Lanai Island

Area: 140sq.miles/363sq.km

County: Maui

Population: 2200

Main Town: Lanai City

Lanai, the sixth largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, covers an area of 140sq.miles/363sq.km (18 miles/29km long, 13 miles/21km wide) and measures only half the size of Molokai Island, its closest neighbor.

Other neighboring islands lie not very far away. The west coast of Maui is a mere 71/2 miles/11km away. The 7 miles/11km-wide Kalohi Channel separates Lanai from the south coast of Molokai. Kahoolawe Island lies only 15 miles/24km further south-east.

Lanai can be seen with the naked eye from both Maui and Molokai. Its shape makes it stand out like a long hump against the horizon. Lanai evolved from a single dome-shaped volcano. The island's original shape has been exaggerated by erosion.

The major part of the island consists of a plateau about 1641ft/500m above sea level. The highest point is Lanaihale (3371ft/1027m) in the east of the island. The only crater basin, Palawai Beach, lies south of Lanai City.

The Hawaiian word lanai means "day of conquest". Unfortunately, the background to this remains unclear. Today, Lanai is often called "Pineapple Island" after its main product, which covers most of the island.

Lanai enjoys an even climate with an average temperature of 24°C and average rainfall of 291/2in./750mm - on the whole drier than neighboring islands. The natural vegetation remains only on parts of the island, particularly the deep valleys on the damp eastern side. The Norfolk pines, typical of Lanai, are grown from seed.

Today about 2200 people live on Lanai, almost all in Lanai City, which was founded in the middle of the island as a settlement for plantation workers. Lanai's population reflects the ethnic mix found throughout the Hawaiian islands - Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese and whites. The one difference is that the Filipinos, who came here to work on the pineapple plantations, account for more than 50%. They are followed by the Japanese with 18%, the whites with 11% and the Hawaiians with 9%.

Tourism hardly existed on the island for many years. Until 1990, Lanai City possessed only one ten-roomed hotel - the Lanai Hotel. Castle and Cooke, or Dole, who originally grew pineapples on 251/2sq.miles/66sq.km of land, has recently ventured into the tourism boom. Two luxury hotels have now been opened - the Manele Beach Resort (250 rooms) at Manele Bay in the south of the island and the Lodge at Koele in Lanai City (102 rooms). As well as the hotels leisure facilities have been developed, including a new 18-hole golf course.