The Big Island of Hawaii, or simply "the Big Island," is the largest island in the island chain. Several water mains ruptured. Except for Midway, which is an unincorporated territory of the United States, these islands and islets are administered as Hawaii—the 50th state of the United States. Explosive volcanic activity can cause tsunamis. All except Kahoolawe are inhabited.[18]. Kalawao County shares the island of Molokaʻi with Maui County and occupies only 5% of the island's 260 mi² (673 km²) and 1.2% of the island's 7,404 residents. Maui (Population 117,644, Area 727 sq. Kaʻula is the westernmost of the Hawaiian Islands not included in the Northwestern Hawaiian Island chain. Thus, the southeast island is volcanically active, whereas the islands on the northwest end of the archipelago are older and typically smaller, due to longer exposure to erosion. 1984. Minor-to-moderate damage was reported on most of the Big Island. Midway Atoll, sometimes referred to as Midway Island, is a 2.4 mi² (6.2 km²) archipelago. The county's population in 2010 was 953,207, making it the 43rd most populated county in the United States. The remaining 160 residents reside on Niʻihau. The county also administers the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands with the exception of the federal governed Midway Atoll. It was relatively minor, but local officials ordered evacuations in preparation for a possible major event. But most people don’t think of all the tiny little dots that scatter toward Midway. [1] The state of Hawaii occupies the archipelago almost in its entirety (including the mostly uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), with the sole exception of Midway Island, which also belongs to the United States, albeit as one of its unincorporated territories within the United States Minor Outlying Islands. The state of Hawaii is named after the largest of the islands, located in the south of the archipelago. https://traveltips.usatoday.com › 8-large-islands-hawaii-108082.html Kīlauea had been erupting nearly continuously since 1983 when it stopped August 2018. Molokaʻi is the only island in Hawaii that is divided between two counties. Hawaiʻi County as a whole has 27 islands and a total population of 185,079. For administrative purposes, all of these islands are controlled by Honolulu County. [7], The Hawaiian Islands have a total land area of 6,423.4 square miles (16,636.5 km2). As the temperature is relatively constant over the year the probability of dangerous thunderstorms is approximately low. [20] This number includes all minor islands and islets (very small islands) offshore of the main islands (listed above) and individual islets in each atoll. The archipelago formed as the Pacific plate moved slowly northwestward over a hotspot in the mantle at about 32 miles (51 km) per million years. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of the USGS documents recent volcanic activity and provides images and interpretations of the volcanism. Early in their history, the Hawaiian islands were ruled by Kapu chiefdoms, which eventually became so large as to encompass whole islands. The 132 Hawaiian Islands have a total area of 6,470 sq mi (16,758 sq km), including 6,425 sq mi (16,641 sq km) of land and only 45 sq mi (117 sq km) of inland water. Significantly, the island is still growing as long as lava continues to pour … In total, the islands make up 10,931 square miles (28,311 square kilometers) in surface area, which makes its density 222.9 people per square mile. The only active volcanism in the last 200 years has been on the southeastern island, Hawaiʻi, and on the submerged but growing volcano to the extreme southeast, Loʻihi. The age of the archipelago has been estimated using potassium-argon dating methods. The Hawaiian Islands (Hawaiian: Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the island of Hawaiʻi in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll. The majority of eruptions in Hawaiʻi are Hawaiian-type eruptions because basaltic magma is relatively fluid compared with magmas typically involved in more explosive eruptions, such as the andesitic magmas that produce some of the spectacular and dangerous eruptions around the margins of the Pacific basin. The Monument encompasses the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and surrounding waters, forming the largest[29] marine wildlife reserve in the world. Lö'ihi rises 10,100 feet above the ocean floor to within 3,100 feet of the water surface. Hawaii Island, the Big Island is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands with a landmass of over 4,000 square miles - twice the combined size of the other islands. The Hawaiian Islands are the exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain, formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle. Some of these are too small to appear on maps, and others, such as Maro Reef, only appear above the water's surface during times of low tide. The Big Island of Hawaii, of course, is the largest landmass in the Hawaiian island chain- which consists of eight major islands and 124 islets. [33][34][35], The climate