An old name
Kohala may relate to koholā, the humpback whale, though the original sense is not certain. The district, the mountain and the town all carry it.
Kohala stopped erupting around 120,000 years ago, which is why its northeast side has had time to be cut into the great valleys — Pololū and Waipiʻo — while the younger volcanoes are still smooth.
Kamehameha
Kamehameha I was born in Kohala, and the district holds the Moʻokini Heiau, one of the oldest and most significant temple sites in the islands. The original Kamehameha statue stands in Kapaʻau.