resource of information about the flora, fauna and culture of Hawai‘i, it also marks the beginning of the period of colonization of Hawai‘i and its people. The arrival of Europeans also introduced venereal disease and tuberculosis, which were responsible for decimating the native Hawaiian population. Economy In the late 1700s and early 1800s Waimea was an important trading post for the maritime fur trade, whaling and sandalwood industries, later replaced by the sugar industry in the 1800s. In 1815 the fur trading vessel Atahualpa, purchased by the Russian–American Company and renamed Bering, wrecked at Waimea. Currently, the main industries in Waimea are construction and tourism. There are only two hotels in the town: Waimea Plantation Cottages, and The West Inn motel. There are several shops, small restaurants and food trucks that cater to both the local and tourist population. Waimea is home to the original location of Jo-Jo's Shave Ice, the headquarters for the condiment manufacturer, Aunty Lilikoi. Geography Waimea is located on the southwest side of the island of Kauai at . It is bordered to the west by Kekaha, to the east by Pakala Village, and to the south by the Pacific Ocean. The Waimea River forms the eastern border of the community. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 15.09%, are water, as the CDP boundary extends into the Pacific Ocean. Climate Waimea has a Tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification: As). Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 1,787 people, 620 households, and 456 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 676 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 12.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 43.0% Asian, 12.3% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 30.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2% of the population. There were 620 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was