of the Hawaiian Islands is tropical but it experiences many different climates, depending on altitude and weather. The island of Maui has the most residents at 117,644 (76% of the county's population). It is 92 miles long and 76 miles wide. This page was last edited on 27 January 2021, at 14:48. Formerly the group was known to Europeans and Americans as the Sandwich Islands, a name that James Cook chose in honor of the then First Lord of the Admiralty John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. Others, such as Shark and Skate islands, have completely eroded away. Hawaii (Hawaiian: Hawai‘i) became the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959. In August 2010, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee added Papahānaumokuākea to its list of World Heritage Sites. The island of Oʻahu has 953,207 residents (about 70% of the state's population), and the island of Hawaiʻi is by far the largest island with an area of 4,028 mi² (10,432 km²)—62.7% of the state's land area. The Monument encompasses the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and surrounding waters, forming the largest marine wildlife reserve in the world. [36] The tropical storms, and occasional hurricanes, tend to occur from July through November. It is the only state that consists entirely of islands with 6,422.62 mi² (16,635 km²) of land. [28], On June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush issued a public proclamation creating Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The islands were first settled as early as AD 300 by Polynesian long-distance navigators. The initial earthquake was followed approximately five minutes later by a magnitude 5.7 aftershock. The Hawaiian Islands were formed by undersea volcanic activity from what is known as a hotspot. So the Big Island is bigger than all the other island combined. Location of Hawaii within the United States, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, "Chronology: The Third Voyage (1776–1780)", "Tectonics, geochronology, and origin of the Hawaiian-Emperor Volcanic Chain", "Potassium-Argon Ages of Lavas from the Hawi and Pololu Volcanic Series, Kohala Volcano, Hawaii", 10.1130/0016-7606(1972)83[3731:PAOLFT]2.0.CO;2, "Petrography and K-Ar Ages of Dredged Volcanic Rocks from the Western Hawaiian Ridge and the Southern Emperor Seamount Chain", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_islands_of_Hawaii&oldid=1001201951, Lists of islands of the United States by state, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Approximately 132 At 596.7 mi² (1,545.4 km²), the island of Oʻahu is the third largest island and also the most populated, accounting for approximately 70% of the entire state's population. Kalawao County contains no individual islands of its own. The entire state of Hawaii has 6,422 square miles in total. The largest island by area is the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, while the largest by population is Oahu. The county as a whole has 63 islands, and 32 of those belong to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. British captain James Cook was the first European to land on the islands in January 1778. The Big Island of Hawaii has 4,028 square miles of land mass and it’s growing. The tsunami caused about $30.1 million in damages. [25], Hawaii accounted for 7.3% of the United States' reported earthquakes with a magnitude 3.5 or greater from 1974 to 2003, with a total 1533 earthquakes. Midway Atoll consists of four individual islands. The largest eight islands are in order of size in the above table. Several major roadways became impassable from rock slides, and effects were felt as far away as Honolulu, Oahu, nearly 150 miles (240 km) from the epicenter. Hawaii is divided into five counties: Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, Kalawao, Kauaʻi, and Maui. Hawaii is typically recognized by its eight main islands: Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, and Niʻihau. With a population of 90, Kalawao County occupies a tiny 13.21 mi² (34 km²) portion on the northern shore of the island. Tsunamis are most often caused by earthquakes somewhere in the Pacific. The islands are about 1,860 miles (3,000 km) from the nearest continent. It was relatively minor, but local emergency management officials utilized the latest technology and ordered evacuations in preparation for a possible major event. Lānaʻi has a population of 3,193; Molokaʻi has a population of 7,404. Tsunamis may also originate from the Hawaiian Islands. [2] The islands, which were governed independently up until 1898 were then annexed by the United States as a territory from 1898–1959. The contemporary name of the islands, dating from the 1840s, is derived from the name of the largest island, Hawaiʻi Island. The islands in the northwest of the archipelago are older and typically smaller, due to longer exposure to erosion. Larger Than 1,000 Square Miles Hawaii Island | 4,028 square miles | 10,433 square kilometers | 500 to 800 Ssquare Miles - Maui Island | 727 square miles | 1,883 square kilometers | On October 15, 