When many people first read about the state of Hawaii, they conclude the most unusual fact about it is that it consists of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii. Or they recall the Japanese invasion at Pearl Harbor. However, there are many other interesting facts associated with the state.
According to 50states.com, Hawaii is the most isolated population center on earth. It’s 2,390 miles from California, 3,850 from Japan, 4,900 from China and 5,280 from the Philippines. It’s also the only state that grows coffee. Hawaii harvests more macadamia nuts and orchids than anywhere else in the world and provides more than a third of the world’s commercial supply of pineapples.
Traveling from east to west, Hawaii is the widest state in the United States. Each of its eight islands has its own official island flower and color. The state has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time) and a language with only 12 letters. They’re the consonants H, K, L, M, N, P and W and vowels A, E, I, O and U. It has the distinction of being the 50th state, admitted on August 20, 1959.
Many visitors are fascinated by Hawaii’s history of volcanoes. Some of the under-sea volcanoes erupted thousands of years ago and formed the islands that make up the current state. All underground minerals are the property of the state. Tourists are quick to discover that the wind always blows from east to west in Hawaii. The Hawaiian Archipelago is made up of more than 130 scattered points of land along 1,600 miles. The temperature seldom tips below 60 degrees at sea level, and the average daytime temperature in January is a lovely 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
One unusual aspect of life in Hawaii is the absence of any racial or ethnic majorities. Everyone is considered a minority. While Caucasians make up about 34 percent of the population, Japanese-Americans represent around 32 percent. Filipino-Americans comprise about 32 percent, with Chinese-Americans representing about 5 percent of the residents.
Some find it surprising to learn that Hawaii has five navigable rivers. More than 100 world-famous beaches surround Honolulu, which is the 11th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Oahu attracts more visitors than any of the other islands and is the site of the Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the country.
Molokai is best known as the site of a leper colony run by Father Damien. The island is home to the world’s tallest sea cliffs, Hawaii’s longest waterfall and the largest white sand beach in the state.
Visitors looking for seclusion will want to visit the island of Lanai, once the site of the world’s largest pineapple plantations. Hulope Bay is currently a marine preserve.
The Big Island of Hawaii is the largest of the eight. At 4,038 square miles, it’s twice the size of all the other islands added together and at 800,000 years old, is the youngest island. Its Kilauea volcano is the most active in the world.
Hawaii has produced scores of famous sons and daughters. Among them are entertainers Tia Carrere, Jean Erdman, Don Ho, Harold Sakata, James Shigeta and Don Stroud. Former U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye hailed from Hawaii, as did missionaries Hiram Bingham, Samuel N. Castle and Amos S. Cooke. Astronaut Ellison Onizuka called it home, as did sumo wrestlers Konishiki and Chad Rowan Yokozuna. The list of noted Hawaiians also includes Queen Kaahumanu, Kings Kamehameha I and V and Liliuokalani, who was the last monarch.
Reference:
- 50states.com web site
