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Hawaiʻi
The Big Island
Landsat mosaic, 1999-2001
Landsat mosaic, 1999-2001
Geography
Location in the state of Hawaii
Location in the state of Hawaii
Location 19°34′N, 155°30′W
Area 4,028. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the 0 sq mi (10,432. 5 km²)
Rank 1st, largest Hawaiian Island
Highest point Mauna Kea
  13,796 ft (4,205 m)[1]
Demographics
Population 148,677 (as of 2000)
Density 37/sq mi (14/km²)
Official Insignia[2]
Flower Lehua blossom
Color Ula Ula (Red)

The Island of Hawaiʻi (called the Big Island or Hawaiʻi Island) is a volcanic island in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi in the Pacific Ocean. The Hawaiian Islands, once known as the Sandwich Islands, form an Archipelago of 19 Islands and Atolls numerous smaller Mauna Kea is a Dormant volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five volcanoes which together form the Island of Hawaii. Metrosideros polymorpha ( ‘ōhi‘a lehua or lehua) is an evergreen Tree of the Myrtle family which is Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions With an area of 4,028 square miles (10,432 km²), it is the largest island in the United States and larger than all of the other Hawaiian Islands combined. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of This is a list of Islands of the United States, as ordered by area.

Hawaiʻi is said to have been named for Hawaiʻiloa, the legendary Polynesian navigator who first discovered it. Hawaiiloa is the hero of an ancient Hawaiian legend about the settling of the Hawaiian Islands. However, other accounts attribute the name to the legendary land or realm of Hawaiki, a place from which the Polynesians originated (see also Manua), the place where they go in the afterlife, the realm of the gods. The Māori name Hawaiki refers to the mythical land to which some Polynesian cultures trace their origins Manua or the Manua Islands Group (Samoan Manua tele) consists of three main islands Ta{{okina}}u, Ofu and Olosega.

The Island of Hawaiʻi is administered under the County of Hawaiʻi. Hawaii County is a County located in the US state of Hawai{{okina}}i in the Hawaiian Islands. The county seat is Hilo. Hilo (ˈhiːlo is a coastal town in the State of Hawai{{okina}}i. It is estimated that as of the year 2003, the island had a resident population of 158,400.

Contents

History

Hawaiʻi was the home island of Kamehameha the Great, who by 1795 had united most of the Hawaiian Islands under his rule after several years of warfare and conquest. Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, (born February 1758 or November 1737 or May 1, 1738 – died May 8, 1819) Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a He gave his kingdom the name of his native island, which all the islands are now known as, Hawaiʻi. Captain James Cook, who made the Western world aware of these "Sandwich isles", was killed on Hawaiʻi in Kealakekua Bay. Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and The Hawaiian Islands, once known as the Sandwich Islands, form an Archipelago of 19 Islands and Atolls numerous smaller Kealakekua Bay is located on the Kona coast of the island of Hawai'i about 12 miles south of Kailua-Kona.

Geology and geography

The Island of Hawaiʻi is built from five separate shield volcanoes that erupted somewhat sequentially, one overlapping the other. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the These are (from oldest to youngest):

Interpretation of geological evidence from exposures of old surfaces on the south and west flanks of Mauna Loa led to the proposal that two ancient volcanic shields (named Ninole and Kulani) were all but buried by the younger Mauna Loa. [3] Geologists now consider these "outcrops" to be part of the earlier building of Mauna Loa.

View north from upslope Kohala showing Haleakalā, Maui in the distance
View north from upslope Kohala showing Haleakalā, Maui in the distance

In greatest dimension, the island is 93 miles (150 km) across and has a land area of 4,028. 0 square miles (10,432. 5 km²),[4] representing 62% of the total land area of the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian Islands, once known as the Sandwich Islands, form an Archipelago of 19 Islands and Atolls numerous smaller Measured from its base at the sea floor, to its highest peak, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world, even taller than Mount Everest, according to the Guinness Book of Records. Mauna Kea is a Dormant volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five volcanoes which together form the Island of Hawaii. Mount Everest, also called Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा meaning Head of the Sky) or Chomolungma, Qomolangma or Zhumulangma (in Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U Traditionally, Hawaiʻi is known as the Big Island because it is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands and some confusion between Hawaiʻi Island and Hawaiʻi State can be avoided.

Because Mauna Loa and Kīlauea are active volcanoes, the island of Hawaiʻi is still growing. Between January 1983 and September 2002, 543 acres (220 ha) of land were added to the island by lava flows from Kīlauea volcano extending the coastline seaward. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures Several towns have been destroyed by Kīlauea lava flows in modern times: Kapoho (1960), Kalapana (1990), and Kaimū (1990). Kalapana is a town on the Island of Hawai{{okina}}i in the Hawaiian Islands that was completely destroyed and partly buried by the eruptive flow of Lava Kaimū was a small town on the Island of Hawai{{okina}}i in the Hawaiian Islands that was completely destroyed by an eruptive flow of Lava from the

Steam plume as Kīlauea red lava enters the ocean at three Waikupanaha and one Ki lava ocean entries. Some surface lava is seen too. The image was taken 04/16/08.
Steam plume as Kīlauea red lava enters the ocean at three Waikupanaha and one Ki lava ocean entries. Some surface lava is seen too. The image was taken 04/16/08.