2006, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 off the northwest coast of the island of Hawaii, near the Kona area of the big island. It is one of the northwesternmost islands, located 161 miles (259 km) east of the International Date Line. Cook came across the islands by chance when crossing the Pacific Ocean on his Third Voyage, on board HMS Resolution; he was later killed on the islands on a return visit. Between 1833 and 1896, approximately 4 or 5 earthquakes were reported per year. These are just a few: This chain of islands, or archipelago, developed as the Pacific Plate slowly moved northwestward over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle at a rate of approximately 32 miles (51 km) per million years. Maui County consists of four of the state's main islands: Maui, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi, and Molokaʻi. The city of Hilo on the Big Island has been most affected by tsunamis, where the in-rushing water is accentuated by the shape of Hilo Bay. Lehua and Kaʻula are the third and fourth largest islands, although they are very small and uninhabited. Maui County contains 59 named islands. The island chain extends over 1,576 mi (2,536 km) N-S and 1,425 mi (2,293 km) E-W. It is only 12 miles long, 45 square miles in size and completely deserted. There are eight primary islands that were occupied by these chiefdoms – in order of decreasing size, they are Hawaii (also known as the Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. [citation needed], The arrival of the Europeans had a more significant impact, with the promotion of large-scale single-species export agriculture and livestock grazing. [36], During the summer months the average temperature is about 84 °F (29 °C), in the winter months it is approximately 78,8 °F (26°C). We print the highest quality hawaiian islands t-shirts on the internet ... hawaii-souvenir, hawaii-vacation, hawaiian-islands, hawaii-islands, hawaiian Available in Plus Size T-Shirt. For other uses, see, an archipelago in the North Pacific Ocean, administered by the US state of Hawaii, Learn how and when to remove this template message, On October 15, 2006, there was an earthquake, List of animal species introduced to the Hawaiian Islands, list of extinct animals of the Hawaiian Islands, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, "Australia and Oceania: Physical Geography", "From Cook to the 1840 Constitution: The Name Change from Sandwich to Hawaiian Islands", "Guide to State and Local Census Geography – Hawaii", U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Island of Hawaiʻi, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Maui Island, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Oʻahu Island, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Kauaʻi Island, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Molokaʻi Island, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lānaʻi Island, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Niʻihau Island, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Kahoʻolawe Island, "Hawaii Population 2016 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)", "Tectonics, geochronology, and origin of the Hawaiian-Emperor Volcanic Chain", "Potassium-Argon Ages of Lavas from the Hawi and Pololu Volcanic Series, Kohala Volcano, Hawaii", 10.1130/0016-7606(1972)83[3731:PAOLFT]2.0.CO;2, "Petrography and K-Ar Ages of Dredged Volcanic Rocks from the Western Hawaiian Ridge and the Southern Emperor Seamount Chain", 10.1130/0016-7606(1975)86<991:PAKAOD>2.0.CO;2, "Tohoku-Oki Earthquake Tsunami Runup and Inundation Data for Sites Around the Island of Hawai'i", "Hawaii Is Now Home to an Ocean Reserve Twice the Size of Texas", "21 sites added to Unesco World Heritage list – Wikinews, the free news source", "Unesco Adds 21 Sites to World Heritage List", "World Heritage Committee inscribes a total of 21 new sites on UNESCO World Heritage List", "Obama expands Papahanaumokuakea marine reserve; plans Oahu trip", "Fact Sheet: President Obama to Create the World's Largest Marine Protected Area", An integrated information website focused on the Hawaiian Archipelago, Pacific Region Integrated Data Enterprise (PRIDE), "Hawaiian Volcanoes – Introduction – Department of Geosciences", Oregon State University College of Science, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hawaiian_Islands&oldid=1003125267, Articles needing additional references from January 2021, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Hawaiian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2009, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. On August 21, 1959, they were collectively admitted as the 50th state. The Hawaii state consists of major eight main islands Niihau, Oahu (O'ahu), Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii, In addition to eight main islands, The Hawaiian archipelago, 137 islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km), Its ocean coastline is about 750 miles (1,210 km) long. As humans cleared land for farming, monocultural crop production replaced multi-species systems. [36] Coastal areas in general and especially the south