Hawaii comprises 137 – mostly uninhabited – islands of volcanic origin with a total area of 16,625 square kilometers. The main islands of the archipelago are Big Island, O’ahu, Maui, Moloka’i, Kaua’i and Lānaʻi.
- Hawaii is about a five and a half hour flight from Los Angeles in the Pacific and is in the UTC-10 time zone.
- The inactive Mauna Kea volcano on the Big Island is the highest point in the world, measuring 9,605 meters from the sea floor to the summit.
- The tropical climate of Hawaii has average temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius.
Honolulu – The capital of the US state Hawaii in the south of the island of O’ahu is known for the famous Waikiki Beach, the ten-story Aloha Tower and the Pearl Harbor. Followed by East Honolulu, Pearl City, Hilo and Kailua, it is at the top of the state’s five largest cities.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: Overview of state Hawaii, including major cities and most commonly used abbreviations of Hawaii.
Hawaii – Economy and population of the main islands
The eight largest islands in Hawaii are divided as follows:
- The Big Island or Hawaii is the largest island in the archipelago and the United States as Hawaii County with 10,433 square kilometers. Tourism, the cultivation of Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, papayas and bananas as well as the livestock industry are of economic importance.
- O’ahu, “The Gathering Place”, is the third largest island and is home to around 75 percent of the population of the state of Hawaii on 1,557 square kilometers. It belongs to Honolulu County with the administrative seat Honolulu and forms the first port of call for visitors with the Honolulu International Airport. The main source of income is tourism.
- Maui, “The Valley Isle”, is 1,883 square kilometers, the largest island in the county of the same name and the second largest in the Hawaiian archipelago. Once a whaling center, today tourism, sugar cane and pineapple plantations are essential branches of the economy.
- Kaua’i, “The Garden Island”, owes its name to its lush vegetation. It covers an area of 1,434 square kilometers, is the oldest island at six million years and belongs to Kaua’i County. The cornerstones of the economy are tourism, the cultivation of taro and the island’s flowers.
- Moloka’i, “The Friendly Island”, is considered the most pristine of the Hawaiian islands and belongs to the counties of Maui and Kalawao. Agriculture forms the economic basis on its 673 square kilometers.
- Lānaʻi, “The Pineapple Island”, extends over 364 square kilometers as part of Maui County. Until 1992 it was considered the largest pineapple plantation in the world, today the economic sectors of tourism and farming dominate.
- Niʻihau, “The Forbidden Island”, is 180 square kilometers and is part of the Kau’i County. It is privately owned and is characterized by an economy with no money in circulation. The main occupation is cattle breeding and the cultivation of rushes.
- Kahoʻolawe, “The Target Island”, is the smallest island in the Hawaiian archipelago at 115 square kilometers. As the only one of the main islands not permanently inhabited, it may only be entered with permission.
Hawaii – the geography of the archipelago in the Pacific
The shield volcanoes that characterize the geography of the pearl-like chain of islands were created by a hotspot below the sea floor. According to COUNTRYAAH.COM, the Hawaii Emperor chain on the Big Island consists of the volcanoes Kilauea, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, Kohala, Māhukona and Lōʻihi. Haleakalā takes up 75 percent of the island’s area on Maui. With dramatic cliffs, tropical rainforests, imposing waterfalls and long, fine sandy beaches, the Hawaiian islands fascinate nature lovers, water sports enthusiasts and hikers.
Hawaii – an overview of its history
The key historical data of the history of Hawaii:
- From approx. 200: Polynesians colonize the islands.
- 1778: James Cook lands on the southwest coast of Kaua’i.
- 1795: Founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha I.
- 1894: Proclamation of the Republic on July 4th.
- 1959: Hawaii is declared the 50th state in the United States on August 21st.
- 1960: Hawaii first took part in presidential elections on November 8th.
- 2008: With Barack Obama at the helm of the USA stands a president who was born in Hawaii.
Hawaii is traditionally one of the “blue states”, with a majority for Democratic presidential candidates. Only in two elections,1972 and 1984, did most of the votes go to Republicans.
