus those in Kāneohe Bay and off the eastern (

windward In geography and seamanship, windward () and leeward () are directions relative to the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point ...

) coast, its area is , making it the 20th-largest island in the United States. Well-known features of Oahu include Waikīkī,

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

, Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Kāneohe Bay, Kailua Bay, and the North Shore.

Name

The Island of Oahu is often nicknamed (or translated as) "The Gathering Place"''.'' The translation of ''"gathering place"'' was suggested as recently as 1922 by ''Hawaiian Almanac'' author Thomas Thrum. Thrum possibly ignored or misplaced the okina because the Hawaiian phrase "''o ahu''" could be translated as ''"gathering of objects"'' (''o'' is a subject marker and ''ahu'' means ''"to gather"''). The term has no other confirmed meaning in Hawaiian.

History

It is uncertain when Oahu was first settled by humans. Early archaeological studies suggested that Polynesian explorers from the

Marquesas The Marquesas Islands ( ; or ' or ' ; Marquesan: ' ( North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific ...

may have arrived as early as the 3rd century A.D., possibly with a second wave arriving from

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...

around 1100 A.D. However, more modern analyses indicate that the first settlers probably arrived around 900–1200 A.D. The first great king of Oahu was Mailikūkahi, the lawmaker, who initiated a 304-year dynasty of monarchs. Kualii was the first of the warlike kings and was succeeded by his sons. In 1773, the throne fell upon Kahahana, the son of Elani of Ewa. On January 19, 1778, Oahu was the first of the Hawaiian Islands to be sighted by Captain

James Cook Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...

during his third voyage of discovery. This was the first recorded encounter of the Hawaiian Islands by non-Polynesian people. Cook bypassed Oahu, landing instead at Kauai before continuing his original mission to explore the coast of North America. The next year, on February 27, 1779, Cook's second in command, Captain

Charles Clerke Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Charles Clerke (22 August 1741 – 22 August 1779) was an officer in the Royal Navy who sailed on four voyages of exploration (including three circumnavigations), three with Captain James Cook. When Cook was killed ...

, became the first recorded non-Polynesian to visit Oahu when he landed at Waimea Bay. Earlier that month, Cook had been killed at Kealakekua Bay on the island of Hawaii when a dispute with the local people turned violent. Clerke's visit to Oahu was brief and the expedition's two ships left Waimea Bay the same day after finding it difficult to obtain fresh water. At the time of Cook's visit, the Hawaiian Islands were divided among several warring chiefdoms. In 1783, Kahekili II, king of the island of

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

, conquered Oahu. He then made his son, Kalanikūpule, king of Oahu turning it into a

puppet state A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government is a State (polity), state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside Power (international relations), power and subject to its ord ...

. Kalanikūpule was later defeated in the Battle of Nuuanu in 1795 by Kamehameha I who then founded the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi, was an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaii ...

. The Hawaiian islands were not fully unified until King Kaumualii surrendered the islands of

Kauai Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 m ...

and

Niihau Niihau (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ), anglicized as Niihau ( ), is the seventh largest island in Hawaii and the westernmost of the main islands. It is southwest of Kauai, Kauai across the Channels of the Hawaiian Islands#Kaulakahi Channel, Ka ...

in 1810. By the late 18th century, Waikīkī was a major settlement on Oahu, serving as Kahekili II's residence after 1783. However, as trade with foreigners intensified, the nearby town of

came to eclipse it in size and importance due to its more accessible harbor.In 1845,

Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name was Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K ...

moved his capital to Honolulu from

Lahaina Lahaina (; ) or Lāhainā is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. On the northwest coast of the island of Maui, it encompasses Lahaina town and the Kaanapali, Hawaii, Kaanapali and Kapalua, Hawaii, Kapalua beac ...

on the island of Maui. Later,

King Kalākaua King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by f ...

had a modern residence built in Honolulu for the royal family – the Iolani Palace which still stands as the only royal palace on American soil. In January, 1893, a group of leading American businessmen took up arms near Iolani Palace and, along with US Marines from the '' USS Boston'' that landed in Honolulu harbor, launched a successful ''coup d'état'' against Queen Liliuokalani. The insurgents abolished the monarchy and established the

Republic of Hawaii The Republic of Hawaii (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Lepupalika o Hawaii'' epupəˈlikə o həˈvɐjʔi was a short-lived one-party state in Hawaii, Hawaii between July 4, 1894, when the Provisional Government of Hawaii had Black Week (H ...

