Molokai
volcanic island, Maui county, Hawaii, U.S. It lies east of Oahu across the Kaiwi Channel and northwest of Maui across the Pailolo Channel. Molokai occupies 261 square miles (676 square km) and is about 38 miles (61 km) long and 10 miles (16 km) wide at its widest point. Its western and eastern portions comprise two tablelands, Mauna Loa, reaching its peak in Puu Nana (1,381 feet [421 metres]), and Kamakou (4,961 feet [1,512 metres]); these are connected by a saddle (ridge) that is 400 feet (120 metres) high. A smaller volcano formed the Kalaupapa Peninsula much later on the northern coast. Its northern side is an almost continuous towering cliff, which reaches an elevation of some 3,600 feet (1,100 metres) and is intersected by many deep valleys, including Halawa, a deep, verdant gorge 1.75 miles (2.8 km) long and 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide and well suited to agriculture.
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