Ads
related to: Hawaii, USA-70% Flights Deals from Your City. Last Min Price Drops. 2024 Special Fares. Book Now! Cheapest Flight Deals? Last Minute Price Drops on Intl. & Domestic Airfare. Compare Today!
- Spring Sale: Up to 70% off Cars Rentals Deals
- Cheap Flights to Denver
Find Last Minute Price Drops
in Denver, CO - Book Today & Fly
- Cheap Flights Los Angeles
Find Last Minute Price Drops
in Los Angeles, CA - Book and Fly
Best Flight Deals? Take Big Discount Now. Don't miss. Exclusive Deals. Upgrades & Deals. Take Big Discount Now. Don't miss. Best rates on Flights -Tickets from $49. Exclusive!
Compare prices & save money with Tripadvisor® (World's largest travel website). Detailed reviews and recent photos. Know what to expect before you book.
Rent a Vacation Rental: Short to Long-Term Rentals in Island Of Hawaii from Top Sites. HomeToGo®: Easy Multi-Site Price Comparison. Search and Save up to 75% Now!
Search results
Hawaii is among the country's most diverse states, owing to its central location in the Pacific and over two centuries of migration.
- Overview
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
Hawaii, constituent state of the United States of America. Hawaii (Hawaiian: Hawai‘i) became the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959. Hawaii is a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. The islands lie 2,397 miles (3,857 km) from San Francisco, California, to the east and 5,293 miles (8,516 km) from Manila, in the Philippines, to the west. The capital is Honolulu, located on the island of Oahu.
Hawaii was characterized by Mark Twain as “the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.” The name is thought to derive from Hawaiki, the former name of Raiatea, the ancestral home of Polynesians.
The land area of the state of Hawaii consists of the tops of a chain of emerged volcanic mountains that form 8 major islands and 124 islets, stretching in a 1,500-mile (2,400-km) crescent from Kure Island in the west to the island of Hawaii in the east. The eight major islands at the eastern end of the chain are, from west to east, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii. Each volcanic mountain formed during the transit of the Pacific Plate across a hotspot (a region of Earth’s upper mantle that upwells to melt through the crust) located beneath the central Pacific Ocean, and erupting magma added mass to the crust above.
Britannica Quiz
Historical USA
The origin of Hawaii’s islands, islets, and seamounts can be traced to at least 70 million years ago, near the end of the Cretaceous Period (145 million to 66 million years ago). Volcanic activity has become dormant, with the exception of the emergent volcanoes of Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and the Lō‘ihi Seamount. Mauna Loa and Kilauea are located on the easternmost and largest island, Hawaii (often referred to as the “Big Island”), where spectacular eruptions and lava flows take place from time to time. The Lō‘ihi Seamount, a growing volcano that could break the surface of the ocean tens of thousands of years from the present, is located 18.6 miles (30 km) southeast of the island of Hawaii. The highest Hawaiian mountains are Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, both on the island of Hawaii, reaching 13,796 feet (4,205 metres) and 13,678 feet (4,169 metres) above sea level, respectively.
There has been little erosion in the geologically young areas, where the terrain is domelike or scattered with hardened lava, and the volcanic craters are clearly defined. In the older areas the mountains have been shaped and eroded by sea, rain, and wind. Their aspects thus include sharp and craggy silhouettes; abrupt, vertically grooved cliffs pocked with caves; deep valleys; collapsed craters (calderas); and coastal plains. The powerful Pacific surf, churning and crashing against the fringing coral shelves and the lava shorelines, has carried minute shells onto the shore and reduced coral and large shells to sand, creating the state’s famous expanses of beach.
Are you a student? Get Britannica Premium for only 24.95 - a 67% discount!
Because the topography of Hawaii is generally abruptly descending or sloping, there are few surfaces that collect water. Excess rainfall seeps through porous mountain areas to gather in subterranean chambers and layers retained by less-permeable lava and ash beds, or it is prevented by underlying salt water from seeping to the sea. The resultant ar...
As a result of the weathering of basaltic lava and volcanic ash, Hawaii is rich in arable soils. Given local conditions, with variations in rainfall and organic matter, the islands contain a wide variety of soils. Of these the most significant are the andisols and mollisols that are the product of lava flows that occurred more than 3,000 years ago ...
Find Hawaii travel information and plan your perfect vacation on the Hawaiian Islands. Explore the islands' weather, culture, activities, events, cuisine and more.
Top Things to Do in Hawaii, United States. Places to Visit in Hawaii. Explore popular experiences. See what other travellers like to do, based on ratings and number of bookings. See All. Day Trips (298) Snorkeling (280) Waterfalls (52) Dinner and Show Tickets (30) Nature and Wildlife Tours (516) Beaches (277) Whale Watching (150)
People also ask
Where is Hawaii located?
Is Hawaii a US state?
What is Hawaii known for?
Is Hawaii a big or small state?
- Visit A Dormant Volcano At Haleakala National Park. In Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands is the Haleakala National Park. It is home to a dormant volcano making up more than 75% of the island, the East Maui Volcano, Haleakala, which translates to “House of the Sun”.
- Tour The Underwater World At The Maui Ocean Center. The largest living tropical reef aquarium in the Western Hemisphere, the Maui Ocean Center, is one of the best Hawaii activities to take on during your trip.
- Grab A Drink At Ocean Vodka Organic Farm & Distillery. A family-run business since expanded to a prominent enterprise, the Ocean Vodka Organic Farm & Distillery is renowned for its award-winning distilled spirits sourced from its 80-acre organic farm.
- Catch A Wave & Some Sun At Ho’okipa Beach Park. A world-class surfing and windsurfing spot for advanced surfers and windsurfers, Ho’okipa Beach Park has got waves that touch 30 feet!
Mar 6, 2023 · Learn about the geography, climate, and history of Hawaii, a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean. Explore maps of the state's counties, cities, and natural features.
Hawaii. Plan Your Trip to Hawaii: Best of Hawaii Tourism. 1,093. Hawaii. For many, the word "vacation" conjures images of sunbathing on a sunny beach, paddling in a dazzling blue ocean, napping under coconut trees—in other words, Hawaii. But travelers who can pull themselves away from the 50th state's stunning beaches will find so much more.
