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Lanai Island in Hawaii.
Lanai, island, central
Hawaii, in Maui County, separated from Maui Island by Auau Channel.
Known as the Pineapple Island, it is the sixth largest of the Hawaiian
Islands. Lanai City, in the center, and the western coast port of
Kaumalapau are the chief settlements. Mount Lanaihale (1,027 m/3,369 ft)
is the highest point. Virtually all the cultivated land on the privately
owned island is used to grow pineapples.
Its years of private ownership by the Dole Food Company and reputation
today as a place where visitors can find seclusion has bestowed upon it
a new nickname as the Private Island. It is a generally hilly island
that rises gradually to 1,027 m (3,369 ft) above sea level at Lanaihale,
or Mount Palawai. Cut off in part from the northeast trade winds by Maui
and Molokai, the island of Lanai receives very little rainfall except in
the summit region surrounding Lanaihale.
For a time the land was used mainly for cattle raising. In 1922 most of
the island was purchased by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (now the Dole
Company), which tapped underground reservoirs and valley streams for
irrigation water. The workers and their families reside in Lanai City,
now the chief community, which lies at the foot of Lanaihale on the
Palawai plateau.
Of interest on Lanai are ancient Polynesian petroglyphs (inscriptions on
rock) and abandoned Hawaiian and missionary villages. Area, 364 sq km
(141 sq mi); population (2000) 3,193.
The Seven Islands of Hawaii
There are seven Hawaii Islands spread
out across the area. Check out which
island you would be interested in when on one of our Hawaii Cruises.
We hope you find this information useful and hope you choose us for
your one of your next cruises to Hawaii. Remember that we
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