Geography: History, Study And Application of Kahului, Maui - Essay Example

REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY: History, Study And Application In the book Guns Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by physiologist and geographer Jared Diamond, the course of history can be explained by the differences and gaps in power between human societies which can be further attributed to environmental variations. If cultural and genetic superiority favors societies of Eurasian lineage, it can only be so because of the influence of geography (Diamond). Diamond argued that civilizations, as we know it today is not crated out of sheer luck, instead it is a brilliant result of an interrelated chain of events which were made possible because of certain prerequisites. Clearly, the book highlighted how the different regions of the Earth can pave varying roads in human development and cultural dominance. (Diamond) With the rise of imperial power Europe, the need to explore new lands with the goal of obtaining new colonies, finding new trade routes, spreading Christianity and acquiring riches became a competition among many European countries. Monarchies sent extravagant voyages to discover uncharted territories; this era marked the start of the exploration age. Exploring unknown regions is more than a marine exploit; exploration was one of the major activities undertaken mostly by geographers in the nineteenth century. In fact, most expeditions were financed by geographical societies. These educational societies identified the importance of gaining vast knowledge in geography in the mercantile scene among its other various significant educational roles. During those times, explorers and geographers themselves practiced this discipline by detailed caricatures and mapping of places. It also involved measuring distances between two places and taking into full account different landforms. (Ziegler) The more people learn about the physical features of the Earth and after acquaintances with the different species of animal and plant form in these areas, men begin to look for answers for these very observable differences. These questions transformed geography more evidence-based. Hence, geographers began studying natural and the physical environmental and relating them to the human patterns. (Ziegler) Like Jared Diamond, geographers in the 19th century concluded that, nature and the extent of human activity are controlled by the physical environment which was previously set. This school of thought was called environmental determinism.(Ziegler) However, this belief was aggressively challenge by another idea, this opposite view called possibilism argued that man is an active agent. Man, if placed in an environment would actively participate in shaping it by creating alternatives or by providing options. The debate between these two philosophies continued. In fact, the determinist Griffith Taylor - an Australian - emphasized his bold generalization that; in the long run no matter what man does in relation to his environment, nature will surely find it way and forced man to conciliate in the end. These conflicting ideologies brought greater impact in the field of geography. Furthermore, some geographers went into deeper understanding of the people-environment interactions.( Ziegler) In the advent of gaining more familiarity with the concept of "man-environment interaction", geographers attempted to clarify this idea using generalizations without structured explanations. One of its very first advocates is Herbertson, an English geographer. For him, geography is "the study of phenomena from the point of view of their distribution on the surface of the Earth, as natural groups and not as isolated phenomena." He is well known for studies connecting to regional geography. (Herbertson) Modern geographers define "systematic geography" is the division of this discipline into various partitions which includes urban, agricultural, economic, physical, cultural and others. But for Herbertson, it is the study of the globe in an orderly way. To further illustrate his concept he divided the globe into natural regions, using climate as the primary criterion and configuration of belief as the secondary criterion for division. The polar regions, the cool temperate regions, the warm temperate regions, the hot regions, the lofty tropical or subtropical mountains, and the equatorial lowlands are among his earliest works which are still applicable up to the present. (Herbertson) A region is a collection homogenous to each other under a prescribed definition. Geographically, a region is an area marked by certain properties. There are two types of regions; the formal in which the whole fits under a description. The other one is the nodal, wherein the unity is conveyed by organization around a node. (Regional) The idea of region evolved since Herbertsons' time. Geography became a discipline integrated with other vast areas of scientific study and involving a lot of methodologies. In the effort of identifying areas to be categorized as regions, geographers must look into several relevant factors or other "adjectival geographies" such as urban and