Niʻihau
Niʻihau, sometimes written Niihau, is the seventh largest island in Hawaii and the westernmost of the main islands. It is southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. Its area is . Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland habitats for the Hawaiian coot, the Hawaiian stilt, and the Hawaiian duck. The island is designated as critical habitat for Brighamia insignis, an endemic and endangered species of Hawaiian lobelioid. The United States Census Bureau defines Niihau and the neighboring island and State Seabird Sanctuary of Lehua as Census Tract 410 of Kauai County, Hawaii. Its 2010
Key facts
- Island.name
- Niʻihau
- Island.nickname
- The Forbidden Isle
- Island.image_name
- Niihau_sep_2007.jpg
- Island.image_caption
- Aerial view of Niʻihau looking southwestward
- Island.map_image
- Map of Hawaii highlighting Niihau.svg
- Island.image_map_caption
- Location of Niʻihau in the State of Hawaiʻi
- Island.map
- USA Hawaii#North Pacific
- Island.map_alt
- Location of Niʻihau in the Hawaiian Islands
- Island.location
- North Pacific Ocean
- Island.area_sqmi
- 69.5
- Island.highest_mount
- Mount Pānīʻau
- Island.elevation_ft
- 1,250
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Geography
- Climate
- Flora and fauna
- History
- The Ni{{okina}}ihau incident
- Society
- Politics
- Population
- Education
- Economy
- Tourism
- In popular culture
- Explanatory notes
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
Niʻihau, sometimes written Niihau, is the seventh largest island in Hawaii and the westernmost of the main islands. It is southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. Its area is . Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland habitats for the Hawaiian coot, the Hawaiian stilt, and the Hawaiian duck. The island is designated as critical habitat for Brighamia insignis, an endemic and endangered species of Hawaiian lobelioid. The United States Census Bureau defines Niihau and the neighboring island and State Seabird Sanctuary of Lehua as Census Tract 410 of Kauai County, Hawaii. Its 2010 census population was 170, most of them native Hawaiians. As of the 2020 census, the population had fallen to 84. The people of Niʻihau are noted for their gemlike lei pūpū (shell lei) craftsmanship. They speak Hawaiian as a primary language, being the only place where Hawaiian has not been in any way displaced by English.
The Scottish plantation owner Elizabeth Sinclair purchased Niʻihau from the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1864 for US$10,000 (). Ownership of the island passed to her descendants, the Robinson family. The island is currently managed by brothers Bruce and Keith Robinson. The island has attracted some controversy for the strict rules the Robinson family imposes on the island and its inhabitants. Known as "the Forbidden Isle", it is off-limits to all outsiders except the Robinson family and their relatives, U.S. Navy personnel, government officials, and invited guests. From 1987 onward, a limited number of supervised activity tours and hunting safaris have opened to tourists.