Quick Facts – State of Hawaii:

Hawaii is the only state of the United States that:

• is not geographically located in North America
• is completely surrounded by water
• has a royal palace
• does not have a straight line in its state boundary
• continuously grows in area (due to currently active lava flows, most notably from Kilauea)

All of the Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanos erupting from the sea floor from a magma source described in geological theory as a hotspot. The theory maintains that as the tectonic plate beneath much of the Pacific Ocean moves in a northwesterly direction, the hot spot remains stationary, slowly creating new volcanoes. This explains why only volcanoes on the southern half of the Big Island are presently active.

Quick Facts – Island of Hawaii:

Capital City: Hilo

Population (2007): 148,677

Time Zone: Hawaii Standard Time (GMT-10 hours)

5 hours behind the US East Coast,
6 hours behind during Daylight Saving Time (Hawaii does not observe Daylight Saving Time)

Languages: English, Hawaiian

(Pidgin English, a form of local slang, is also spoken in casual conversation.)

Average Temperature:  75˚-85˚ F

Airports: Hilo International Airport, Kona International Airport

The Island of Hawaii is built from five separate shield volcanoes that erupted somewhat sequentially, one overlapping the other. These are (from oldest to youngest):

• Kohala (dormant)
• Mauna Kea (dormant)
• Hualālai (dormant)
• Mauna Loa (active, partly within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park)
• Kīlauea (very active; part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park)

The volcanic activity and subsequent erosion created impressive geological features. Kīlauea, the most active of the island’s volcanoes, has been erupting almost continuously for more than two decades. At the coast where the lava meets the ocean, one can sometimes see billows of white steam rising from off the shoreline. At night, the lava lights up the steam to give an orange glow. When the molten lava makes contact with the ocean, the sea water turns into steam, and the sudden cooling of the lava causes the newly formed lava rocks to explode and crack into small pieces. The broken up lava is further ground into black sands along the shore by the ocean waves. Black sand beaches are common on the Big Island.

Most of Hawaii Island's economy is based on tourism, centered primarily on the leeward (Kona) or western coast of the island in the North Kona and South Kohala districts. However, diversified agriculture is a growing sector of the economy of the island. Macadamia nuts, papaya, flowers, tropical and temperate vegetables, and coffee are all important crops. In fact, because of Hawaii Island's reputation for growing beautiful orchids, the island has the nickname "The Orchid Isle." Cattle ranching is also important. The Big Island is home to one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States, Parker Ranch, which is situated on 175,000 acres (708 km²) in and around Kamuela. Astronomy is another industry, with numerous telescopes situated on Mauna Kea owing to the excellent clarity of the atmosphere at its summit and the lack of light pollution.