Hawaii Geography

 

Summer Vacation 2018 - Hawaii

(created Sat. July 21, 2018)





Hawaiian Geography


There are over 136 total Hawaiian islands stretching 1,700 miles across the Pacific Ocean.




image source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Islands#/media/File:Hawaiianislandchain_USGS.png




“129 are composed of small islets, atolls (which are coral islands circling a lagoon), and coral reefs. Each and every island was formed by hot spots within the Earth’s crust, causing them to rise to the surface deep in the middle of the Pacific.”

source: 

https://www.hawaiiliving.com/blog/how-many-hawaiian-islands-are-there/



The remaining eight islands that make up our 50th state are:

  1. 1)Hawaii

  2. 2)Maui

  3. 3)Kohoolawe - uninhabited

  4. 4)Lanai

  5. 5)Molokai

  6. 6)Oahu

  7. 7)Kauai

  8. 8)Niihau - inhabited only by “native Hawaiians”



This is a map of the eight largest Hawaiian Islands:




image source:  https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/island-guide




This satellite image is available from Wikipedia:




image source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Islands#/media/File:Hawaje-NoRedLine.jpg




For reference, the eight major islands stretch roughly from Houston to Dallas, and the rest all the way to the San Francisco Bay area:




source:  http://www.kauainaturetours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Islands-of-Hawaii-vs-US.jpg








Midway


On the first map, you may have noticed Midway.  This is the same Midway Atoll that was the location of a key naval battle in WWII, when the US defeated the Japanese, part of which included sinking four ships that had attacked Pearl Harbor six months earlier.


“As its name suggests, Midway is roughly equidistant between North America and Asia, and lies almost halfway around the world longitudinally from Greenwich, UK. It is near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Tokyo, Japan.


“Midway Atoll is less than 140 nautical miles (259 km; 161 mi) east of the International Date Line, about 2,800 nautical miles (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) west of San Francisco, and 2,200 nautical miles (4,100 km; 2,500 mi) east of Tokyo.”

source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Atoll








Distance to Hawaii


Hawaii is the most remote island chain in the world,


  1. -2,390 miles from California, which is the largest land mass to the islands

  2. -1,236 miles to Kiribati, an island nation due south of Hawaii


source:  https://www.to-hawaii.com/geography.php



  1. -Alaska may be closer than California, per the math proposed on this site - https://sashat.me/2017/03/03/how-far-is-hawaii-from-the-nearest-landmass/





Distances between the islands:


Niihau to Kauai

Fifteen miles separate the northwestern-most island of Niihau and the nearest island in the chain, Kauai.


Kauai to Oahu to Molokai

Kauai and Oahu are 63 miles apart. Twenty-two miles separate the islands of Oahu and Molokai.


Molokai to Maui and Lanai

There are 7.5 miles between Molokai and Maui. Eight miles separate Molokai and the island of Lanai, which lies directly south.


Lanai to Maui and Kahoolawe

Lanai lies due west of Maui and the islands are separated by 8 miles. There are 15 miles between Lanai and the tiny island of Kahoolawe.


Kahoolawe to Maui

Only 6 miles are between the islands of Kahoolawe and Maui.


Maui to Hawaii (The Big Island)

There are 26 miles between Maui and the largest island, Hawaii.



source:  https://www.trails.com/facts_32464_distance-between-hawaiian-islands.html








Fun Facts


Tallest land mass / mountain in the world is the Big Island.


“Imagine a mountain that rises from over 18,000 feet below the see to almost 14,000 above sea level! The volcanic mountains, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on Hawaii’s Big Island stand almost 32,000 feet.”


source:  https://www.hawaiianrealestate.com/articles/facts-about-hawaii/




The Big Island is larger than all the other islands combined and is almost as large as Connecticut by itself; combined, all of Hawaii is 6,423 square miles, which makes it larger than Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island.


reference:  https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/national-us/uncategorized/states-size




source:  http://www.yourbigislandrealtor.com/images/how_big.jpg




The Big Island has been created from five volcanos:


  1. 1)Kohala

  2. 2)Hualalai

  3. 3)Mauna Loa

  4. 4)Manua Kea

  5. 5)Kilauea





Source:  https://www.hawaii-guide.com/big-island/all-about-big-island-hawaii












Links to the rest of this travel journal:


  1. 1)Highlights

  2. 2)Highlights - Big Island

  3. 3)Highlights - Oahu

  4. 4)Highlights - Kauai


  5. 5)Hawaii Geography


  6. 6)Flights - STL / St. Louis to KOA / Kona


  1. 7)Kona - Kailua

  2. 8)Kona - Painted Church and Place of Refuge

  3. 9)Kona - Coffee


  1. 10)Ka Lae / South Point and Punalu’u / Black Beach

  2. 11)Kona - Outrigger Canoe and Snorkeling

  3. 12)Moku Nui Lava Boat Tour

  4. 13)Lava Boat Videos

  5. 14)Drive, Hilo to Kona on Hw 19



  6. 15)Flight - KOA / Kona to HNL / Honolulu

  7. 16)Oahu - Chinatown and Diamond Head

  8. 17)Oahu - Dole Plantation Maze and Polynesian Cultural Center

  9. 18)Oahu - Hanauma Bay

  10. 19)Oahu - Hanauma Bay Videos



  11. 20)Flight - HNL / Honolulu to LIH / Lihue, Kauai

  12. 21)Kauai Churches

  13. 22)Kauai - Na Pali Catamaran

  14. 23)Kauai - Na Pali Videos

  15. 24)Kauai - fun in the resort and at Kalapaki Beach

  16. 25)Flight - LIH / Lihue, Kauai to STL / St. Louis



  17. 26)SLUH in HI



  18. 27)Hawaii Revealed

  19. 28)Postcards

  20. 29)Reviews



  21. 30)Hawaii 2000

  22. 31)Hawaii 2000 - Maui

  23. 32)Hawaii 2000 - Oahu