The Hawaiian Islands are of volcanic origin and are edged with coral reefs. The Big Island of Hawaii is geologically the youngest island of the group. Oahu, where the capital Honolulu, is located, is the most populous and economically important of all the islands. Hawaii consists of eight major islands plus 124 minor islands, reefs and shoals, strung like a necklace across the Pacific for over 1,500 miles. The eight major islands (which make up over 99% of the total land area) are Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (known as the Big Island), Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe (uninhabited) and Niihau (privately owned). The other principal islands are Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Niihau. Most of the smaller islets are encompassed in the Hawaiian Island National Wildlife Refuge with the surrounding waters and coral reefs part of the vast 84-million-acre (34 million hectare) Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Reserve. Palmyra atoll and Kingman Reef, which were within the boundaries of Hawaii when it was a U.S. territory, were excluded when statehood was achieved.
The only U.S. state in the tropics, Hawaii is sometimes called “the paradise of the Pacific” because of its spectacular beauty: abundant sunshine; expanses of lush green plants and gaily colored flowers; palm -fringed, coral beaches with rolling white surf; as well as cloud-covered volcanic peaks rising to majestic heights. Some of the world’s largest active and inactive volcanoes are found on Hawaii and Maui; eruptions of the active volcanoes have provided spectacular displays, but their lava flows have occasionally caused great property damage. Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are volcanic mountains on Hawaii Island; Haleakala volcano is on Maui in Haleakala National Park.
Vegetation is generally abundant throughout the islands, with giant fern forests in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Kahoolawe, however, is arid, and Niihau and Molokai have very dry seasons. Although many species of birds and domestic animals have been introduced on the islands, there are few wild animals other than boars and goats, and there are no snakes. The coastal waters abound with fish.
More ethnic and cultural groups are represented in Hawaii than in any other state. Chinese laborers, who came to work in the sugar industry, were the first of the large groups of immigrants to arrive (starting in 1852), and Filipinos and Koreans were the last (after 1900). Other immigrant groups including Portuguese, Germans, Japanese, and Puerto Ricans, came in the latter part of the 19th century.
GEOGRAPHY
Hawaii is the most remote island chain in the world, over 2,000 miles from the nearest landfall. Distance makes for splendid isolation - these Polynesian islands are removed from all else but one another.
Each of the major islands has an identity all its own. Oahu is as different from Molokai and Maui as Kauai is from Lanai and the Big Island - each as varied and colorful as the official state flower, the hibiscus. With their collective mass of 4.1 million acres or 6,450 square miles, these islands form the fourth smallest state in the United States.
Beyond mere geography, to Hawaiians the land is "mother". The Hawaiian word for land, 'aina, literally means "that which feeds". It doesn't belong to us; we belong to it, and are part of it.
GEOLOGY
Hawaii's story is the story of creation - islands born from the Pacific depths some 40 million years ago. Hawaii has been shaped by the capricious forces of fire, magma, rains, and winds - and now, most recently, by man.
About 30 miles southwest of the active volcano Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii, the newest island in the chain, Loihi, is forming the newest land on earth. Stretching toward the northwest from Loihi are the other major Hawaiian Islands: Big Island, and then Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau.
BIOLOGY
The Hawaiian Islands have a wide variety of plant, marine and animal life. Vegetation zones include: coastal, dryland forest, mixed open forest, rain forest, subalpine and alpine. More than 90 percent of the native plants and animals living in Hawaii are found nowhere else in the world, and a greater variety of fish exist in Hawaiian waters than elsewhere. The humuhumunukunukuapuaa is the official state fish.
Hawaii is sometimes called the Endangered Species Capital of the World. At least one third of all the endangered species in the United States are found in Hawaii including the Nene Goose (official state bird), the Humpback Whale (official state marine mammal), the Pacific Green Sea Turtle and the Pueo (Hawaiian owl).
CULTURAL HISTORY
The Hawaiian Islands are stepping-stones linking East to West. Here Polynesian sensuality, American pragmatism, and Oriental exoticism weave a tapestry of cultural extremes.
Hawaii's multi-cultural society has had major immigration from:
Polynesia - 700 A.D.
United States - 1820
China - 1852
Japan - 1868
Portugal - 1878
Puerto Rico - 1900
Korea - 1903
Philippines - 1906
HAWAII’S CULTURAL LEGACY: HULA
The hula is a rich tradition of Hawaii and has gone through many stages in its history. Its origins are shrouded in legend and according to one of them, the hula originated when the goddess of fire, Pele, commanded her younger sister, Laka to dance. Another legend says that Hi'iaka danced to appease her sister, Pele. A lot of the present day dances are based on this Hi'iaka epic and schools were begun to honor Laka as well as temples that were dedicated to her. Until the early twentieth century, ritual and prayer surrounded all aspects of hula. The teachers and students were dedicated to Laka, the goddess of hula and lived and trained in the temples. Appropriate offerings were made regularly as well.
In the 1820's, the missionaries arrived in the islands and brought with them Christianity. Queen Ka'ahumanu became a Christian and ordered all heiau (sacred temple sites) and images destroyed which ended the Hawaiian rituals. Gradually, the significance of the dances was lost to general understanding. The missionaries said that hula was 'suggestive' and 'heathen' and so it was outlawed as a pagan practice soon after. The hula went underground and was performed in secret so that the art was not lost. It was during this time that the hula received its reputation of being 'exotic' and was often performed for the amusement and entertainment of the sailors and tourists. In the 1830's, King Kamehameha III issued an edit granting religious freedom and the missionaries, recognizing that the hula could not be quelled, countered with the condition that the dancers wear the Victorian-style high necked and long sleeved gown in substitution of the pa'u. In 1874, Kalakaua was elected as king and being fun loving, he enjoyed celebrations, festivals, and traveling and earned himself the title of "The Merrie Monarch." It was during his reign that the hula gained the reputation of being the national symbol of Hawaii as he had waltzes, classical music, and traditional hula performed at his royal celebrations. According to King Kalakaua's words, "Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people."
