Niihau

From Free net encyclopedia

 Image = Image:Niihau.jpg |
 Nickname = The Forbidden Isle |
 Population = 140+ |
 Area = 70 sq. miles (182 sq. km |
 Rank = 7th Largest Hawaiian Island |
 Highest Point = Mt. Paniau, 1,281 feet |
 Flower = Pupu Shells}}

NiTemplate:Okinaihau, at 70 sq. miles (182 sq. km), is the smallest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. State of [[Hawaii|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]]. NiTemplate:Okinaihau is also known as the "Forbidden Island". This is due to the fact that until recently, the island was off-limits to all but relatives of the island's owner, U.S. Navy personnel, government officials and expressly invited guests. Now, tourists can see the island through a limited number of supervised tours, including diving, hiking, and hunting safaris.

1 Geography
2 People
- 2.1 Communities
3 History
4 Politics
5 External links

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Geography

NiTemplate:Okinaihau is the geologically oldest of the eight main islands. The island is relatively arid, because it is situated in the rain shadow of [[Kauai|KauaTemplate:Okinai]] and lacks the elevation needed to catch significant amounts of Trade Wind rainfall (see orographic precipitation).

The island is located about 29 km (18 miles) west of KauaTemplate:Okinai. Its dimensions are 30 km by 10 km (6.2 x 18.6 mi; 50% larger than uninhabited [[Kahoolawe|KahoTemplate:Okinaolawe]]). The maximum elevation (Paniau) is 390 m (1280 ft).

On the beaches of the island are found shells which are the only shells to be classified as gems. NiTemplate:Okinaihau shells and the jewelry made from them are very popular. Many, especially those with darker and richer color, are collectors' items. The sale of shells and shell jewelry provide an additional source of income for the local populace. The Robinson family claims that the unusual luster of NiTemplate:Okinaihau shells is due to the island's extremely low pollution levels (in relation to the other islands).

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People

The island has approximately 160 permanent inhabitants, nearly all of whom are Native Hawaiians who live in the island's main settlement of [[Puuwai, Hawaii|PuTemplate:Okinauwai]]. They support themselves largely by subsistence agriculture and welfare and generally lead a rural, low-tech life. They speak the Hawaiian language and keep traditions alive. This is enabled by terms in the purchase contract obligating the owner to help preserve Hawaiian culture and tradition. NiTemplate:Okinaihau is the only one of the Hawaiian islands on which the Hawaiian language is still the main form of communication.

However, the Native Hawaiians are hardly cut off from the outside world; NiTemplate:Okinaihau is subject to regular droughts that occasionally force the population to temporarily evacuate to KauaTemplate:Okinai until the water supply is replenished by the next big rainstorm. In recent years, another problem has been tourists and fishermen overfishing the surrounding waters: the island residents already compete (disputed fact) with the local endangered population of Hawaiian monk seals for seafood (the seals are protected by the Endangered Species Act).

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Communities

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History

The entire island is owned by the Robinson family who purchased it from the [[Kingdom of Hawaii|Kingdom of HawaiTemplate:Okinai]] for $10,000 in gold in 1872. It was said that the purchaser, Elizabeth Sinclair (later Sinclair-Robinson), bought the island in preference to other real estate parcels such as Waikīkī, Pearl Harbor, or the island of [[Lanai|LānaTemplate:Okinai]]. In 1915, grandson Aubrey Robinson closed the island to most outside visitors; even relatives of the inhabitants could visit only by special permission.

Despite the self-imposed isolation, NiTemplate:Okinaihau has a long-standing relationship with the U.S. military dating from before World War II. There is a small U.S. Navy installation on the Island, but no military personnel are permanently stationed there. More recently, however, the U.S. military has used the island for training special operations units, hiring the Niihauans as "enemy" trackers.

Many of the residents of NiTemplate:Okinaihau were employees of the NiTemplate:Okinaihau Ranch until the Robinson family finally had to shut the operation down in 1999; it had not been profitable for most of the 20th century. Many of the residents ended up on federal welfare, although these benefits will end soon because of the five-year limit on such benefits. The Robinson family has been considering alternative economic options to keep their residents employed, such as an increased economic role for the U.S. military (an earlier 1999 proposal to establish a missile testing program on the island fell by the wayside), or increased tourism. Either of these would erode the relative isolation that the residents currently enjoy.

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Politics

Niihau has generally been supportive of the Republican Party. In 2004, George W. Bush received all but one of the 40 votes cast on the island. The remaining vote was cast for Green Party nominee David Cobb. 51 registered voters did not cast ballots. (See the official Hawaii 2004 election results for precinct 16-09 for more details.)

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External links

Image:Flag of Hawaii.svg	State of [[Hawaii\|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]] Cities \| Geography \| History \| Landmarks
State capital:	Honolulu
Largest communities:	Hilo - Honolulu - Kahului - Waipahu - [[Lihue, Hawaii\|LīhuTemplate:Okinae]]
Islands:	[[Hawaii (island)\|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]] - [[Kahoolawe\|KahoTemplate:Okinaolawe]] - [[Kauai\|KauaTemplate:Okinai]] - [[Lanai\|LānaTemplate:Okinai]] - Maui - [[Molokai\|MolokaTemplate:Okinai]] - [[Niihau\|NiTemplate:Okinaihau]] - Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - [[Oahu\|OTemplate:Okinaahu]]
Counties:	[[Hawaii County, Hawaii\|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]] - Honolulu - Kalawao - [[Kauai County, Hawaii\|KauaTemplate:Okinai]] - Maui
Languages:	Hawaiian - English - Pidgin