Island Culture

Fun Facts about the

Hawaiian Islands

The state of Hawaii has no billboards or seagulls! Of the approximately 680 different types of fish in the Hawaiian waters, there are about 200 that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Hawaii is the only state to have two official languages, English, and Hawaiian - did you know the Hawaiian language consists of just 12 letters? 5 vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and 7 consonants (H, K, L, M, N, P, W).

HAWAII

• Often known as "The Big Island" it is also the only part of the U.S. that continues to grow; growing nearly 42 acres each year as a result of lava flowing down into the ocean and cooling to create new land.
• It's the largest of the islands, and is almost twice the size of the other islands combined.
• The Big Island is home to the largest ranch in the U.S. - Parker Ranch, which covers an impressive 480,000 acres

Left: Lava flowing into the Ocean      Right: Parker Ranch

KAUAI

• Home to one of the wettest places on earth; Mount Waialelale receives an average rainfall of 426 inches per year.
• Law requires that no buildings be built taller than a palm tree.
• The Wailua River on Kauai is the only navigable river in the state, and is also the longest at 19.2 miles.

Left: Mount Waialelale       Right: Wailua River

LANA'I

• Nicknamed "Pineapple Island" because it was once home to plantations that produced 75% of the world's pineapples.
• There are no traffic lights anywhere on the island.
• Lana'i is 18 miles long by 13 miles wide, with 47 miles of pristine coastline.

Left:  Vintage photo of a pineapple plantation          Right: Coastline of Lana'i

MAUI

• Banyan Tree was planted in 1873 and is now large enough to shade two thirds of an acre, it often hosts events and is over 50 feet tall.
• Home to the world’s largest dormant volcano “Haleakala”. The crater of the volcano is 21 miles across and large enough to fit the entire island of Manhattan.
• Has more miles of accessible beach than any other island in Hawaii – including 30 miles of colored sand beaches.

Left:  The Banyan Tree             Right:  Red sand beach

MOLOKAI

• Tallest sea-cliffs in the world, topping out at 3,000 feet above the water.
• With 106 miles of shoreline, there are only 6 beaches where it is safe to swim.
• Least populated of all the inhabited islands, with a population of approximately 7,400 people.

Left:   Sea-cliffs found on Molokai         Right:  Beautiful beaches

OAHU

• Oahu's biggest attraction is Waikiki, which attracts 72,000 visitors every day.
• Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the United States.
• It is the third largest island, but is #1 in population with nearly 1 million people living on the island.

Left:   Waikiki visitors       Right:  Iolani Palace 

NIIHAU

• Nicknamed the "Forbidden Island" and is mostly closed to outsiders. The owner of the island controls all visitations via his helicopter tours.
• The island is mostly uninhabited with only about 1300 people living there.
• The largest lake in Hawaii is located on Niihau: Lake Halali'i, 184+ acres. The lake however is the result of rainfall and can therefore vary in size.

Left:  Niihau sign informing visitors about the island             Right:  Map of Lake Halali'i

KAHO'OLAWE

• Smallest of the major Hawaiian islands, at only 45 square miles in size, with a population of zero.
• The island was used as a live fire target range by the US Navy for decades. One of the Kalani owners, Lono, can remember very clearly hearing the explosions and watching the columns of smoke and dust from his grade school playground as a child.
• The island is now protected to preserve the heritage, no tours or commercial activities are allowed.

Left: Oceanside land on the island               Right: Live fire target practice