Did you know...? Fun facts and trivia - little-known facts about Hawaii
Hawaii is the most isolated population center on Earth. It is 2,390 miles (3,846 km) from California, 3,850 miles (6,196 km) from Japan and 4,900 miles (7,886 km) from China.
The state of Hawaii consists of eight larger, populated islands (with the exception of the island of Kahoolawe, which is not populated) and 124 small, uninhabited islands, reefs and atolls stretching from Nihoa, located about 280 miles (450 km) northwest of Honolulu, all the way to the Kure Atoll, located further northwest. The state of Hawaii encompasses all of these islands except for Midway Atoll, which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
The eight main Hawaiian islands make up 99 percent of Hawaii's total land area of 6,425 square miles (16,642 square km). The remaining one percent encompass less than 6 square miles (15.5 square km).
The Hawaiian archipelago spans the distance of 1,523 miles (2,451 km), making Hawaii the longest island chain in the world.
When measured from east to west, Hawaii is the second widest state in the United States, after Alaska.
Hawaii shares the same general latitude of 20°N with cities and environments such as Hong Kong, Mecca, the Sahara Desert and Mexico City.
The state of Hawaii has four counties: City and County of Honolulu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii (the Big Island).
Hawaii is the only U.S. state whose land area is increasing from volcanic eruptions.
The highest recorded temperature in Hawaii is 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 C), measured in Pahala on April 27, 1931, and the lowest is 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-11.1 C), measured on Mauna Kea on May 17, 1979. The lowest temperature under 3,000 feet (914 m) altitude was 56 F (13.3 C). Among all the 49 continental United States, except Alaska, Hawaii has both the highest state minimum of 12 F (-11.1 C) and the lowest state maximum of 100 F (37.8 C). Alaska's highest recorded temperature is also 100 F (37.8 C). Hawaii's average daytime temperature in July is 82 F (27.7 C) and the average daytime temperature in January is 72 F (22.2 C).
Hawaii was the 50th state admitted to the union on August 21, 1959.
By a legislative act, Hawaii became officially known as the "Aloha State" in 1959.
Hawaii is one of the only U.S. states where coffee is grown commercially. Coffee has long been an important crop in places such as Kona, Kauai, Maui and other growing regions.
Sugar was once a major crop in Hawaii and shaped plantation-era life across several islands.
Hawaii has a long pineapple-growing history, and pineapple remains one of the crops strongly associated with the Islands.
Hiram Fong of Hawaii was the first Asian-American in the United States Senate. Fong is a descendant from Chinese immigrants and was elected to the Senate in 1959.
Hawaii has one of the highest multiracial population shares in the United States.
In the 2000 census, more than 20 percent of Hawaii's population claimed multi-ethnic backgrounds, far more than any other U.S. state at the time.
Hawaii is the only U.S. state whose majority of people are non-white.
Hawaii has its own time zone. It's called Hawaiian Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time in Hawaii, which means that in summer, Hawaii is three hours behind the U.S. West Coast, while in winter, Hawaii is two hours behind the U.S. West Coast.
The Hawaiian alphabet consists of only twelve letters. The five vowels are A, E, I, O, U. And the seven consonants are H, K, L, M, N, P, W.
Among all U.S. states, Hawaii has long had a high percentage of women in the workforce.
More birds have become extinct in Hawaii than in any other part of the world. A total of 26 species died out and 27 more are endangered by changes in their natural habitats, forest destruction, mongooses and human impacts.
The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Kauai is one of the world's major seabird sanctuaries. It is home to many seabirds.
Hawaii had the oldest newspaper west of the Rocky Mountains - the Sandwich Island Gazette, 1836-1839.
Hawaii has a high number of married couples living with others, mainly because Hawaii has a low percentage of home ownership.
Hawaii has one of the highest life expectancies in the United States.
Hawaii has a unique way of giving directions. To point people in the right path, local residents use "makai," which means toward the sea, and "mauka," meaning toward the mountains.
Oahu Fun Facts
Honolulu is the "largest" city in the world. That's because Hawaii's state constitution states that any island not named as belonging to a county belongs to Honolulu. This makes the entire island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located, plus all the other small, uninhabited islands, known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (with the exception of Midway Atoll), part of Honolulu. Honolulu is about 1,500 miles (2,414 km) long. Or in other words, it spans the distance from Los Angeles, California, to Denver, Colorado.
Oahu was once home to one of the world's largest wind generators. The windmill was located on the top of a 20-story tower. It had two blades, each measuring 400 feet (122 m) in length.
Foster Botanical Garden near Iolani Palace was built in 1855, which makes it the oldest garden in Hawaii.
Waikiki attracts large numbers of visitors on any given day and remains Hawaii's best-known resort district.
Iolani Palace, located in downtown Honolulu, is the only royal palace in the United States.
Electric lights illuminated Iolani Palace four years before the White House in Washington D.C. had them.
Honolulu is one of the most expensive cities in the United States.
More people live on the island of Oahu than in the entire state of Alaska. Oahu's population was 953,307 in the 2010 Census, while Alaska's population was 710,231 in the 2010 Census. Oahu has a land area of 596.7 square miles (1,545.4 km²) compared to Alaska's land area of 663,268 square miles (1,717,854 km²).