agricultural resources, population, mineral resources, population, marketing, recreation, transportation, military and most importantly climatology and geomorphology. Although not all of these areas are of major importance to regional geography before, what encompasses the immediate requirements for qualification are physical features, climate, vegetation, industries and agriculture. (Ziegler) A new sub category of regional geography highly involves human activities as an offshoot of the theory of environmental determinism discussed previously. This field includes the study of towns and cities, human distribution over a certain localized area and associated political significance. Then came the study of the social differences of other cultures and the contribution of geography and environment in coming up with such differences. (Ziegler) In addition, another field in regional geography which started in 1920s is historical geography. The highlight of this discipline is the notions that, in order to understand the regional patterns of the present, a through learning and inspection of past details must also be examined. (Ziegler) Like any other branch of science, the study of regional geography has many gray areas. One of these problems involved the setting of a definite edge or boundary in identified regions. Over this debate, geographers came up with the concept of transitional zones. Transitional zones which are also referred to as regional boundaries are places where features that characterized a certain region form the other, such as topographic features and or vegetation type changes. (Regional) Furthermore, the involvement of the need to classify the wide range of diversity over these regions posed another challenge not only for geographers but also involving those in the field of ecology. (Ziegler) The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) of London established since 1830 is a premier geographical institution. The institution was responsible for numerous expeditions particularly and the most celebrated of those was the promotion for the discovery of the anterior parts of Africa. They also included the discoveries and studies of various species of plants and animals. Of particular importance was Charles Darwin's voyage to the Galapos which led him to the formulation of his widely controversial theory about the evolution of species, published in his book "On the Origin of Species'. (Ziegler) Another institution which contributed to the study of regional geography is the American Association of Geographers (the American counterpart of RGS), since 1904 this organization has been actively seeking new ways to improve methods in geographical study and analysis and at the same time. They were the pioneers of widening the scope of geographical studies which now involves a variety of inter-related disciplines.(Ziegler) A newly established institution of geographers who shared the same passion for the advancement of geography is the German Geographical Society (Deutsch Gesellschaft fur Georgaphie e.V or DGFG). Currently this organization is active in the teaching of geography and in promoting this knowledge to the broadest masses. (About) WORKS CITED Diamond, Jared. Guns Germs and Steel. W.W. Norton, 1997 Ziegler, Alan. Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 2002. Herbertson, A.J. The Major Natural Regions: An Essay in Systematic Geography. Geographical Journal. 1905. vol. 25, pp. 300-312. "Regional Geography." GEG 101 Online 2008. William Rainey Harper College. 26 Sep. 2008. "About DGfG." DGfG Online. 2008 German Geographical Society. 26 Sep. 2008 < http://www.geographie.de/dgfg/index_e.htm> KUHULUI, MAUI I have lived in Kahului Maui for over 30 years now. At first, I was not really comfortable living in this place, in fact I often refer to this area as the armpit of Maui. I am not really that certain though why; maybe it is because of the similarity of Kahului to a geographic armpit. But as I lived through this place for years now, I came to like living here. Actually, it is very accessible, to work, to the shopping center, to the market and to almost all the important places of the island. It is a perfect combination of culture and technology, though technology, I say, has not reached its full exploits here. Maui has remained a bastion of nature as far as I am concerned. As I learn everyday about Kuhului and Maui at the broader context, I came to realized not only the geographical significance and wonder this place has to offer, but also the undeniable richness of its culture. The truth is, as of the moment, I am wondering, if there are bones under my house. Bones form the previous inhabitants of this place, the aborigines I mean. Maui is part of the Hawaiian group of Islands. Hawaii is the only US state that is completely surrounded by water. It is one of the two states that do not share a border with another US state (Alaska being the other). In total there are 19 islands and atolls across a total distance of 2,400 kilometers. . The main islands are the eight high islands at the southeastern end of the island chain. These islands are, in order from the northwest to