Book Description

The long-awaited third edition of the Atlas of Hawai'i, like its predecessor, promises to be "noteworthy for its completeness, meticulous scholarship, and colorful format" (American Reference Books Annual). Entirely revised in content and design, the Atlas presents the Hawaiian Islands in a larger format than before. The volume is divided into six sections, five of which are abundantly illustrated. The first contains detailed reference maps with place names for towns, mountains, bays, harbors, and other features; geographical descriptions of the State and the main islands; and an introduction to Hawaiian place names. This is followed by four sections on the physical, biotic, cultural, and social aspects of the Hawai'i environment. Geology, climate, the ocean, water, soils, and astronomy are among the topics discussed in "The Physical Environment". Next, the special character of terrestrial and marine ecosystems is described. "The Cultural Environment" considers the people of Hawai'i. The diversity of the State's cultures is treated in chapters on history and languages as well as archaeology, religions, and the arts. "The Social Environment" treats such elements as the economy, government, and population. The sixth and final section comprises a statistical supplement, bibliography, and gazetteer for the reference maps. Readers of this new edition will find much new information, including topics (e.g., paleoclimate, threats to native ecosystems, Hawaiian sovereignty) not discussed in previous editions.