The volcanic island of Maui (/ˈmaʊ.i/; Hawaiian: ˈmɐwwi), Maui County, Hawaii, U.S. At 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2), it is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and is the 17th largest island in the United States. It is separated by the Pailolo Channel from Molokai (northwest), by the Alenuihaha Channel from Hawaii (southeast), and by the Auau and Alalakeiki channels from the small islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe (both to the west). Kīhei (including Wailea and Makena in the Kihei Town CDP, the second-most-populated CDP on the island), Lāhainā (including Kāʻanapali and Kapalua in the Lāhainā Town CDP), Makawao, Pukalani, Pāʻia, Kula, Haʻikū, and Hāna are other important locations.
Maui takes its name from a demigod in Polynesia. Two volcanoes, Puu Kukui and Haleakala, which constitute eastern and western peninsulas linked by a 7-mile (11-km) wide valley-like isthmus that has earned Maui the valley island nickname, were created. The diverse landscapes of Maui are the result of a complex combination of geology, topography, and climate. Each volcanic cone within the chain of the archipelago is constructed of dark, iron-rich/quartz-poor rocks, which poured out of thousands of vents as highly fluid lava over a period of numerous years.
Volcanic rocks protrude on a Maui beach
Maui is such a “volcanic doublet”, which consists of two shield volcanoes overlapping to create an isthmus between them. First, the island was settled by Polynesians c. 700 AD. The largest stone temple on the island, Piilanihale Heiau (still existing), and an extensive road system were built by a 14th-century Hawaiian chief, Piilani. In 1795 the island fell to the male monarch. Within the early 1820s, both whalers and missionaries began to arrive. Whaling began to say no within the 1860s because the sugar industry grew. A couple of centuries later, sugar was supplanted by tourism. Maui is part of Maui Nui, a much broader unit that includes Lāna’i, Kaho’olawe, Moloka’i, and the now submerged Penguin Bank islands.
A rare and varied set of climatic conditions is exhibited in Maui, each of which is peculiar to a poorly specified island sub-region. Significant physiographic characteristics (such as mountains and valleys) and position on the windward or leeward side of the island describe these sub-regions. Showers are very common; while a number of these are very heavy, the vast majorities are light and brief. Maui could be a leading whale-watching center within the archipelago thanks to humpback whales wintering within the sheltered ʻAuʻau Channel between the islands of Maui County.
Lahaina, a port on the west coast, was a base of early whaling. Wailuku (the county seat), Kahului, and Hana are the other major settlements in Maui. Maui County covers the Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, and Molokai Islands. These four islands, along with Penguin Bank (a shoal west of Molokai), once formed one landmass called Maui Nui (“Great Maui”). Maui is home to an outsized rainforest on the northeastern flanks of Haleakalā, which is the geographical area for the remainder of the island. The extremely difficult terrain has prevented the exploitation of much of the forest.
Natural view at Maui, Hawaii
The use of agricultural and coastal industrial land has had a detrimental impact on most of the coastal regions of Maui. Tourism contributes the largest amount to the local economy. Notable attractions include pristine beaches, Wailua Falls, and National Wildlife Refuge Kealia Pond (which preserves one of the state’s few remaining natural wetlands). Many of the extraordinary coral reefs of Maui have been destroyed by pollution, runoff, and tourism, although it is still popular to find sea turtles, dolphins, and the celebrated tropical fish of Hawaii.
Maui was centrally involved within the Pacific Theater of war II as a staging center, training base, and rest and relaxation site. At the height in 1943-44, over 100,000 soldiers were there. the most base of the 4th Marine Division was in Haiku. Beaches were accustomed to practice landings and trains in marine demolition and sabotage. Haleakala National Park features the stunning Kipahulu Valley ‘Ohe’o Gulch (also wrongly known as the Seven Sacred Pools), a series of cascading waterfalls and swimming pools. The island also has a sanctuary for humpback whales. Charles A. Lindbergh, the American aviator, is buried near ‘Ohe’o Gulch.
Information Sources:
