Molokai

Molokai mōˈlōkīˈ [key], island (1990 pop. 6,587), 261 sq mi (676 sq km), Maui co., Hawaii, between Oahu and Maui islands. Molokai is generally mountainous, with Mt. Kamakou (4,970 ft/1,515 m) the highest peak. On the north coast, separated by a rocky mountain wall from the rest of the island and accessible only over a 2,000-ft (610-m) pass, is the Kalaupapa peninsula, on which a government leper colony exists (est. 1860). The large Molokai Ranch occupies roughly one third of the island. The chief port is Kaunakakai (1990 pop. 2,658).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Physical Geography