The capital city of Hawaii and the states most heavily populated city is Honolulu. It is likewise the most southern major city within the US. "Honolulu" refers to the urban zone located on Oahu island's southeastern coast. In the Hawaiian language, Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter". Since 1845, the city has been the Hawaiian Islands' capital. In the attack of the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, near the city on the 7th of December, 1941, the city gained historical recognition.
The government of the county and city have just been consolidated into the City and County of Honolulu. The consolidated government includes the entire island. At the time of the 2000 Census, the population of the urban section of the city of Honolulu, which is considered to be the census-designated place by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes, was approximately 377,300. The city is a major financial center of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. During the 2010 Census, the population of the county and the city was around 953,200. Relative to state population, the city of Honolulu is the most populous state capital.
The vary first settlements of Honolulu appear to be Polynesian migrants who have been shown to be the original settlers of the island through various accounts of oral histories and artifacts. These records show that as early as the 11th century, there was a settlement where the city of Honolulu is currently situated. During the year 1804, in the Battle of Nu'uanu at Nu'uanu Pali, after Oahu was conquered by Kamehameha I; he moved his royal court from Hawaii Island to the island of Waiki-ki. During 1809, his court relocated to what is now considered to be downtown Honolulu. In the year 1812, the capital was moved back to Kailua-Kona.
Honolulu is the cultural center of the state of Hawaii and is where lots of museums and landmarks have been erected to celebrate the rich history of the island. Located downtown are the Lolani Palace and the King Kamehameha statue, which honor the Hawaiian Kingdom's royalty. The Polynesian Cultural Center near Brigham Young University, situated outside of the city of Honolulu provides an outdoor representation of villages from New Zealand, the state of Hawaii, Tahiti and Fiji as well as other Pacific cultures. There are native dancers, Hula dancing and interactive demonstrations performed. Two events are held on a yearly basis during June and July.
Bishop Museum is another famous Honolulu place, sitting just north of downtown. It offers an insight into the rich history with live performances, costumes, documents and canoes.
The city's economy is mostly dependent upon the industries of defense contracting, the military and tourism, research and development and manufacturing. Tourism normally brings Honolulu approximately 10 billion dollars each and every year. Other important economic factors are provided by aqua-culture and agriculture. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, the Marine Base Kaneohe and the Schofield Barracks are other contributing factors to the economy.
There are some diversifying economical sectors emerging in Honolulu like for instance information and communication technologies, astronomy and space sciences, alternative energy, defense-dual use technologies, science-biotech, and marine sciences. The Kapolei region also houses amongst the largest industrial parks within Hawaii. There are a variety of huge shipping firms that serve the port, and the Honolulu Harbor has a well-known Foreign Trade Zone.