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The Island of Hawaii (called the Big Island or Hawaii proper) is one of eight main islands that make up the U.S. state of [[Hawaii|Hawaii]]. It is said to have been named after [[Hawaiiloa|Hawaiiloa]], a legendary Polynesian navigator who first discovered the Hawaiian Islands. However, other accounts attribute the name to the legendary land or realm of Hawaiki, or Havaiki, a place from which the Polynesians originated (see also Manua), the place where they go in the afterlife, the realm of the gods. The Island of Hawaii is larger than all the other Hawaiian Islands combined.