Kona District, Hawaii

Kona is a district on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. It is famous for its special Kona coffee and for holding the Ironman World Championship Triathlon every year.

Kona is divided into two parts: North Kona, called Kona ʻAkau, and South Kona, called Kona Hema.

The largest town in Kona is Kailua-Kona. Other towns in the area include Kealakekua, Keauhou, Holualoa, Hōnaunau, and Honalo. All these towns are part of Hawaiʻi County, which helps take care of the area.

Description

In the Hawaiian language, kona means the dry side of an island. Long ago, in Ancient Hawaiʻi, each big island had a leeward area called Kona. The big island of Hawai‘i gets wet, northeast winds that drop rain on the windward side, leaving the leeward side dry. Sometimes, the winds change and bring storms from the west, called Kona storms.

Kona is famous for hosting the Ironman World Championship Triathlon every October in Kailua-Kona. It is also home to important historical places like the Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, as well as Honokohau Settlement and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.

The slopes of the Hualālai and Mauna Loa volcanoes create perfect conditions for growing coffee, making Kona coffee one of the world's finest. Kona is also where the international Christian group YWAM and the University of the Nations have major bases.

In popular culture

The Kona District inspired a song called "Kona Coast" by the Beach Boys. The song was on their 1978 album M.I.U. Album. An asteroid named 284891 Kona was found in 2009. Astronomers at the ESA Optical Ground Station discovered it. The asteroid is named after this area. The Minor Planet Center shared the official name on January 16, 2014 (M.P.C. 86717).

Transportation

Kona International Airport is in North Kona. This airport helps people travel to and from the area.