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Hawaii's
Oahu, "the Gathering Place" by Terry Reim
Oahu
was likely the first of the Hawaiian Island sighted by the crew of HMS
Resolution on January 18, 1778 during Captain James Cook's third Pacific
expedition. It is one of 137 volcanic islands and atolls stretching 1,500
miles across the North Pacific Ocean, all but one of which (Midway)
comprise the 50th US State of Hawaii.
In the
two centuries since Cooke's famous discovery of the "Sandwich
Islands" as he called them, Oahu has been transformed from an
idyllic Gauginesque tropical paradise into one of the world's premier
tourist destinations, financial capitals, and a US military stronghold
anchored in the mid-Pacific.
 
Sunrise
over the Sea, Oahu, Hawaii, USA
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Of the
southernmost 8 inhabited islands in the Hawaiian chain, Oahu is the third
largest - approximately 44 miles long and 30 miles across, with a
shoreline 227 miles - yet is home to 75% of the state's 1.2 million
permanent residents, a population more diverse than any state in the
nation.
Since
it was first populated by immigrants traveling 2500miles from the
Marquesas Islands around 600, this island has been an important
commercial area and cultural center. With the help of European arms,
Kamehameha I from the Big Island captured Oahu in a bloody battle near
the Pali Lookout in 1795, thus unifying the islands for the first time.
Today,
Oahu has become a tourism and business haven with over 5 million visitors
annually (mainly from the American mainland and Japan). Many can't
imagine visiting Hawaii without coming to "the Gathering
Place." Honolulu Oahu's largest city, Honolulu, is the capital of
Hawaii. It contains the principal port, the major airport, and is the
business, educational and financial center not only of the state, but for
the entire Pacific Rim, as well.
By the
1840s, under the influence of Christian missionaries, the sandalwood and
sugar trades, this small Polynesian village, had grown into a major
shipping port, becoming the commercial and political center of the
islands. In 1845, Kamehameha III moved his kingdom's capital from
Lahaina, Maui to Honolulu, which has remained the capital of the Hawaiian
islands ever since.
In
1893 American businessman here illegally overthrew the native Hawaiian
monarchy imprisoning Queen Liliuokalani in Iolani palace. Hawaii was
annexed as a territory of the US until it was granted statehood in 1952.
Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu, the only royal palace on American
soil, has become a popular visitor attraction,
Pearl
Harbor Almost a half-century later on December 7, 1941, the Imperial
Japanese Navy drew the United States into World War II with a surprise
attack on Pearl Harbor, aimed at the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy. The
attack damaged or destroyed 12 American warships, destroyed 188 aircraft,
and killed 2,403 American servicemen and 68 civilians.
The
Arizona Memorial was constructed directly over the ship. Hundreds of
thousands annually visit Pearl Harbor to see this memorial and the
battleship USS Missouri, where General Douglas Macarthur accepted the
surrender of the Japanese in 1945.
Oahu,
Hawaii, USA
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Waikiki
Cosmopolitan Waikiki is where Hawaiian tourism began. Its reputation as a
retreat dates back centuries, and it was a favorite recreation site for
long-ago kings of Oahu and Maui. Today it reigns as the center of Pacific
tourism with its world-class hotels, shops, restaurants, shows, beach
culture and nightlife.
Its
primary appeal remains the 2-mile ribbon of white sand, Waikiki Beach,
upon which dozens of world-class resorts now stand. Of the 100 resorts on
Oahu, all but four are located in Waikiki. At any one time, 45% of
visitors in the entire state are spending the night here.
Windward,
West & North Shore Windward Oahu offers famous snorkeling at Hanauma
Bay, swimming with Dolphins at Hawaii Sea Life Park and kayaking in
Kailua Bay. Oahu's most popular activity attraction is the Polynesian
Cultural Center in coastal La'ie.
Oahu's
North Shore is famous for its big-wave surfing at Sunset Beach, Banzai
Pipeline and Waimea Bay. From the town of Haleiwa, visitors can
experience shark cage encounters and sport fishing expeditions. At Turtle
Bay and Ko Olina to the west, new resorts have made Oahu a world-class
golfing destination as well.
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