Kohala, Island of Hawaii

Kohala is the name of the northwest portion of the island of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Archipelago. In ancient Hawaii it was often ruled by an independent High Chief called the Alii Nui. In modern times it is divided into two districts of Hawaii County: North Kohala and South Kohala. Locals commonly use the name Kohala to refer to the census-designated places of Halaula, Hāwī, and Kapaau collectively. The dry western shore is commonly known as the Kohala Coast, which has golf courses and seaside resorts.DescriptionThe area was named after the dominating geological feature Kohala Mountain, the oldest of Hawaii Island's five major volcanic mountains. The current districts cover the north and western sides of the mountain,. It was one of the five ancient divisions of the island called moku.The natural habitats in Kohala range across a wide rainfall gradient in a very short distance - from less than 5in a year on the coast near Kawaihae to more than 150in year near the summit of Kohala Mountain, a distance of just 11mi. Near the coast are remnants of dry forests, and near the summit is a cloud forest, a type of rainforest that obtains some of its moisture from "cloud drip" in addition to precipitation.