southeast, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lnai, Kahoolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaii. The remoteness of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and the different type of environments of the islands-since it is located in and near the tropics-has resulted to a vast array of endemic flora and fauna. The volcanic activity, the daily rainfall and consequent erosion created remarkable geological features within Maui and in the whole Hawaiian Archipelago at that. (Hawaii) The islands of Hawaiian were created through a geologic "hot spot" underneath the surface of the earth. This means that as the ocean floor moves over this spot at different directions it can result to the magma being pushed forth upward creating new land and islands above water in the form of a seamount. Each of these seamounts started as a submarine volcano on the ocean floor. Above sea level, island formation continues as the far-spreading thin lava flows that build broadly rounded, dome-shaped mountains known as shield volcanoes. Loihi, off the southeast coast of the Hawaii Island is an example of this stage. Then the surface will break in a few hundred thousand years. This underwater lava forms pillow lava, the beginning of a new island or seamount. Some of the examples of pillow lave are the Menehune Ditch in Waimea Valley. Above sea level, island formation continues with thousands of constant thin lava flows that construct broadly rounded, dome-shaped mountains known as shield volcanoes. (Natural) As the Pacific plate moves northwestward, the volcanic islands of Hawai'i move away from the hot spot and drop their mountain-building material. The Lo'ihi Seamount and the Bushnell Seamount, found southeast of the Big Island (the Hawaii Island), are the few of the newest volcanoes, and believed to be are still a couple of thousand feet below the ocean's surface. (Hawaii) The heat that melts rock inside the earth is believed to be generated by radioactive minerals. Geologists consider that each volcano has its own channel into the earth's magma. The Hawaii group of islands have different ages, the Mejii Seamount is approximately 80 million years old; the Midway Island is thought of to be 27.7 million years old; Kaua'i is 5.1 million years old, and the Hawaii (the biggest island of this chain of volcanic) is less than half a million years old. I notice a very interesting thing here, it could be that as the island are getting older, they gets smaller probably because they have undergone more plate movements and lesser volcanic activities. Interestingly, it was revealed that the island formation ahs been happening here for approximately 80 milli0n years. (Natural) The ocean around Maui is like a giant regulator, giving the island a warm and a balmy type of climate year-round. Average temperatures range from 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Just like regions found in this latitude, Maui also experiences cooler temperature in winter months due to the trade winds and which are also warmest in summer. It is also typically warmest along the coast; usually it is eight to ten degrees cooler at higher elevations. At the apex of mount Haleakala, temperatures can plunge into the 40s. Aside form that, being in this latitude, the sun in Maui is almost overhead all year round. In addition, the wind form almost all directions control of the Pacific Ocean and it helps keep temperatures steady year round. (Natural) On Maui, windward refers to the northeastern side of the island, the direction from which the prevailing breezes blow. Coming from the ocean, these winds are often loaded with moisture. When they reach the volcano, they are forced upward and then let go of their moisture in the form of rain. By the time they reach the mountain top and they continue on their way, they've let go of the water, and thus, the southwestern side of the mountains receives very little rain. This is known as the leeward side or sometimes called the rain shadow effect. (Natural) Haleakala volcano which stands at a grandeur of 10,020 feet, dominates Maui. It is said to be 1.5 million years old and the last recorded eruption was on 1790. Its crater is located within the Haleakala National Park and it has a road which covers the greatest elevation change (from sea level) of any comparable hi-way length road in the world. In the surrounding area around Haleakala are several smaller volcanoes and they consists the west Maui. Along with the islands of Molokai, Lanai, and Kaho'olawe, these volcanoes have been scientifically determined to be all about 1.25 million years old, though they have not erupted for perhaps 30,000 years. Readings told me that, the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kaho'olawe once is a huge single island of six volcanoes. Hence this accounted for the striking similarities between these places. But erosive forces, like rain, wind and waves separated the different peaks into the four islands as seen nowadays. (Hawaii) West Maui, from Papawai Point to Kahului Bay, makes for another outrageously beautiful site. The West Maui mountains are older than Haleakala - hence, it is more eroded, more lush with green shrubs, two-storey canopy forest