Maui, also known as the Valley Isle, is the second largest island in the state of Hawaii, with an area of around 1,900 square miles. The two major urban areas on the island are Lahaina and Kahului. The island's population is slightly higher than 9,000.
Maui was conquered by Kamehameha I in 1790, and he made Lahaina the capital of the Hawaiian kingdom shortly after that, a status which the city enjoyed until 1845, after the whaling industry centered in Lahaina began to decline.
There are two natural parks on the island. One of them is Haleakala National Park, which includes Halekala, a dormant volcano with one of the largest craters in the world. It is 7.5 miles long, 2.5 miles wide and 3000 feet deep. Iao Needle State Park is also located on Maui, and it is close to the area where Kamehameha I defeated the chief of Maui and his forces.
Sources:
www.nps.gov/hale/
http://www.greatestcities.com/North_America/USA/Hawaii_HI/Lahaina_city.html
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/sites/iao_valley_state_park.html