About Hula
The word hula itself refers to the movements and gestures. However, the hula cannot be performed by itself without mele which is the vocal component and the most important factor. While mele refers to the sung poetry, oli refers to the voice techniques used to deliver the mele. Mele are chanted both in the rhythmic manner and nonrhythmic manner. Mele records cultural events ranging from sacred mele pule (prayers) and mele inoa (name chants, mostly for chiefs) to topical mele ho'oipoipo (love songs) and mele 'aina (songs praising the land). Allusion is greatly used and valued in the poetry. The hula movements and gestures do not tell the whole story, but instead interprets the key aspects of the mele. The older chant-accompanied dances can be performed while either standing or sitting. In the standing dances, the performers are divided into the 'olapa (dancers) and the ho'opa'a who chant the mele and provide the percussive instrumental accompaniment. In the sitting dances, the performers are also the musicians. They will perform the gestures and accompany themselves with the percussive instruments. While the hand and arm gestures interpret the words, foot motifs are performed continuously throughout the dance. A few of the motifs are the kaholo, 'uwehe, 'ami, and the kawelu.
FAST FACTS ABOUT HAWAII (http://www.50states.com/facts/hawaii.htm)
Hawaii is the most isolated population center on the face of the earth. Hawaii is 2,390 miles from California; 3,850 miles from Japan; 4,900 miles from China; and 5,280 miles from the Philippines.
Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee.
More than one-third of the world's commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawaii.
There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.
o Vowels: A, E, I, O, U
o Consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W
From east to west Hawaii is the widest state in the United States.
The Hawaiian Islands are the projecting tops of the biggest mountain range in the world.
Honolulu's zenith star, (the star that rises directly above it) is Arcturus. The Hawaiians called it Hokule'a. (Hoe koo lay uh.)
Under-sea volcanoes that erupted thousands of years ago formed the islands of Hawaii.
The Hawaiian Archipelago consists of over 130 scattered points of land stretching some 1,600 miles in length from the Kure Atoll in the north to the Island of Hawaii in the south.
The first Asian American in the United States Senate was Hawaii's Hiram Fong. Descended from Chinese immigrants, Fong was elected to the Senate in 1959.
Hawaii was the 50th state admitted to the union on August 20th, 1959.
Island flowers and colors used to represent each island.
o Niihau - Pupu Shell - White
o Kauai - Mokihana (Green Berry) - Purple
o Oahu - Ilima -Yellow
o Maui - Lokelani (Pink Cottage Rose) - Pink
o Molokai - White Kukui Blossom - Green
o Lanai - Kaunaoa (Yellow and Orange Air Plant) - Orange
o Kahoolawe - Hinahina (Beach Heliotrope) - Grey
o Big Island of Hawaii - Lehua Ohia - Red
TIME ZONE
Hawaii has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time.) There is no daylight savings time. The time runs two hours behind Pacific Standard Time and five hours behind Eastern Standard Time.
There are four counties in Hawaii (Kauai; the city and county of Honolulu; Maui; and Hawaii). Each city has a mayor and council in charge.
All subterranean minerals belong to the state. Except for state owned water, some lava stone, and minor granites and semi-precious minerals, there are few underground minerals.
There are no racial or ethnic majorities in Hawaii. Everyone is a minority. Caucasians constitute about 34%; Japanese-American about 32%; Filipino-American about 16% and Chinese-American about 5%. It is very difficult to determine racial identification as most of the population has some mixture of ethnicities.
TEMPERATURE & CLIMATE
The wind blows east to west in Hawaii. The highest recorded temperature is 96' F (Honolulu Airport), but temperatures over 92' F generally occur only once or twice a year. The lowest temperature (under 3000 feet altitude) ever recorded was 56' F. Temperatures under 60' F may occur but rarely more than once a year. Average daytime temp. (July) is 82' F. Average daytime temperature in January is 72' F.
The Hawaiian Islands have only two seasons: "summer" between May and October and "winter" between October and April.
The climate is subtropical, with a normal annual temperature of 77°F, making these islands "- the peacefullest, restfullest, balmiest, dreamiest haven of refuge for a worn and weary spirit the surface of the earth can offer."
Island hopping in the Hawaiian Islands - How to travel inter-island
Each of the five main Hawaiian Islands has its own distinct character and must-see attractions. Depending on the length of your stay, consider hopping to at least one other island to see more of this amazing state.
Although cruise ships can deliver you to a number of Hawaii ports of call, the fastest way to island hop is by jet. Air travel from Honolulu to any of the state's commercial-service airports is literally a quick trip, with the following approximate flight times for direct routes:
Honolulu to Kahului, Maui: 35 minutes
Honolulu to Kapalua, Maui: 32 minutes
Honolulu to Hilo, HI (Big Island of Hawaii): 46 minutes
Honolulu to Kona, HI (Big Island of Hawaii): 41 minutes
Honolulu to Lihu'e , Kauai: 35 minutes
Honolulu to Ho'olehua, Molokai: 17 minutes
Honolulu to Lanai City, Lanai: 23 minutes
If you're island hopping, we recommend...
• spending at least 3 full days exploring Oahu's sights.
• Maui: 2 full days
• Big Island: 4 full days
• Kauai: 2 full days
• Molokai: 2 full days
• Lanai: 2 full days
