The state of Hawaii includes 8 primary islands, the largest which is called -- drumroll please -- the Big Island. Are you surprised? Probably not -- but that's OK -- maybe some of these other fun facts about the Big Island will surprise you.
Did you know....The Big Island's main name is Hawai'i. It is the largest of all of the Hawaiian Islands measuring 4,038 square miles. That means it is double the size of all of the other Hawaiian Islands combined!
Did you know....The Big Island's getting bigger and bigger each year -- by more than 42 acres every year-- a big mahalo (thanks) to the Kīlauea Volcano. It's been erupting for 30 years already!
Did you know....the world's largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, is likewise on the Big Island. Mauna Loa means "Long Mountain" -- it is 56,000 feet high from its base which is sunken into the seafloor. It is more than 27,000 feet taller than Mount Everest. WOW!
Did you know....Astronauts once trained for moon voyages by walking on Mauna Loa's solidified lava fields. And most recently, 6 NASA scientists spent months on the northern side imitating a Mars space station.
Did you know....Kīlauea is the youngest and most southeastern volcano. Kīlauea has had a very active and eruptive history -- its name means “spewing” or “much spreading” in the Hawaiian language.
Did you know....Hawai'i is home to the world’s largest telescope. It also has more scientific observatories in one place than anywhere in the world.
Did you know....The Big Island features the largest contiguous ranch in the United States -- Parker Ranch -- measuring 480,000 acres.
Did you know....The Big Island is a "baby" -- just 800,000 years old the Big Island is the youngest island.
Did you know....Almost all of the world’s macadamia nuts and orchids are grown on Hawai'i.
Did you know....All of the beaches are publicly owned lands in the State of Hawaii. This means the public has full right of access to all beaches and shorelines throughout the Islands.
We hope you'll be able to visit and enjoy all of the Aloha Spirit the Big Island provides! Share your experiences in the comments below. Mahalo!
