Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Land & Sea
It has been said that if Darwin had arrived first in Hawaii, a remote ar-
chipelago with spectacularly varied wildlife, he would have developed his
theory of evolution in a period of weeks instead of years. On the other hand,
few places have felt humanity's heavy footprint as deeply as Hawaii, which
today holds the ignominious title of being the ʻendangered species capital
of the world' and faces serious environmental challenges.
Earth's Most Remote Paradise
Many people think of the Hawaiian Islands as tiny rafts of white sand and tiki bars sailing
westward inch-by-inch to Japan. In fact, these islands are the palm-fringed tops of the
planet's largest mountain range, something whales may appreciate more than humans do.
For 80 million years, a ʻhot spot' beneath the earth's mantle has operated like a volcanic
conveyor belt here, manufacturing a 1500-mile string of shield volcanoes that bubble out
of the sea in the most geographically isolated spot on the planet, almost 2000 miles from
the closest continent. This profound isolation has created a living textbook of evolution,
with incredible biodiversity unmatched by anywhere else in the US.
Hawaii is the northernmost point of the triangle of Pacific islands known as Polynesia
('many islands'); the other points are New Zealand and Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
HAWAII BY THE NUMBERS
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Hawaii comprises 6423 sq miles of total land area, less than 0.2% of the total US
landmass.
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Within the state, there are eight main islands, but only seven are populated.
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Beyond Kauaʻi, the minuscule Northwestern Hawaiian Islands stretch for 1200
miles.
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On the Big Island, Ka Lae (South Point) is the USA's southernmost point, 18°55'N
of the equator.
