Introduction to Hawaii Island
Hawaii as a term is a bit ambiguous and for that reason many people get confused when they encounter islands that have other names (Oahu, Lanai etc.). Hawaii as a broad term is used to refer to the archipelago that makes up the state of Hawaii within the United States of America. An archipelago is a group of islands and Hawaii easily qualifies under this definition since there are around 130 islands in the Hawaiian archipelago. Because the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago are curvilinear to linear in their formation Hawaii is sometimes referred to as a chain of islands instead of an archipelago but both terms refer to the same collection of islands.
The largest island in the Hawaiian Island archipelago is Hawaii itself and this is where confusion sometimes settles in. Hawaii is not only the name of the whole state ( i.e. all of the islands) but it is also the name of the largest island in the state itself.
Demographics of Hawaii Island
The island of Hawaii is the major part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest island in the archipelago both in terms of land area as well as in terms of population. It has a land area of over ten thousand square kilometers and for that reason also houses most of the infrastructure in the archipelago. The highest point on the island of Hawaii is the infamous volcano of Mauna Kea and it stands a proud 4,205 meters in height.
The population of Hawaii is a whopping 158,000 residents and during the on season of tourism you can expect the population to be well over this figure. A large portion of the population of this island is either involved in the tourism or the agriculture industries.
History of Hawaii Island
Hawaii is the home island of the original King Kamahameha the Great and it is for this reason that the whole region encompassing the state is also known as Hawaii. A couple of centuries before its incorporation into the United States all of the islands in the archipelago were united into the Hawaiian Kingdom by Kamahameha; most of them were brought in line through the use of force.
The island itself was initially discovered by Europeans in the late 18th century and the HMS Resolution commanded by Captain James Cook was the ship that initially stumbled across it. Cook was eventually killed on the island of Hawaii and after his death the Resolution fell under the command of Captain Clerke for the rest of its voyage.
Interesting Tidbits About Hawaii Island
- Two of the volcanoes on Hawaii are still active and because of that the island continues to increase in terms of land area.
- Not only is Hawaii the island located most to the south within the archipelago itself but it also contains the southernmost point within the whole United States of America.
- There are over 50,000 households on the island of Hawaii.
- The initial staple of economic growth on the island of Hawaii was sugar cane and over the last century the island has undergone a stark change in its economy from being primarily agriculture based to being primarily tourism based. The last plantation of sugar cane was closed in 1996.
- The island of Hawaii is sometimes given the dual nicknames of The Big Island and Hawaii Proper.
Hawaii Island Summary
Hawaii does really have a lot to offer people and if you combine a trip to Hawaii with stops on some of the other islands in the Hawaiian archipelago then you can leverage your vacation and have a really great time in doing so. Remember that you are on your vacation to have fun so regardless of whether you decide to spend all of your time on Hawaii or alternatively visit some of the other islands make sure that you have fun doing it.
