 Honolulu Harbor, located on Mamala Bay, is Hawaii's major port facility, handling over 11 million tons of cargo annually. The harbor serves as Hawaii's primary distribution center to Oahu and the rest of the State. Hawaii imports 80% of its required goods with 98% shipped via water.
Honolulu Harbor's immediate proximity to Downtown Honolulu means that ships, cargo, crew and passengers have available to them the most up-to-date services found anywhere in the world.
The harbor was created by freshwater flows from Nuuanu Valley which inhibited coral growth within a small, reefed basin and cut several channels through the surrounding reef. The main channel, which was the deepest, was flanked to the west by shallower outlets. Between these outflows, rose occasional spots of earth and coral - the beginnings of Sand Island.
The Hawaiians referred to the harbor as "Ke Awa 0 Kou" or "the harbor of Kou." In 1796, the harbor was named "Fair Haven," which was later translated into Hawaiian as "Honolulu."The first Western use of the harbor occurred in 1794.
Construction of Aloha Tower, the landmark of Honolulu's waterfront, began in 1921 and was completed in 1926. In Honolulu Harbor, Pier 11 was reconstructed the following year, 1927. In 1994, the Aloha Tower Marketplace opened, making Honolulu the only harbor in the nation to combine a visitor attraction, retail and restaurant outlets, and working commercial harbor facilities at a single location.
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