Hawaiʻi is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago, and contains the southernmost point in the United States, (Ka Lae). This is a list of the extreme points of the United States, the points that are farther north south east or west than any other location in the country Ka Lae ("the point" in Hawaiian) also known as South Point, is the southernmost point on the island of Hawai{{okina}}i and in the state of The nearest landfall to the south would be in the Line Islands. The Line Islands, or Equatorial Islands, are a group of eleven Atolls and low coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean south of the Hawaiian To the north is the island of Maui, where East Maui Volcano (Haleakalā) is visible across the Alenuihāhā Channel. The Island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 Haleakalā or East Maui Volcano is a massive Shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. In an Archipelago like the Hawaiian Islands the water between Islands is typically called a channel or passage.

18 miles (29 kilometers) off Hawaiʻi Island's southeast coast is the undersea volcano known as Lōʻihi. Lōihi is a Seamount and undersea Volcano in the Hawaiian archipelago, located at 18 Lōʻihi is an actively erupting seamount that lies 3,200 feet (975 m) below the surface of the ocean. It is thought that continued volcanic activity from Lōʻihi will cause the volcano to eventually breach sea level and later attach at the surface onto Kīlauea, adding even more land to Hawaiʻi's surface area. This "event" is presently predicted for a date several tens of thousands of years in the future.

Hilina Slump or the Great Crack is an 8-mile (13 km) long, 60 feet (18 m) wide and 60 feet (18 m) deep crack in the island, situated in the district of Kaʻū. The Hilina Slump is a 4760 cubic mile (20 kilometre³ chunk of the big island of Hawaii on the south slope of the Kilauea Volcano which is The Great Crack is one of many series of cracks and rifts that were formed by eruptions and, in fact, is an extension of the southwest rift zone. Often these rifts are the sites of volcanic eruptions and occasionally a rift can be so deep and so fractured that it can cause a chunk of the island to fall into the ocean. In Geology, a rift is a place where the Earth 's crust and Lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of Extensional tectonics

Black Sand Beach Park
Black Sand Beach Park

Some believe that the Great Crack is a result of the south flank of the Big Island moving away from the rest of the island. Speculation abounds that some day, perhaps soon, a major chunk of the island will break away and fall into the ocean, resulting in turn in a huge tsunami and earthquake. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer This actually does happen every ten thousand years or so, so it is not outside the realm of possibility. Others believe the Great Crack is not a fault that will break the island apart, but instead was created (probably thousands of years ago) as a result of the crust moving apart slightly due to magma forcing itself into the rift zones. In Geology a fault, or fault line, is a planar rock fracture which shows evidence of relative movement Magma (Plurals magmas and magmata) is molten rock that sometimes forms beneath the surface of the Earth (or any other Terrestrial planet In Geology, a rift is a place where the Earth 's crust and Lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of Extensional tectonics The Great Crack has been measured and is tracked and there is no indication that it is enlarging in any way or that the island is shifting near this point. Furthermore, the walls of the crack have been shown to fit together perfectly, thus proving that the crack was a widening of once joined ground.

One can find trails, rock walls, and archaeological sites from as old as the 12th century around the Great Crack. Much of these finds are on the park side of the fence. About 1,951 acres (790 ha) of private land beyond the fence were purchased during the Bill Clinton administration specifically to protect the various artifacts in this area as well as to protect the habitat of the turtles. The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the Federal However, near the end of the crack is an area of land between the fence, the crack and the ocean which is not part of the park land and does have many archaeological artifacts on it.

In 1823 a very fluid flow of lava came out of a 6-mile (10 km) portion of the crack and made its way to the ocean. Year 1823 ( MDCCCXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures

Lava enters the Pacific at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in April of 2005, increasing the size of the island.
Lava enters the Pacific at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in April of 2005, increasing the size of the island. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916 is a United States National Park located in the U

On April 2, 1868, an earthquake in this area with a magnitude estimated between 7. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap 25 and 7. 75 on the Richter scale rocked the southeast coast of Hawaiʻi. It triggered a landslide on the slopes of Mauna Loa, five miles (8 km) north of Pahala, killing 31 persons. A tsunami claimed 46 additional lives. The villages of Punaluʻu, Nīnole, Kawaʻa, Honuʻapo, and Keauhou Landing were severely damaged. For the black sand beach on the Big Island, please see Punaluu Black Sand Beach. According to one account, the tsunami "rolled in over the tops of the coconut trees, probably 60 feet (18 m) high . . . inland a distance of a quarter of a mile in some places, taking out to sea when it returned, houses, men, women, and almost everything movable. " This was reported in the 1988 edition of Walter C. Dudley's book, "Tsunami!" (ISBN 0-8248-1125-9).