dominates the view, and more alive and teeming with wildlife. The highest part of this mountain range is the Pu'u Kukui at 5,788 feet. It is followed by 'Iao Valley which is termed the most famous valley of this mountain range in Maui. There are trail hikes perfect both for nature lovers who simply just want to have a stroll along the valley. And there are also available are them more adventurous trails where we often encounter adrenaline rush along the way. There are numerous beaches of varying type; there are sand beaches and rocky beach sides perfect for snorkeling since coral reefs are not that far from the location. (Hawaii) Erosion of the lava flows start almost as it cools down and hardens as rock. There are several types of erosion agent along the whole island. Obviously, a strong and readily available agent to of erosion are the giant waves that batter the sides of the mountains and coastline, lichens also grow over the rocks since air is usually moist (perfect for this kind of organism) breaking them down into soil, while plants which could also grow readily due to water availability, split them rocks apart. Rain on the other hand, ca percolate through stones, breaking them apart in the long run.(The Formation) Since most of the soil in Maui is of volcanic origin, I noticed that its color ranges from pitch black to coal black with some crystalline structures in it. Although this type of rock is not abundant in some places there are areas where in this type of rock dominates. This is due to the fact that the magma which gently flows out from the shield volcano making up the island took less time to cool down and hardened up making. Hawaii unfortunately lies between the pathway of the so called north Pacific storms which moves from west to east and the equatorial hurricanes which moves at the exact opposite direction (from east to west). Although infrequent, in the winter months, there is a possibility that a north Pacific storm can travel as far south, very near to the Maui and to Hawaii in general, bringing a significant amount of rain, especially to the northeast and on the windward sides of the islands. This usually occurs starting the months of November and ends as the summer breeze comes by March. Furthermore, there are summer rains that sometimes occur on the lee side of the islands. They are caused by the heating up of the land. In geology, the land surface becomes hotter; the air above it rises, this hot air absorbs moisture off the coast. As this moist (saturated with water vapor) air rises up the island's other side and the phenomenon called orographic clouds form and thus rain can occur. This phenomenon is more common on the higher mountains of Maui and also in Hawai'i than on the smaller islands. Moreover, there are also tropical hurricanes that pass along the island, in the summer months, but it is not often that they can hit the island. But there is an exception; this was the tropical strom Iniki, which caused a huge toll the island of Kauai in 1992. (Hawaii) Tsunamis have been a constant danger to the coastal community of Hawai'i. An earthquake that could occur anywhere in the surrounding body of water can trigger a tsunami which could hit Maui along with the other islands of Hawaii. Tsunamis which are actually caused by the abrupt drops in the underground seafloor, that can heavily disturb the above ocean water causing waves which radically transforms to giant waves as it reaches the shore. Typically, the longer the wave has to travel to the coast, the greater and higher the waves will be. Research revealed to me that a 7.3 earthquake in the Aleutian Islands resulted in a 30-foot tsunami hitting the Hawaiian Group of Islands on April 1, 1946; it resulted in a casualty counting to 159 people and causing $26 million in damages. (The Formation) CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY of KAHULUI, MAUI It has been noted during the Census 2000 that there were 20,146 people with 5,580 households in Kahuliu. Most residents were of Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, African American and Native American origins. It has been known to be the only state in which majority of the inhabitants living are not Caucasians. If one would like to discover one's Hawaiian origin, Kahului is the island to be at for it provides a place to be in deeper connection with the land, sea, air and the heavens. A place in which its history, religion and culture is marked within the hearts of the native Hawaiian people. (Kahului) Kahului is the biggest town in Maui which is 11 miles long and six miles wide with a land area of 45 square miles. It is actually a summit of a single volcanic dome which is situated in the northern coast of Maui Island, Hawaii. It possesses beautiful beaches and captivating view. Residents of this island consider it as sacred place of which is a physical incarnation of the sea god Kanaloa. When looking at it from space, it said to look like a crouching lion gazing to the southeastern part of Maui. It is a barren and dry land and seldom experiences rainfall. (Kahului)) It has been considered as the hub of native Hawaiian maritime culture for over a thousand years and is still believed to