Honolulu ( /ˌhɒnəˈluːluː/ or /ˌhoʊnoʊˈluːluː/; Hawaiian: ) is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii.a Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as Honolulu County which covers the entire island. For statistical purposes, the U.S. Census Bureau recognizes the urban part of Honolulu as a census-designated place (CDP). Honolulu is a major financial center of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. The population of the census-designated place was 337,256 at the 2010 census, while the population of the city and county was 953,207. Honolulu is the most populous state capital relative to state population.
In the Hawaiian language, Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter". The old name is said to be Kou, a district roughly encompassing the area from Nuuanu Avenue to Alakea Street and from Hotel Street to Queen Street which is the heart of the present downtown district. The city has been the capital of the Hawaiian islands since 1845 and gained historical recognition following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor near the city on December 7, 1941.
Honolulu has a large skyline. As of April 2012, the city had over 470 high rises, which is ranked fourth in the United States behind New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Similar to New York City and Chicago, highrises are located in more than just the downtown area; neighboring and nearby neighborhoods, including Ala Moana and Waikiki, include large clusters of office, residential, and hotel high-rises, extending from Downtown all the way to Diamond Head.
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