Kauai County
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Includes the islands of Kaua‘i, Ni‘ihau and uninhabited Lehua and Ka‘ula.
Kaua‘i is known as the "Garden Island" and has a land area of 552.3 square miles.
Ni‘ihau is privately owned and sometimes called the "Forbidden Island". Public access is allowed only with permission of the owners. Its land area is 69.5 square miles.
Geologically, Kaua‘i is the oldest of Hawai‘i's major islands and the site of the first Hawai‘i landing by Captain James Cook in 1778.
Many movies with South Seas and Asian settings have been filmed on the beaches and in the valleys of Kaua‘i.
Average temperatures at Lihu‘e Airport range from 70° to 81°F.
The summit of Wai‘ale‘ale is among the wettest spots in the world with an average rainfall of 444 inches per year. Average rainfall at Po‘ipu Beach is 35 inches per year.
Kaua‘i's flower is a green berry known as mokihana. Ni‘ihau's flower is a small shell called pupu.
POPULATION
Resident population for the county (2007): 62,828
By age (2007): Under 18 (23.7%); 18-64 (62.7); 65 and over (14.7)
By ethnic groups (2007): Caucasian (31.2%); Hawaiian/Part Hawaiian (24); Filipino (13.6); Japanese (11.5)
Main cities and towns (2000): Kapa‘a (9,472); Lihu‘e (5,674)
TOURISM
Visitor arrivals (2007): 1,299,045
Scenic wonders include Waimea Canyon, Hanalei Valley, Koke‘e State Park, Fern Grotto, many stunning beaches and, for the intrepid, Kalalau Valley.
AGRICULTURE
Important products are sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, taro and beef.
HEALTH
Licenses (2007): 158 doctors, 37 dentists, 554 nurses and 45 pharmacists
EDUCATION
Kaua‘i Community College offers a two-year associate degree and is part of the University of Hawai‘i system.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (2007)
3 banks with 14 branches, and 2 savings and loans with 6 branches.
PRINT AND BROADCAST MEDIA
Principal newspaper is the Garden Island. There are 2 AM and 7 FM radio stations. Television is relayed from Honolulu. In 2007, there was 1 cable station with 23,550 subscribers.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The Pacific Missile Range Facility supports a wide variety of training exercises and developmental tests in 42,000 square miles of sea and air space that is virtually encroachment free.
The West Kaua‘i Technology and Visitor Center houses high technology companies and offers interactive tours of Kaua‘i.
GOVERNMENT
Mayor: Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr.; seven-member county council (www.kauai.gov)