, which later successfully lobbied the US government for annexation to the US. On the morning of December 7, 1941, the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...

launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, bringing the United States into

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The attack was aimed at destroying the American will to fight and forcing the US to sue for peace. They attacked the Pacific Fleet of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

and its defending Army Air Forces and Marine Air Forces. The attack damaged or destroyed 12 American warships, destroyed 188 aircraft, and killed 2,335 American servicemen and 68 civilians (of those, 1,177 were the result of the destruction of the alone). After World War II, Oahu became a tourism and shopping destination with more than five million visitors per year, mainly from the

contiguous United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...

and Japan.

Geography and climate

Like all other Hawaiian Islands, Oahu was formed from the volcanism associated with the Hawaii hotspot; it started to grow from the sea floor 4 million years ago. Today, the island is composed of the remnants of two extinct and extensively eroded shield volcanoes: the Waianae and Koolau Ranges, with a broad valley or saddle between them. The highest point is Kaala in the Waianae Range, rising to 4,003 feet (1,220 m) above sea level. Oahu is known for having the longest rain shower in recorded history. Kāneohe Ranch reported 247 straight days of rain from August 27, 1993, to April 30, 1994. The average temperature in Oahu is around . The island is the warmest from June through October. The winter is cooler, but still warm, with an average temperature of .

Tourism

Oahu, along with the rest of the State of Hawaii, relies on tourism as a driving force of the local economy. Popular tourists attractions include beaches such as Ala Moana Beach, Hanauma Bay, Kāneohe Bay, Ko Olina Beach Park,

Waikīkī Beach Waikīkī (; ) is a Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu neighborhood and the eponymous Waikīkī beach on its south shore, on the island of Oahu, Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. (Despite situational use of the spelling "Waikiki", typically in materi ...

, among others. Other tourist attractions include

Ala Moana Center The Ala Moana Center, commonly known simply as Ala Moana, is a large open-air shopping mall in the Ala Moana, Honolulu, Ala Moana neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. Owned by Brookfield Properties, Ala Moana is the List of largest shopping malls i ...

Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1 ...

, the

Honolulu Museum of Art The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. It has one of the largest single co ...

, Iolani Palace, and Kualoa Ranch. Ko Olina.jpg, Ko'Olina white sand lagoon Lanikai beach culture.JPG, Lanikai Beach Honolulu01.JPG, Downtown Honolulu Waikiki Beach, Honolulu.JPG,

is one of the most well-known beaches in the world Byodo-In Tempel.jpg, Valley of the Temples Memorial Park near the island's eastern shore Jellyfish at Waikiki Aquarium.jpg, Jellyfish swim in a tank at Waikīkī Aquarium Chinaman's Hat - Oahu Hawaii.JPG, Mokolii island, also known as Chinaman's Hat, offshore of Kualoa Valley Oahu Landscape.jpg, Nuuanu Pali of the Koolau mountain Part of Oahu as seen from a helicopter.jpg, Helicopter view of Magic Island

Notable people

* Benny Agbayani, professional baseball player * Keiko Agena, actor * Gabe Baltazar, clarinet and saxophone player *

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

Academy Award-winner actress * Alexandria Boehm, scientist * Darin Brooks, actor, writer, producer * Max Holloway, MMA Fighter, Former UFC Featherweight Champion * Angelique Cabral, actor * Charles Rodman Campbell, serial killer hanged by

Washington State Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

in 1994 * Tia Carrere, actor * Brian Ching,

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

* Dennis Chun, actor ( Hawaii Five-0), son of Kam Fong * Bryan Clay, Olympic decathlete 2008 * Scott Crary, film director and producer * Aulii Cravalho, actor, singer *

Mark Dacascos Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964) is an American actor, martial artist and television personality. A 4th-degree black belt in Kajukenbo#Wun Hop Kuen Do, Wun Hop Kuen Do, he is known for his roles in Action film, action films, including ...

, actor * Caitlin Doughty, mortician, author and YouTube personality * Diana Ewing, actor * Sid Fernandez, baseball * Maile Flanagan, actor * Kam Fong, actor *

Lauren Graham Lauren Helen Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American Actor, actress and author. She is best known for portraying Lorelai Gilmore on The WB series ''Gilmore Girls'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – ...

, actor * Erin Gray, actor * Brian Grazer, Oscar-winning film and television producer * Coco Ho, pro surfer * Don Ho, singer * Kelly Ann Hu, actor * Carrie Ann Inaba, dancer, actor, musician *

Daniel Inouye Daniel Ken Inouye ( , , September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American attorney, soldier, and statesman who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. A Medal of Honor recipi ...

, US Senator, Medal of Honor recipient * Jack Johnson, musician, folk-rock singer-songwriter *

Duke Kahanamoku Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) was a Hawaiian competition swimmer, lifeguard, and popularizer of the sport of surfing. A Native Hawaiian, he was born three years before the overthrow of the ...

, pro swimmer, surfer,

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* Samuel Kamakau, historian * Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, musician * Maxim Knight, actor * Olin Kreutz, football player

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

* Clyde Kusatsu, actor * Brook Lee, model and co-host of television talk show''It's a Hawaii Thing'' on OC 16 * Teri Ann Linn, actor * Jack Lord, actor * Marcus Mariota, NFL football player,

Washington Commanders The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division ...

* Markiplier (Mark Edward Fischbach), Internet personality, video game commentator * Bruno Mars, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician * Julie McCullough, actor * Zack Merrick, drummer in American rock band

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, singer, actor, comedian *

Jason Momoa Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa (; born August 1, 1979) is an American actor. He made his acting debut as Jason Ioane on the syndicated action drama series '' Baywatch: Hawaii'' (1999–2001), which was followed by portrayals of Ronon Dex on the ...

, actor * Carissa Moore, pro surfer, olympian * Tahj Mowry, actor * Don Muraco, professional wrestler * Jamie O'Brien, surfer *

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

, 44th President of the United States * Ellison Onizuka, NASA astronaut, STS-51-C,

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* Noelani Pantastico, ballet dancer *

Janel Parrish Janel Meilani Parrish (born October 30, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She starred as Mona Vanderwaal in the mystery-drama television series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2010–2017) and its spin-off ''Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionist ...

, actor, singer * Kelly Preston, actor * Maggie Q, actor * Jonah Ray, actor, comedian, writer * Makua Rothman (born 1984), world champion surfer * Anthony Ruivivar, actor * Jesse Sapolu, retired football player,

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

* Garret T. Sato, actor * Amanda Schull, actor * John John Florence, professional surfer *

James Shigeta James Saburo Shigeta (; June 17, 1929 – July 28, 2014) was an American actor and singer. He was known for his roles in ''The Crimson Kimono'' (1959), ''Walk Like a Dragon'' (1960), ''Flower Drum Song (film), Flower Drum Song'' (1961), ''B ...

, actor * Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele player * Karen Steele, actor * Don Stroud, actor * Tua Tagovailoa, NFL football player,

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* Ronald Takaki, academic, historian, ethnographer, and author * Akebono Tarō, sumo wrestler * Kristi Tauti, professional figure competitor and fitness model * Manti Te'o, NFL football player,

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Paul Theroux Paul Edward Theroux ( ; born April 10, 1941) is an American novelist and travel writer who has written numerous books, including the travelogue '' The Great Railway Bazaar'' (1975). Some of his works of fiction have been adapted as feature films ...

, author *

Michelle Wie West Michelle Sung Wie West (; born October 11, 1989) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. Wie also became the youngest winner of the U. ...

, golf

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* Taylor Wily, actor * Kirby Wright, poet and writer * Keone Young, actor * Sasha Colby, drag performer

References

External links

* * Articles containing video clips Geography of Honolulu County, Hawaii Islands of Hawaii