Honolulu

State capital and port of Hawaii, and seat of Honolulu County, on the south coast of Oahu; population (2000 est) 371,700. The city, with its natural harbour (a lagoon within a coral reef), is the economic centre of Hawaii, the principal point of entry to the islands, and a trading centre for European and Indian goods. With its warm climate and tropical vegetation, Honolulu has become a popular holiday resort. Besides tourism, industries include food processing, machinery, clothing, and building materials. The other major employer is the defence industry, as Pearl Harbor Naval Base and Hickam Air Force Base are situated 11 km/7 mi to the northwest. Honolulu was incorporated as a city in 1907.

History The area was first settled by Polynesians c. 1100, and perhaps earlier. William Brown, a British sea captain, was the first European to see Honolulu, in 1794. Honolulu became the seat of the Hawaiian royal family and court in 1809 and was declared as the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha III in 1850. The islands were annexed by the USA in 1898. Municipal government was developed in 1905 when Oahu County was created, to be replaced by the present city and County of Honolulu in 1907.

The port handles 11 million tonnes of freight per year and has ship repair facilities. It has been nicknamed the ‘Crossroads of the Pacific’.

Features The State Capitol building, first occupied in 1968 (but officially opened in 1969), is joined by a walkway to the old capitol, the Iolani Palace (1882), the former royal palace of the Hawaiian monarchs. Attractions include the Mission House Museum - which includes the oldest house on Hawaii (1821), Ballet Hawaii, Honolulu Academy of the Arts (1927), and Honolulu Zoo, which dates back to the 19th century. There are 98 entries on the national register of historic places, including the Royal Mausoleum, St Andrew's Cathedral (1867-1957) and the Aloha Tower.

Honolulu is the seat of the University of Hawaii at Manoa (1907), Hawaii Pacific University (1965), and Chaminade University of Honolulu (1955). The city is the birthplace of senator and explorer Hiram Bingham.