oahu (or oʻahu) is the third largest of the hawaiian islands, in the united states. it means "the gathering place" (a place where people meet) in the hawaiian language. most of the people of hawaii live there (1.2 million of the state's 1.7 million in the mid-1990s). the total land area is . honolulu, the capital city of hawaii, is on this island. other well-known places on oahu are waikiki, pearl harbor, diamond head, hanauma bay, kaneohe bay, and both the north shore and makaha (which are famous for very big ocean waves).