On November 29, 1975, a 37-mile (60 km) wide section of the Hilina Slump plunged 11 feet (3 m) into the ocean, widening the crack by 26 feet (8 m). Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This movement caused a 7. 2 magnitude earthquake and a 48 feet (10 m) high tsunami. Oceanfront properties were washed off their foundations in Punaluʻu. Two deaths were reported at Halapē, and 19 other persons were injured.

The northeast coast of the Big Island has also suffered tsunami damage from earthquakes that triggered waves from Chile and Alaska. Downtown Hilo was severely damaged in 1946 and 1960, with many lives lost. Hilo (ˈhiːlo is a coastal town in the State of Hawai{{okina}}i. Laupāhoehoe alone lost 16 school children and 5 teachers in the 1946 tsunami. Laupāhoehoe is a Census-designated place (CDP in Hawai{{okina}}i County, Hawai{{okina}}i, United States.

Demographics

As of 2000, there were 148,677 people, 52,985 households, and 36,877 families residing in the county. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The population density was 14/km² (37/mi²). Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume There were 62,674 housing units at an average density of 6/km² (16/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 31. 55% White, 0. 47% African American, 0. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa 45% Native American, 26. "Kanaka" redirects here For the Tamil actress see Kanaka (actress. 70% Asian, 11. 25% Pacific Islander, 1. 14% from other races, and 28. 44% from two or more races. 9. 49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of Hispanic or Latino descent, which comprises ancestry or origins in Hispanic America

There were 52,985 households out of which 32. 20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50. 60% were married couples living together, 13. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 20% had a woman whose husband did not live with her, and 30. 40% were non-families. 23. 10% of all households were made up of individuals and 8. 00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 75 and the average family size was 3. 24.

In the county the population was spread out with 26. 10% under the age of 18, 8. 20% from 18 to 24, 26. 20% from 25 to 44, 26. 00% from 45 to 64, and 13. 50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98 males.

Economy

Rainbow on the Big Island
Rainbow on the Big Island

Sugarcane was the backbone of Hawaiʻi Island's economy for more than a century. Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae An economic system is a System that involves the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services between In the mid-twentieth century, sugar plantations began to downsize and by 1996, the last sugar cane plantation had closed down. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar)

Today, most of Hawaiʻi 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. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel However, diversified agriculture is a growing sector of the economy of the island. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Macadamia nuts, papaya, flowers, tropical and temperate vegetables, and coffee are all important crops. Macadamia is a Genus of nine Species of Flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, with a Disjunct distribution native The papaya (from Carib via Spanish) is the Fruit of the Plant Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom In fact, because of Hawaiʻi Island's reputation for growing beautiful orchids, the island has the nickname "The Orchid Isle. " Cattle ranching is also important. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family 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. Parker Ranch is a working cattle ranch on the Island of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii. Waimea is a Census-designated place (CDP in Hawai{{okina}}i County Hawai{{okina}}i, United States. 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. Mauna Kea is a Dormant volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five volcanoes which together form the Island of Hawaii.

Tourist information

The big Island lava flow from the air
The big Island lava flow from the air

The Big Island is famous for its volcanoes. Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the Kīlauea, the most active, has been erupting almost continuously for more than two decades. Kīlauea (kiːlauea is an active Volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five Shield volcanoes that together form the Island of Hawai{{okina}}i At the coast where the lava meets the ocean, one can sometimes see billows of white steam rising from off the shoreline. Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures 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. Black sand is a heavy glossy partly Magnetic mixture of usually fine sands found as part of a Placer deposit.

Places of interest

Lehua blossoms (ʻōhiʻa lehua), Hawaiʻi
Lehua blossoms (ʻōhiʻa lehua), Hawaiʻi

Cities and towns

Map of Hawaii with cities
Map of Hawaii with cities

Colleges and universities

Transportation

Two airports serve Hawaii Island:

References

Further reading

External links

References

  1. ^ Table 5.11 - Elevations of Major Summits. 2004 State of Hawaii Data Book. State of Hawaii (2004). Retrieved on 2007-07-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France.
  2. ^ Fun Facts about Hawaiʻi. State of Hawaiʻi: Office of the Governor. Retrieved on 2007-07-20. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold
  3. ^ MacDonald and Abbott, 1970
  4. ^ Table 5.08 - Land Area of Islands: 2000. 2004 State of Hawaii Data Book. State of Hawaii (2004). Retrieved on 2007-07-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France.
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