List of islands of Hawaii
Native name: Mokupuni o Hawai‘i | |
---|---|
North Pacific | |
Archipelago | Hawaiian Islands |
Total islands | Approximately 132
Islands (including 4 of the 2020 ) |
The following is a list of the islands in Hawaii. The state of
Hawaii is divided into five
.The state of Hawaii officially recognizes only 137 islands in the state which includes four islands of the Midway Atoll.[1] An island in this sense may also include much smaller and typically uninhabited islets, rocks, coral reefs, and atolls. For that reason, this article lists 152 separate islands (but also names smaller island chains such as the French Frigate Shoals, which includes 13 islands of its own). Some of these are too small to appear on maps, and others, such as Maro Reef, only appear above the water's surface during times of low tide. Others, such as Shark and Skate islands, have completely eroded away.
The majority of the Hawaiian Islands are uninhabited, with Niʻihau being the westernmost island with a population of around 130 natives, no one else is allowed on the island. All the islands west of Niʻihau—those categorized as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands—are unpopulated and recently incorporated into the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The island of Oʻahu has just over one million residents (about 70% of the state's population), and the island of Hawaiʻi is by far the largest island with an area of 4,028 sq mi (10,430 km2)—62.7% of the state's land area. The islands were first settled as early as AD 300 by Polynesian long-distance navigators. British captain James Cook was the first European to land on the islands in January 1778.[2] The islands, which were governed independently up until 1898 were then annexed by the United States as a territory from 1898 to 1959. On August 21, 1959, they were collectively admitted as the 50th state.
The islands are the exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the
Hawaiʻi County
Hawaiʻi County centers on Hawaiʻi Island. With an area of 4,028 sq mi (10,430 km2), it is larger than all of the other islands of Hawaii combined, encompassing approximately 62.7% of the entire state's land area. It is also the largest island in the United States. In modern times, Hawaiʻi is known commonly as the "Big Island" to reduce confusion between the island and the state itself. The island also contains the state's highest peak: Mauna Kea at 13,803 feet (4,207 m). Hawaiʻi County as a whole has 27 islands and a total population of 185,079.
Honolulu County
Known officially as the City and County of Honolulu, the county includes both the urban district of Honolulu (the state's largest city and capital) and the rest of the island of Oʻahu, as well as several minor surrounding islands. The county also administers the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands with the exception of the federal governed Midway Atoll. The county's population in 2010 was 953,207, making it the 43rd most populated county in the United States. At 596.7 sq mi (1,545 km2), the island of Oʻahu is the third largest island and also the most populated, accounting for approximately 70% of the entire state's population. The county as a whole has 63 islands, and 32 of those belong to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Northwestern Hawaii Islands
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (also known as the Leeward Islands) are the small islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest of the larger islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau. For administrative purposes, all of these islands are controlled by Honolulu County. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands consist of nine main islands and innumerable islets, coral reefs, atolls, sandbar, and intermittent islands—some of which are officially named. All of these islands account for only 3.1075 sq mi (8.048 km2) and have no permanent residents.
Midway Atoll, sometimes referred to as Midway Island, is a 2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2) archipelago. For quite some time, it had a permanent population of naval personnel. It is one of the northwesternmost islands, located 161 miles (259 km) east of the International Date Line. Kure Atoll is the only island west at 55 miles (89 km) beyond Midway Atoll. It also observes a different time zone (Samoa Time Zone) than the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. Because of its strong military history, Midway Atoll is classified as a Minor Outlying Island, an unorganized territory of the United States and is therefore not under the jurisdiction of Hawaii. Midway Atoll consists of four individual islands.
- Indicates an island that is part of the Midway Atoll
Kalawao County
Kalawao County contains no individual islands of its own. With a census population of 90, the county is the country's smallest county in terms of population with 44 fewer residents than Loving County, Texas. At 13.21 sq mi (34.2 km2), it is the smallest county by land area in the United States and is often omitted from maps. Kalawao County shares the island of Molokaʻi with Maui County and occupies only 5% of the island's 260 sq mi (670 km2) and 1.2% of the island's 7,404 residents.
Kauaʻi County
Maui County
References
- ^ "Hawai'i Facts & Figures" (PDF). State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. December 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ Paul Capper. "Chronology: The Third Voyage (1776–1780)". The Captain Cook Society. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ "Tectonics, geochronology, and origin of the Hawaiian-Emperor Volcanic Chain" (PDF). The Geology of North America, Volume N: The Eastern Pacific Ocean and Hawaii. The Geology Society of America. 1989. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ISSN 0016-7606. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
- ISSN 0016-7606. Retrieved January 17, 2011.