Maui Fun Facts
Haleakala Crater on the island of Maui is one of Hawaii's best-known volcanic landscapes.
Hawaii has many plants that are endemic to the islands. One of the best-known is the Haleakala silversword on Maui, which only grows in a 1,000 ha (2,471 acre) area at an elevation of 6,890 to 9,843 feet (2,100 to 3,000 m) within the Haleakala National Park. The silversword flowers only once at the end of its lifetime. It takes about 15 to 50 years to grow.
Hawaii has the oldest school west of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in Lahaina in 1831.
The famous Road to Hana on Maui's north shore is a 55-mile long, narrow road and features 617 curves and 26 bridges. It has dramatic coastal scenery.
Kauai Fun Facts
The island of Kauai is home to one of the wettest spots on Earth. The average yearly rainfall on Mt. Waialeale is about 397 inches (10 m).
Kauai is home to Waimea Canyon, also known as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." It measures about 3,000 feet (914 m) in depth and 12 miles (19.3 km) in length.
Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. It's over six million years old.
By law, no building on Kauai is allowed to be built taller than a palm tree.
Kauai, also known as the "Garden Isle," is famous for its jagged green mountains, white-sand beaches and tropical landscapes. More than 60 Hollywood movies have been filmed here, including Jurassic Park, Outbreak, Blue Hawaii and the TV shows Fantasy Island and Gilligan's Island.
Big Island Fun Facts
Not only is the Big Island the largest of all the Hawaiian Islands, but it's also home to one of the largest ranches in the United States. Parker Ranch near Kamuela is 480,000 acres big.
Ka Lae on the Big Island of Hawaii is the southernmost point in the United States. Visit here and you'll notice a constant wind blowing across the landscape.
Kilauea volcano on the Big Island is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
The Big Island's Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from its base at the ocean floor. It rises 13,796 feet (4,205 m) above sea level and another 17,000 feet (5,181 m) extend to its base below the ocean's surface.
The Big Island of Hawaii is home to major telescopes on the top of Mauna Kea. The Mauna Kea Observatory area is at an altitude of 13,796 feet (4,205 m).
Lake Waiau on the Big Island is the third highest lake in the United States and one of the world's highest alpine lakes. It's located at an altitude of 13,020 feet (3,968 m). Lake Waiau is 12,000 years old and the only glacially formed lake in the mid-Pacific Ocean.
The Big Island of Hawaii is a major growing region for macadamia nuts and orchids.
Loihi Seamount, an undersea volcano located southeast of the Big Island, may emerge in a few thousand years as a new Hawaiian island.
Molokai Fun Facts
Molokai's north shore is home to the world's largest sea cliffs (more than 3,000 ft/914 m high), Hawaii's longest waterfall (Kahiwa Falls - 2,165 ft/660 m tall) and Hawaii's longest white-sand beach (Papohaku Beach - about 3 miles (4.8 km) long).
Kalaupapa on Molokai was once a leprosy settlement. It was administered by Father Damien, a Flemish Catholic missionary, who later died of leprosy himself in 1889.
There are no traffic lights or shopping malls on Molokai.
The largest rubber-lined water reservoir in the world is in Kualapuu. It can hold over one billion gallons of water.
The first Hawaiian fossils were discovered in sandstone at the Moomomi Dunes.
Lanai Fun Facts
The island of Lanai was once the home of the world's largest pineapple plantations. At one point, the island was producing 75 percent of the world's pineapple.
In ancient times, it was assumed that evil spirits rule the island of Lanai. Kaululaau, a young man and son of a Maui chief, was sent to Lanai to investigate the island and deem it free of evil spirits to make it suitable for settling.
Lanai has only three paved roads.
Kahoolawe Fun Facts
The island of Kahoolawe was once used as a target by the United States Navy and Air Force. It is uninhabited and off-limits to visitors. Kahoolawe was returned to the state in 1994 and cleanup work has continued since then.
On March 18, 1981, Kahoolawe was added to the National Register of Historic Places. At that time, the island was home to 544 recorded archaeological or historic sites.
Niihau Fun Facts
Niihau is Hawaii's "Forbidden Isle." It's a privately-owned island and access by the general public is highly limited.
Niihau is owned by the Robinson family, whose ancestors bought it from King Kamehameha IV over 100 years ago. One can only visit it by invitation from the owners or one of the Native Hawaiians who live there.
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Fun Facts
The coral reefs in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands make up most of all the reefs in the United States.
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. The Monument was first created in 2006 as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument and was renamed in 2007. It now encompasses 582,578 square miles (1,508,870 square km) of the Pacific Ocean, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world.
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to more than 7,000 marine species, a quarter of which are found nowhere else in the world. One such marine species is the approximately 1,600 surviving Hawaiian monk seals, which is the entire population of this endangered species. The archipelago is also an important breeding ground for endangered Hawaiian green sea turtles. It is also home to millions of birds, including endemic land birds and seabirds.
Most of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were discovered by accident. Some islands, including Maro, Lisianski, Pearl and Hermes, French Frigate and Kure, were named after ships or captains of ships that grounded on the treacherous reefs that surround these islands.
