About Oahu aka "The Gathering PlaceCompared to the eight main islands, Oahu is the third largest and houses the state capital, Honolulu. The island is approximately 44 miles long and 33 miles across with its shoreline spans to about 227 miles.
The island is encompasses two volcanoes: Waiʻanae and Koʻolau Range but both of these volcanoes are inactive. How Hawaiians Give DirectionsIn Hawai'i cardinal directions such as north, south, east, or west is used regularly. Instead they use other words to describe the location. With Honolulu as the focal point, , people often will include in their directions "mauka" (toward the mountains) and "makai" (toward the sea). This is most common on Oahu, Kauai, Lanai, and the Big Island.
Also used are the nautical terms "windward" and "leeward," for "east" and "west" (at Hawaii's latitude, the trade winds normally blow in from the east -- so that side of each island gets much more rain than the "leeward" side, as the mountains wring moisture from the winds). To go ‘ewa means traveling toward the western tip of the island, "Diamond Head" is toward the eastern tip. A Video on Giving/Understanding Directions in Oahu |
How Oahu is Divided into LocationGenerally, the island is generally separated into 5 different places:
Pearl HarborOahu is also the location of Pearl Harbor, where a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan.
In MediaDue to its beauty and incentives offered by the state and local governments, Oahu has been featured in many movies, television shows, and video games.
These would include, Hawaii Five-O, Pokémon Sun and Moon (Melemele Island), The Karate Kid Part II, 50 First Dates, Blue Crush, the Jurassic Park series, Johnny Tsunami, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Magnum P.I, and Lost. |