and west flanks or leeward sides, tend to be drier. Kauaʻi County is the northwesternmost county (excluding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) in the state. In modern times, Hawaiʻi is known commonly as the "Big Island" to reduce confusion between the island and the state itself. On June 15, 2006, President George W. Bush issued a public proclamation creating Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The islands are the exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain, formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle. Its total height is nearly 33,500 feet (10,211 meters), considerably higher than the height of the tallest mountain on land, Mount Everest (Chomolungma in At 13.21 mi² (34 km²), it is the smallest county by land area in the United States and is often omitted from certain maps. In August 2010, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee added Papahānaumokuākea to its list of World Heritage Sites. For a secluded, nature-centric escape, visit the island of Lanai. Hear a Hawaiian Chant. A tsunami resulting from an earthquake in Chile hit the islands on February 27, 2010. The Big Island’s 4,028 square miles represents almost 63% of the state’s total land mass. [8], The eight main islands of Hawaii (also called the Hawaiian Windward Islands) are listed here. Macdonald, G. A., A. T. Abbott, and F. L. Peterson. The state of Hawaii officially recognizes only 137 islands in the state which includes four islands of the Midway Atoll. The county as a whole has eight islands. [6] This name was in use until the 1840s, when the local name "Hawaii" gradually began to take precedence. Recent detailed mapping shows Lö'ihi to be similar in form to Kïlauea and Maun… Abundant evidence indicates that such a new volcano exists at Lö'ihi, a seamount (or submarine peak) located about 20 miles off the south coast. The state of Hawaii, consisting of the Hawaiian Islands, has the fourth-longest ocean … The state of Hawaii, consisting of the Hawaiian Islands, has the fourth-longest ocean coastline of the 50 states (after Alaska, Florida, and California) at 750 miles (1,210 km). This makes Hawaii the world's longest island chain. The waves produced by the earthquakes travel at speeds of 400–500 miles per hour (600–800 km/h) and can affect coastal regions thousands of miles (kilometers) away. Its area of some 4,030 square miles (10,438 square km) continues to grow as Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano, continues to pour lava into the ocean. If the hot-spot theory is correct, the next volcano in the Hawaiian chain should form east or south of the Island of Hawai'i. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet. It occupies the two main islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau. Hawaiian Islands by Size. Honolulu County, despite being centralized, administers the outlying Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. With a land area of 1,159.20 mi² (3,002 km²), it had a population of 154,834 in 2000. It is still smaller than the state of Connecticut, one of the smallest states in the continental US. [27], The islands are home to a multitude of endemic species. Similar to Alcatraz Island near San Francisco, the island of Kahoolawe was once used for prisoners. [36] The islands receive most rainfall from the trade winds on their north and east flanks (the windward side) as a result of orographic precipitation. As a result, many species which depended on forest habitats and food became extinct—with many current species facing extinction. Earthquakes are monitored by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory run by the USGS. [21] From this study and others,[22][23] it is estimated that the northwesternmost island, Kure Atoll, is the oldest at approximately 28 million years (Ma); while the southeasternmost island, Hawaiʻi, is approximately 0.4 Ma (400,000 years). Hawaii is a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. At 44.6 mi² (115.5 km²), Kahoʻolawe is the state's largest island with no permanent inhabitants. Hawaii Island (aka “The Big Island”) is roughly the size of the US state of Connecticut, the largest of the Hawaii archipelago, with incredible biodiversity epitomised by snow-capped Mauna Kea and the otherworldly Volcanoes National Park. Kauai is fourth largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago at 562.3 mi² (1430.4 km²). The Hawaiian shield volcanoes are the largest mountains on Earth.Mauna Kea Volcano rises 13,796 feet (4,205 meters) above sea level but extends about 19,700 feet (6,000 meters) below sea level to meet the deep ocean floor. IV, Ea Mai Hawaiinuiakea speaks of the genealogy of our Hawaiian Islands and our royalty beginning with Haloa, the first man of Hawaii. Known as the Big Island, it is the southeasternmost and largest of the Hawaiian Islands. With a population of 58,303 (2000), it holds 99.7% of the county's population of 58,463. While there are hundreds of islands in the archipelago spread over some 1,500 miles, the eight largest are the center of Hawaiian life. 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