be a place of great spiritual power. It has served as the foundation of the revitalization of Hawaiian culture practices. The people are hopeful that Kahului will be the place in which the younger generations would learn to appreciate the native Hawaiian lifestyle and this will prosper. Kahului also entails of the upbeat music of the city aside from its country-side living. (Kahului) The city of Kahului was first established during the 1850s with the acquirement of the land between Makawao and Paia by Henry Baldwin and Samuel Alexander. Their main reason was for a plantation of sugar. Since water was difficult during that time, they made an irrigation ditch and because of this the plantation flourished and the owners bought more land for additional sugar mills. It was then hailed as Maui's 'Dream City' because of its plentiful prospects for the workers of the plantation and the investors. With the increase of workers, establishments were built leading to the growth of Kahului. The addition of the harbor, Kahului Harbor, and the international airport, Kahului Airport only paved Kahului's position. Today, Kahului has been known as the shopping center of Maui. They also have fruit and vegetable stores, many bakeshops, and keepsake shops that provide to local inhabitants and tourists. Kahului is also providential to have a stability of thriving business areas and small rural towns. Kahului is believed to be a perfect vacation spot for most tourists because it boasts of cultural sites with abundant natural resources. Aside from tourism as the island's source of income, trading of pineapple and sugarcane products largely contribute to the economy. With its mixture of attractions and business prospects, Kahului's economy is promising. (Fisher) Hawaiian politics revolves around the interaction of the diversity of the cultures of the populace and the conventional American political practices. Before, Kahului was a kingdom run by the royalty. During the bombing of the Pearl Harbor, it has been used to be testing grounds for munitions of the military which lead to the destruction of the lands. Today, it is within the territory of the United States of America and under their government. It is a state and considered to be the only state in which it has no jurisdiction beyond the level of the county. Being a state proved to be an advantage to Hawaii since there was a boom in their economy. (Fisher) Kahului is a town located within the county of Maui and has a quasi-mayor-council form of municipal government. The mayor has executive authority and he is being elected by voters with no formal political party. The early rulers of Kahului established the concept of land ownership based on western ideologies. The lands were then divided between the royalty and the elite and small remaining parts were given to the government. Kahului was a land owned by the government. (Moolelo) Recent developments in our Kuhului Harbor revealed that there as a plan to increase in the cruise ship stay in the Pier 1 aside from the fact that there is an additional Superferry in the Pier 2. This occurrence has become a crisis since it could incur damages to the only deep water harbor in Maui. The Department of Transportation proposed a new Pier 5 for this cruise ships on the inner west side of the harbor, since the highlighted the need for. This sprouted a wide reaction among its residence, concerned citizens who pointed out that a new harbor could wipe out the surf breaks and more importantly it can block the canoe race course. Although, the EIS said that there won't be any considerable effects of this establishment, I personally believe it will have its impacts in the long run. I have heard among local residence that that we will be lobbying for procedural changes that give priority to passenger ships and the removal of passenger ships to solve fright crisis, instead of waiting for 6 years to build another pier. I feel that there is a sense of cooperation among the people living near this harbor, towards the advancement of not only a beautiful seaside view but also for sustaining a healthy environment. Personally, I think that preserving this harbor both for cultural and for aesthetic purposes are a very important effort everyone in this community should hold on to. I am happy that almost everyone in this community is also looking forward for this. In fact the, Kahului Harbor and Surfrider Foundation sponsored an informational signing last February 2nd near the canoe hale, where they also held a paddling race. A potluck and a strategy meeting were also made in order to propose newer ways to save the harbor. Works Cited "Hawaii: Encyclopedia - Hawaii. 2008". Global Oneness Online. 28 Sep 2008. "Natural History: Island Formation" 2001. Aina Kumk Wai Home. 28 Sep. 2008 "The Formation of the Hawaiin Islands". 4 Apr. 2005. Hawaii Center fro Volcanology. 25 Sep. 2008. "Kahului, Maui County, Hawaii." Hawaii State Info Online. 2008 Hawaii State Info 01 Oct. 2008. Fischer, John. "Kahoolawe - The Geography". 2008. About.com. 30 Sep. 2008. Corbin, Amy. "Kaho'olawe" 2008. Sacred Land Film Project". 30 Sep. 2008. "Moolelo Aina" 2008. Protect Kahoolawe Ohana. 29 Sep. 2008. Read More